September, 2013 - Colusa County Resource Conservation District

Colusa County
Conservation
Volume 4 | Issue 1 | September, 2013
In This Issue:
Welcome.................Pg. 1
About the
CCRCD...................Pg. 2
CCRCD Projects.....Pg. 3
Landowner
Survey....................Pg. 4
Colusa County
Grown Update........Pg. 6
C.C. Grown Food
Council...................Pg. 7
Colusa County Grown at
the CA State Fair....Pg. 8
Colusa County
Farmers Markets....Pg. 9
The Many Uses
of Hedgerows.........Pg. 10
Snapshots of
The Season............Pg. 12
Integrated Regional Water
Management..........Pg. 14
Upcoming
Meetings, Events....Pg. 15
Weeds In Your
Hedgerow? ............Pg. 16
Opportunities for
Small Acreage
Landowners............Pg. 18
Support your local
RCD........................Pg. 19
Coastal Clean-up
Day.........................Pg. 20
Welcome by Mary Fahey, Projects Manager
As the harvest season is gearing up, our Colusa County Grown project
is winding down. We have made great strides bringing together local
producers, community members and agencies, and garnering support
for “locally grown” here in Colusa County. The Colusa County Grown
Local Farm and Food Guide has been especially popular. (If you haven’t
received a copy, give us a call or stop by our office and pick one up).
Our two local Certified Farmers Markets are also winding down. As
volunteer manager of the Arbuckle Certified Farmers Market, I have
seen a remarkable increase in both vendor and consumer support for
the Market this year. Preliminary reports are also showing favorable
attendance at the Colusa Certified Farmers Market. I believe that the
Colusa County Grown program is in part responsible for getting more
folks out to these Markets.
The Colusa County RCD is hoping to keep Colusa County Grown
“alive” after October when our grant funding ends. We are currently
working with a group of community members and County employees
to form a Colusa County Grown Food Council which could potentially
help to sustain the program. We have also submitted an application
for a small grant that would provide the resources for our staff to
participate in marketing and outreach activities, including keeping the
Colusa County Grown website current.
While we are working with partners and local growers to sustain
Colusa County Grown, the CCRCD is also looking for new project ideas.
We are seeking input from local landowners. Our office is here to assist
landowners and land managers in Colusa County. With feedback and
ideas from local landowners, we can focus our efforts to best serve the
residents of Colusa County. If you live in Colusa County, take a look
at page 5 where you will find a short survey. We would appreciate any
and all feedback. The survey can also be easily taken online. See pages
4 & 5 for more details.
Please read on to see what else we’ve been up to here at the Colusa
County Resource Conservation District. And, as the days begin to
shorten, I wish you all a fruitful harvest and a plentiful rainy season!
Free Colusa County Grown
materials.................Pg. 21
page 1
MISSION
The mission of the CCRCD is to assist
local landowners to protect, conserve
and restore natural resources through
information, education, and access to
technical assistance programs. In doing
so the CCRCD will always take measures
to protect the individual landowner’s
rights and fully support “from the ground
up” conservation planning that promotes
local, social, and economic sustainability
through wise land use.
(Adopted: March 21, 2002)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jay Dee Garr, President
Tom Hickok, Vice President
Robert Alvernaz, Director
Ben Felt, Director
Kim Gallagher, Director
Beth Nall, Director
Gilbert Ramos, Director
ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS
Sarah Reynolds
STAFF
About the Colusa County
Resource Conservation
District (CCRCD)
The CCRCD focuses their efforts on:
• Promoting resource management and conservation
practices that will improve the health of Colusa
County Watersheds
• Supporting measures that provide for the best use
of the land while sustaining our natural resources
and local economy
• Providing conservation education to ensure Colusa
County’s natural resources will be valued and
protected in the future
CCRCD’s Natural Resource Priorities:
• Identify natural resources issues and concerns
within all Colusa County Watersheds
• Reduce erosion and sedimentation
• Work with all agencies of authority to reduce and
control flooding
• Improve water quality and development
• Promote conservation practices for municipal,
industrial and residential use
• Encourage the use of native vegetation and removal
of non-native invasive species
• Improve Rangeland and Forest Resources
• Improve and Conserve wildlife and fishery habitat
• Reduce roadside pollution
• Protect agricultural viability
• Promote conservation education
• Promote director and staff development
Patti Turner, Executive Director
Mary Fahey, Projects Manager
CONTACT US
Colusa County RCD
100 Sunrise Blvd., Suite B
Colusa, California 95932
Phone: 530.458.2931
Fax: 530.458.3683
[email protected]
Visit our website:
www.colusarcd.org
Photo: Mary Fahey
page 2
A Few of CCRCD’s Projects
Colusa County Grown
Colusa County Grown is a marketing campaign that showcases Colusa County agricultural producers
that sell their products directly to the consumer. The project also has a nutrition education element,
highlighting the benefits of eating fresh, local and seasonal produce. We have developed marketing
and educational materials that will promote local producers and their products. Colusa County
Grown was recently on display at the Colusa County Fair and the 2013 California State Fair as the
theme for our County exhibit booth.
