- North Coast Soil Health Hub receives award
- Students work together to install native plants at Brown Farm
- Post-fire gully and headcut repair demo video at Pepperwood Preserve
- 2022 CA Leopold Conservation Award: Beretta Family Dairy
- Meet our new Associate Director
- We're hiring
- Upcoming workshops, webinars and conferences
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2022 Outstanding Conservation Partnership Award: North Coast Soil Health Hub
At the 77th Annual CA Association of RCDs Conference in Folsom, the North Coast Soil Hub received the Outstanding Conservation Partnership of the Year Award for 2022 from USDA-NRCS California! Thank you to all of our amazing partners and we look forward to another year of building soil health across the North Coast region.
The North Coast Soil Hub is an agriculturally focused network that addresses region-specific needs, successes, and challenges. Our coordinating and advising team is made up of Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs, including Sonoma RCD!), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Field Offices, University of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisers & Researchers, Santa Rosa Junior College educators, the Carbon Cycle Institute, industry organizations and associations, and most importantly North Coast agriculturists.
To meet the demand for knowledge about how to build and maintain healthy soils, the North Coast Soil Hub is a network that includes: farmer-to-farmer workshops, long-term experimental demonstrations, technical services, educational resources, and a Hub website as an information sharing platform. Visit our NEW website here.
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It takes a team: Brown Farm planting day
In the first week of December, staff from the Sonoma RCD, Point Blue Conservation Science's STRAW Program, and the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation implemented Phase II of the Brown Farm native revegetation project. Phase I took place in May and builds on other projects existing downstream. On December 9th, students from Shepphard Elementary School in the STRAW Program and the RCD's FARMS Leadership Program high school students teamed up to plant native species like California Wild Rose, Blue Elderberry, Snowberry, Buckeye, Box Elder, Coast Live Oak, Black walnut, and Coyote Brush on site.
Located on the City of Santa Rosa’s Brown Farm property, a total of 625 trees and shrubs will be installed along approximately 930 linear feet (1.68 acre area) of a tributary of the Laguna de Santa Rosa referred to as Gravenstein Creek. The project objectives are to increase riparian corridor extent and quality to benefit local riparian species and aquatic organisms, increase the abundance of native riparian plants, and enhance cover, complexity and buffering of the riparian corridor via revegetation with genetically appropriate native plant material. The project can be viewed from the Joe Rodota Trail where an informational sign will be installed highlighting watershed issues, restoration opportunities, and how Sonoma RCD, Caltrans, Laguna Foundation, PBCS STRAW, and other watershed partners are working to improve the watersheds of Sonoma County.
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Post-fire gully and headcut repair demonstration project at Pepperwood Preserve
We're pleased to share a new video demonstrating five different types of headcut and gully repair erosion control practices in a post-fire landscape. Such gullies and headcuts are common across many Sonoma County landscapes, and the methods demonstrated can be implemented by land owners and mangers on their own properties. This demonstration project was funded through the State Water Resources Control Board’s 319h Grant program and took place in September 2022 at the Pepperwood Preserve in Santa Rosa, California. Sonoma Resource Conservation District designed and oversaw the implementation of the project with assistance from Prunuske Chatham, Inc. The project was implemented by Spye General Engineering.
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Congratulations to the Beretta Family Dairy for receiving the 2022 California Leopold Conservation Award
Photo and award recipient overview from Sand County Foundation
Conserving California’s water is important when milking cows. The Berettas are dairy farmers who have long sought to improve water quality and quantity.
Located in Northern California’s ecologically and economically important Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed, the Berettas are innovators when it comes to recycling wastewater and preserving groundwater.
Doug and Sharon Beretta farm with their children: Jennifer, Lisa, and Ryan, and grandson Brayden. Doug’s father Bob had the foresight in 1968 to build a pond that secures nutrients from runoff. The nutrients are later used to fertilize pastures and crop fields. It’s one of many conservation projects the Berettas have implemented to reduce groundwater usage, improve soil health, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and protect federally recognized endangered species.
