eNewsletter | August Edition
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In this month's edition:
- Upper Mark West Resilience Project
- Welcome Kari Johnson!
- CA Family Farmer Emergency Fund
- Sonoma County Drought Survey
- Mark West CDFW Public Meeting | August 25
- North Coast Farmer Workshop Series kicks off
- Check out more ways to get involved with the RCD and community
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Upper Mark West Fire Resilience Project snapshot |
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The Upper Mark West Fire Resilience Project started in 2021 and consists of creating 100’ defensible space around a minimum of 55 homes in the Mark West Creek watershed, conducting vegetation management on 3 miles of existing fuel breaks used by CalFire and local firefighters in previous fires, and improving community understanding of vegetation management needs and methods. As of the end of our July 2022, we completed defensible space around 60 homes, wrapped up the project's 3 mile fuel break, and engaged over 70 landowners across the watershed with informational workshops. Atlas Tree and Spye General Engineering were the contractors that worked on the project, while the participating landowners were actively involved; including properly handling and burning debris piles left over from the installation of the 3 mile fuel break. Watershed resiliency work takes the energy and dedication of the entire community. We are grateful for the Mark West community for their stewardship and continued partnership as we aim to effectively address forestland health and watershed resources. This project would not have been possible without the generous funding support of the Sonoma County Vegetation Management Grant Program, the volunteer support of the Upper Mark West Fire Safe Council, and the partnership of the Resilient Landscapes Coalition.
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Welcome to the team Kari! |
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We're happy to announce Kari Johnson as the newest member of our team! Kari will play an important role to the RCD's operations and fiscal team as Administrative Coordinator. Kari brings administrative experience from her time working for a local chamber of commerce and navigating complexities of public/private collaboration. She is motivated to work at the nexus between special district governance, grant-funded projects, and land stewardship. She earned a B.A. in Political Science from Sonoma State University and is in the process of obtaining a Master of Public Administration. Raised in the agricultural Central Valley of California, Kari moved to Sonoma County in 2013 and since developed a deep passion for the region’s unique natural landscapes and resources. Welcome to the Sonoma RCD team, Kari! |
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Meet & Greet for Potential RCD Board Members |
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The RCD is hosting an informal meet & greet on August 25th at 10:30 am for people interested in serving on the Board. Several current RCD Board members will be there to answer questions about the RCD and what it’s like to serve on the Board. This will take place outdoors, and light refreshments will be provided. If you are interested in attending, please email vminton@sonomarcd.org.
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CA Family Farmer Emergency Fund
Community Alliance with Family Farmers
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From wildfires to drought to global pandemics, farming is risky business. This is even more true for smaller family farms and those from BIPOC, immigrant, and disadvantaged communities. Despite being the heart of our local food systems, these community-scale entrepreneurs too often fall between the cracks of traditional safety nets and government aid. That’s where we come in. The California Family Farmer Emergency Fund offers direct financial support to small-scale farmers impacted by disaster with the aim of helping them weather the storm. If you’re a farmer seeking assistance, read on. Or click here to donate.
ELIGIBILITY
- Family farmers who are actively working the land, derive a portion of their income from their own farm business, and are involved in the day-to-day operations of the farm
- Farmers whose operations make a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $400,000 in gross sales annually
- Because of systems of historic oppression, the most vulnerable populations often bear the brunt of a crisis. For this reason, at least 50% of all grant funds will be awarded to farmers of color, immigrant farmers, and undocumented farmers.
- WILDFIRE: Applicants are restricted to the following 18 counties: Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, Humboldt, Lake, Madera, Napa, Plumas, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Trinity, Tulare, Yolo. Applicants may have experienced impacts anytime between 2020 and present day.
- DROUGHT: New well drilling is ineligible for funding. You are not eligible for this grant if you received a CDFA CUSP economic relief grant from CAFF, ABIRC, CCOF, or Peoples Land Stewardship Fund within the last 12 months.
HOW TO APPLY & TIMING OF FUNDS
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Sonoma County Drought Survey 2021-2022
Sonoma County
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The Sonoma County Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures (AWM) is conducting an agricultural loss survey to determine the extent and nature of crop loss due to the drought conditions in Sonoma County during the 2021/2022 rainy season from October 2021 – April 2022. The results of this survey may lead to additional assistance being made available to Sonoma County producers. See the Sonoma County Drought Loss Survey for 2021-22 Raining Season / Crop Year here.