Upper Little Stony Inholder’s Alliance Fuels Treatment Project
The Colusa County Resource Conservation District is working with the USDA, Forest Service to
implement the Upper Little Stony Inholder’s Alliance (ULSIA) Fuels Treatment project. ULSIA is
a local watershed group made up of private landowners within the boundaries of the Mendocino
National Forest. The private lands targeted for fuels treatment are highly volatile to catastrophic
wildfire. The project will include prescribed burning, shaded fuel breaks and thinning practices to
approximately 700 acres of private lands. Project funding will afford the hiring of local contractors
to provide equipment, labor and site supervision for the project and the Forest Service to implement
prescribed burning practices on private lands.
Integrated Regional Water Management Planning
CCRCD staff have been assisting our local government by representing Colusa County through
participation in the Westside and Northern
Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water
Management Planning (IRWMP) efforts. See page
14 for more information on our local IRWMPs.
NRCS Cooperative Agreement
CCRCD staff is working with our NRCS office,
through a Cooperative Agreement, to assist with
customer service and provide outreach to small
acreage landowners.
Audubon Partnership
CCRCD staff is working as a subcontractor with
Audubon California’s Landowner Stewardship
Program implementing hedgerow plantings
at a ranch in Colusa County. This project is
designed to maintain and enhance the physical
and economic conditions for agriculture, while
improving habitat for wildlife
For more information on our projects, please visit
our website at
www.colusarcd.org
Photo: Mary Fahey
page 3
Seeking Landowner Input
The Colusa County Resource Conservation District (CCRCD) Board of Directors and Staff and the
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are seeking input to help us focus our future efforts
to best help the landowners in Colusa County.
Your feedback will not only help us design our future projects to meet local needs it will also
empower us to better represent our local community’s concerns at the regional, state and national
levels. Due to increasingly busy schedules we feel this survey would be more convenient than
holding a meeting to obtain this information.
As you may know the CCRCD is a non-regulatory, special district that assists Colusa County
landowners to protect, conserve and restore natural resources. We do this by providing information,
education and access to technical assistance programs. We always take measures to protect the
individual landowner’s rights and fully support “from the ground up” conservation planning that
promotes local, social and economic sustainability through wise land use. The CCRCD assists the
NRCS (a non-regulatory federal agency) to direct local projects to best fit the local needs.
If you live in Colusa County, taking a moment of your precious time to answer the questions on the
following page would be greatly appreciated and vital to the future of our District.
You may return the information via email, mail, FAX or give our office a call. The survey can also be
taken quickly & easily online at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/73Y98FS
We can’t thank you enough for taking the time to provide our District with this valuable information.
We are here to work for you and your input will assure we continue to do so.
Photo: Jack Alderson
page 4
Landowner Survey
2013 LANDOWNER/MANAGER SURVEY
This survey can also be taken quickly & easily online at:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/73Y98FS
1. As a Colusa County landowner/manager what are your concerns (if any) associated with
the following natural resources?
o Soil (quality, erosion etc.)
o Surface Water (quality, quantity, flooding, etc.)
o Ground Water (quality, quantity)
o Air (quality)
o Vegetation (promote native plants, invasive species, range/pasture health, etc.)
o Animals (livestock, wildlife, endangered species, etc.)
o Energy efficiency (fuel, solar, wind, etc.)
o Regulatory requirements (please be specific)
2. What specific areas of Colusa County, or land categories (farm edges, orchards,
streambanks, etc.) do you think are most in need of natural resource conservation
assistance?
3. Do you have any ideas of future projects the CCRCD could focus on?
4. Are there any new innovative agricultural practices related to enhancing/protecting/
restoring natural resources you would like to implement in the future if cost was not a
factor?
5. Have you ever applied for or received assistance with the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS)?
If so what assistance did you apply for and/or receive and how would you rate your
experience?
page 5
Colusa County Grown - Update
Colusa County Grown is a project designed to promote
our local agricultural producers who sell directly to the
consumer through such venues as farm stands, farmers
markets, CSAs and other local distribution efforts. The
project also promotes the benefits of shopping locally and
eating fresh, seasonal, locally-grown foods. We’ve been
very busy over the last few months giving presentations,
visiting our local farmers markets and creating Colusa
County Grown Display booths.