The Berettas have utilized the City of Santa Rosa’s reclaimed wastewater to irrigate their pastures and hay fields since 1981. Using recycled water has eliminated the need to draw 45 million gallons of groundwater annually. The Berettas also partnered in California’s first-of-its-kind, voluntary water quality credit trading project with Santa Rosa and the Sonoma Resource Conservation District in 2015. It aided with pasture improvements that protect water quality by reducing soil erosion and manure runoff.
Recently, Beretta Family Dairy secured a pair of grants from the California Department of Agriculture to achieve more environmental and economic efficiencies through conservation. An Alternative Manure Management grant helps reduce labor and fuel costs with a new barn scraper system and a manure separator that eliminates methane. Compost derived from the separation process is used as cattle bedding, which eliminates their need to purchase sand. A Healthy Soils Program grant will improve forage productivity by spreading compost on pastures, utilizing a no-till drill to seed grassland, and designing a new rotational grazing plan.
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Steve Worrell, Associate Director
We are thrilled to welcome Steve Worrell as one of the five new Associate Directors of our Board voted in this fall. Steve is a registered civil engineer with experience designing winery, agricultural and food process wastewater treatment systems. He has worked on many aspects of the land-water nexus including evaluating water demand, water availability, quality and treatment. His current work includes leading the engineering division of a wastewater technology company. Steve is a graduate of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and has lived in Santa Rosa for the last six years. Welcome to the RCD team Steve!
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2022 Ag Census of Agriculture is here!
This is a message from USDA
The ag census is the nation’s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county, and territory. By completing the survey, producers across the nation can tell their story and help generate impactful opportunities that better serve them and future generations. It is a powerful voice for U.S. agriculture.
You need only respond once, whether securely online or by mail. The online option offers timesaving features ideal for busy producers. All responses are due Feb. 6, 2023. Farm operations of all sizes, urban and rural, which produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural products in 2022, are included in the ag census. Changes for 2022 include new questions about precision agriculture, hemp production, hair sheep, and updates to internet access questions.
Did you get your invitation? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mailed survey codes to all known agriculture producers across the 50 states with an invitation to respond online to the 2022 Census of Agriculture at agcounts.usda.gov. If you missed it or prefer paper, the paper questionnaires will follow in December.
The data not only influence business and supply chain logistics, they inform policy and program decisions that directly impact producers, ag operations, and communities across the United States. For the latest news and updates about the Census of Agriculture, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.
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California Small & Underserved Producers (CUSP) Drought Funding
Direct-to-Producer Opportunity through California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD)
CDFA has awarded CARCD $1M to administer drought relief reimbursement funds to small/underserved producers in your networks beginning now through 2024. 50% of funds will be awarded to socially disadvantaged farmers, immigrant farmers, and undocumented farmers. Socially disadvantaged farmer means a farmer who is a member of a socially disadvantaged group, these groups include all of the following: (1) African Americans (2) Native American Indians (3) Alaskan Natives (4) Hispanics (5) Asian Americans (6) Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Small farmers are defined as making less than $400,000 in gross farm sales.
Applications are available as Google Forms in multiple languages:
Need the form in another language? Please reach out to Emily-Smet@carcd.org. If you would like a printed application for a producer, please reach out to Emily Smet at Emily-Smet@CARCD.org for a PDF copy for the desired language. Printed forms can be scanned and emailed to Emily-Smet@CARCD.org.
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Funding Cycles & Amounts
The first cycle will begin Oct. 15, 2022 and end January 15, 2023. CARCD will offer 4 funding cycles - one fall/winter and one spring/summer - between 2022 - 2024. Applications will be open for 3 months, during which time applications will be reviewed and awards disbursed monthly. After each funding cycle ends, the remaining funds will be assessed and the amount available for the next cycle will be determined and communicated via email and webpage (yet-to-be-developed). Grant amounts will be $1,000 min and $20,000 max. Producers may only receive awards every 12 months - CARCD will cross-check applicants with CDFA to ensure no repeat funds are awarded inside of that time period. Producers can expect to receive the award notice within the first two weeks of the 1st month following their application and the award check by the first week of the 2nd month following their application.