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CDFW Public Meeting in Mark West | August 25th
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department) is hosting an informational public meeting on August 25, 2022, at 11:00 am PDT to present two reports: Watershed-Wide Instream Flow Criteria for Mark West Creek and Instream Flow Evaluation: Juvenile Rearing of Steelhead and Coho Salmon in Upper Mark West Creek, Sonoma County. The attached Department meeting notification will provide additional details and the access information for the meeting. Following this meeting both technical reports will be available on the Department’s Instream Flow Program web page. For any questions regarding the Department’s California Water Action Plan efforts In the Mark West Creek watershed please email instreamflow@wildlife.ca.gov. View the official Public informational meeting notification for Mark West Creek watershed reports PDF here.
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Workshops | Resources | News |
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Small Farm Technology | August 10th - TODAY! | 10am-3pm |
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Join us on August 10th from 10 AM to 3 PM at Shone Farm for a FREE Small Farm Technology Workshop! This two-part workshop will include a tour of Shone Farm, a deep dive into specific ag tools and machinery, and feature a presentation on online farm tools from experts at CAFF’s Small-Farm Tech Hub. Learn more and register here.
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Business Planning | August 24th | 11am-12:30pm | Zoom |
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What sales channels are best for my business? What is the value am I bringing to my customers? Can I buy equipment and still have enough cash to get through the lean winter months? These are just some of the questions that are addressed through farm business planning. This workshop, led by Kitchen Table Advisors' Business Advisor in the North Bay, Lily Schneider, will present an overview of the farm business planning process, providing useful information for those with established businesses as well those in the start-up phase. The focus will be on introducing simple yet effective business planning tools that participants can use throughout the lifecycle of their businesses, including identifying the marketing and operational strategies, and outlining the budgeting process. Learn more and register here.
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Water Smart Farming and Policy | September 1st | 9am-3pm |
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Join us on September 1st, 9 AM to 3 PM at Live Oak Farm for a FREE Water Smart Farming and Policy Workshop! This workshop will include a tour of Live Oak Farm, presentations from local technical assistance providers, a local farmer panel, and plenty of time for community Q&A regarding producer challenges and successes with water smart farming and local policy. Learn more and register here.
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Ecological Farming Practices | September 19th | 9am-4pm |
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Join us on September 19th, 9am to 4pm at the School of Adaptive Ag, for a FREE Ecological Farming Practices Workshop. This day will feature a tour of the School of Adaptive Agriculture at Ridgewood Ranch, presentations from the Mendocino Resource Conservation District, multiple sessions on compost, seed saving, carbon farm planning, regenerative grazing and more. Learn more and register here.
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These workshops will be a great opportunity to engage with your local farming community, connect with technical assistance providers, and learn about funding opportunities.
This workshop series is being put on by Conservation Works in partnership with the Community Alliance of Family Farmers (CAFF) with grant funding from the California Dept. of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). These workshops will give beginning, small and underserved producers the opportunity to engage with other farmers, ranchers, and technical assistance providers in a relaxed environment, ask questions regarding workshop topics, and connect with their regional farming network. Free light lunch and refreshments will be served at each event. Bilingual resources will also be available at each workshop.
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August 12, 2022, from 11:15 AM- 12:30 PM, doors open at 10:15 AM. With the increasing risk of wildfires, Sonoma County’s wine and agricultural sectors are under significant pressure to save crops and livestock from fire and smoke in evacuation zones. However, farmworkers are counted on to work in dangerous conditions and at times within the evacuation lines. Join Los Cien to hear from diverse perspectives on how to resolve these conflicting pressures.
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Join Russian Riverkeeper on September 17th 2022 for their annual Russian River Watershed Cleanup Day. It’s a fun opportunity to gather together with friends and family to show the river some love. Help to remove the trash and plastic pollution that has been accumulating over the last year. Let’s see if we can do better than in 2019, when over 450 volunteers cleaned up 31,899lbs of trash in a single day! The Sonoma RCD is a proud sponsor of this annual event.
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These guides to preparing for and surviving a major regional disaster are also designed to be available “offline” as a pdf, in the event that you need to access it and are unable to get cell service. Make sure to download them from here and follow these simple steps.
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Mark your calendars! Saturday, October 1 LandPaths will be celebrating the 15th Anniversary of Bayer Farm at the Harvest Festival! Founded by LandPaths in 2007, in partnership with the City of Santa Rosa, Bayer Farm is the definition of a community hub. The Sonoma RCD is happy to sponsor and participate in this community celebration!
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Attend a technical workshop to receive the latest science-based information on how to best manage your soil, water and wildlife on
your property.
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With a tax deducible donation you can support conservation projects that protects water resources, improves soil health + restores habitat for endangered species.
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Sign up to receive our monthly newsletters and hear about innovative projects, read our newest publications, funding opportunities and upcoming events.
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Conservation at Work with LandSmart®
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