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Petaluma Equine Water Quality Regulations Informational Webinar
Presented by Sonoma RCD
Friday, January 13, 2023 | 12:00 PM
Sonoma RCD is hosting an informational webinar on recent water quality regulations that apply to commercial equine facilities in the Petaluma River Watershed. At the session you’ll hear from representatives from the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board regarding overview and requirements for their Waste Discharge Requirements for Confined Animal Facilities (WDR CAF) and how the RCD can provide assistance with this permit compliance. We will also have time for questions from attendees. This information session will be recorded and posted to SRCD’s website and YouTube channel for future viewing for those who cannot attend.
If you have any questions please contact Kari Wester, Project Manager at kwester@sonomarcd.org
Funding for this project has been provided in full or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State Water Resources Control Board under the Federal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program (Clean Water Act Section 319). The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the foregoing, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
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Pile Burning Workshop
Presented by UCCE
Part One: January 31, 2023 webinar
Part Two: TBD In-person
Winter can be a great time pile burning brush and other woody fuels around your home. Learning how to construct and prepare hand piles takes skill and an understanding of safety and weather considerations to minimize the risk of escape. Click on flyer to view and download.
Questions? Contact Katie Low at katlow@ucanr.edu
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Save the Date: California Forest Stewardship Workshop
Presented by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
January 19, 2023 - March 16, 2023 and in-person Saturday, February 4th in Napa County
Join the workshop to understand and protect your forests by developing a Forest Management Plan. Participants will utilize online resources on their own time to complete learning modules and short activities. Zoom meetings with all participants and presenters will take place once a week on Thursdays, 6-7:30pm. The in-person field day will cover silviculture, forest inventory and mapping activities. Participants who complete the workshop will be eligible for a free site visit with a California Registered Professional Forester. $60 registration fee. For questions, contact Kim Ingram, kcingram@ucanr.edu.
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CARCD 77th Virtual Conference
California Association of Resource Conservation Districts
March 2023
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the in-person portion of CARCD’s 77th Annual Conference at The Lake Natoma Inn in Folsom, CA. We had an amazing turn out with higher attendance numbers than previous years. We would also like to give a big thank you to our amazing speakers and sponsors. We couldn’t have done this without everyone’s support and passion. We hope to see you at the virtual component in March 2023.
Registration for the virtual component will remain open until March 2023. If you registered for the full conference, you will have access to the virtual component.
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California Small Farm Conference
Community Alliance with Family Farmers
February 26th - March 2nd
Join the small farm community–from growers to market managers to local food advocates–for a week of learning, inspiration and movement building. We’re exciting to bring back the new hybrid conference format featuring over 50 different online workshops, forums and videos as well as multiple in-person gatherings around the state. Stay tuned for more details!
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Executive Director
The Executive Director position offers an exciting opportunity to apply technical, administrative, policy, and collaboration skills to meaningful and impactful conservation work in some of California’s most beautiful landscapes. The Executive Director is the chief administrative officer responsible for managing and directing the operations and programs of the RCD consistent with the mission, strategic direction, and policies and procedures established by the Board of Directors. The Executive Director reports directly to the Board and serves as the primary liaison between the District and agricultural, environmental, and regulatory stakeholders and the public at large.
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Finance and Administration Director
The Finance & Administration Director oversees the management of the RCD’s finance, human resources, and
administrative operations that support the District’s ability to achieve its mission to bridge the needs of the
community and natural resources by empowering people through reliable expertise and action to strengthen the
resilience of Sonoma County. The Finance & Administration Director is a results-oriented, hands-on professional with big picture vision and a commitment to excellence, transparency, and fiscal accountability. View and download the full job announcement below.
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Conservation at Work with LandSmart | | | | |