Here are the latest updates:
Marketing materials: All of our marketing materials
have been printed and we have distributed approximately 65%-70% of these materials all over Colusa
County. Our printed materials include; posters, postcards, nutrition information cards, recipe cards,
banners, flyers, tote bags, bumper stickers, labels, yard signs, two large wooden signs, and the Colusa
County Grown Farm & Food Guide. These items (except for the banners and large wooden signs)
are available at no charge to our producers to help them market their businesses, to business owners
that would like to display them at their
place of business, and to the general public
to encourage them to shop locally. CCRCD
staff has been handing out Colusa County
Grown materials at the Arbuckle and Colusa
Farmers Markets and at other local events,
and to businesses throughout the County
in an effort to help spread the word about
Colusa County Grown.
If you would like to obtain marketing
materials, please email: mary.fahey@
ca.nacdnet.net
Local Farm & Food Guide: The Local Farm
& Food Guide is a 24 page booklet featuring
listings of local producers, articles, a seasonal
availability chart, nutrition information, and more. This publication is being distributed throughout
the county through a variety of venues: inserted in the Colusa Sun Herald, left at drop off points
throughout the county, handed out at the Arbuckle and Colusa Farmers Markets and handed out
to fairgoers at the Colusa County Fair and the California State Fair. This publication has gotten
great reviews from the public, and a couple of our local producers have noticed increased business
inquiries as a result of their listings and ads in the Guide.
Presentations: Our Colusa County Grown Project Manager recently gave a presentation to the Ag In
The Classroom Summer Ag Seminar in Colusa. The presentation included an overview of the Colusa
County Grown project, as well as the history of the RCD and some information about watersheds.
California State Fair: Colusa County Grown was the theme for the County exhibit at the California
State Fair. This year’s exhibit was a gold medal winner!
Continued next page
page 6
Colusa County Grown - Update (continued)
Website: The Colusa County Grown website continues to be updated regularly. We are monitoring
“hits” to the website, and we continue to see monthly increases in visits to the site. Check out the
website for the latest updates: www.colusacountygrown.org
Surveys; We are utilizing surveys to help us measure our success with the Colusa County Grown
project. A new Consumer survey is now available online on Survey Monkey. It is very short and asks
questions regarding consumer knowledge and willingness to shop locally from producers. If you are
a Colusa County resident, please take a few moments to fill out our survey. The information you
provide is very important to this project, and we need to collect a minimum of 200 surveys. You can
access the survey on Survey Monkey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KHBQKZ9
This article is based on work supported by the Farmers’ Market Promotion Program (FMPP) Grant Program, Agricultural Marketing Service,
USDA, under Award No. 12-25-G-1312. Any opinions, findings, conclusion, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Colusa County Grown Food Council
Over the past few months, a diverse group of local folks has been meeting to discuss the formation
of the Colusa County Grown Food Council. Food Councils are popping up in counties throughout our
area. The main goal of these councils is to get healthy food into the hands of all residents, especially
those who have limited access to healthy food.
These are some of the main topics being addressed by the Colusa County Grown Food Council:
•Improve the quality of food available to low-income residents, seniors and youth
•Create new marketing opportunities locally and regionally for farmers
•Facilitate the development of individual, community and school gardens
•Address diet-related diseases, such as obesity and diabetes and the effect on our community
The group is currently working to create a vision and mission statement to describe our purpose,
values and objectives as a working group in Colusa County.
The group invites all interested parties to join us:
•To identify Colusa County’s health and food system priorities together
•To create a community nutrition and food system action plan to address priority areas
•To share resources to address barriers and implement an action plan
If you have questions or would like to get on the email notification list for future meetings, please
contact Mary Fahey at the CCRCD at:
phone: 530.458.2931 X117 or email: [email protected]
page 7
“COLUSA COUNTY GROWN” THEMED EXHIBIT
TAKES GOLD AT STATE FAIR!
by Patti Turner, Executive Director, CCRCD
The design and creation of Colusa County’s exhibit at the 2013 California State Fair was spearheaded
by CCRCD staff. The exhibit featured the RCD’s “Colusa County Grown” program which promotes
direct-to-consumer sales of agricultural products.
The CCRCD and local community were very excited to receive a gold award for their efforts this
year. The display was a cornucopia of local agricultural products, many of which were represented
in different phases of production. A big hit in the exhibit was the photo opportunity to take a picture
of yourself in a rustic farm wagon filled with produce and pulled by a horse. The horse and cow
in the exhibit were made out of 50 gallon oil drums and
featured heads animated by CCRCD Director Ben Felt.
The brightly colored “Colusa County Grown” logo was
incorporated throughout the exhibit and back-dropped by
the eight foot by twelve foot dark rustic barn built by a local
Farmer’s Market participant. A TV monitor inside the barn
ran continually displaying photographs of Colusa County
agriculture and recreational opportunities. A handful
of “Colusa County Grown” stakeholders assisted with
painting the ‘COLUSA” sign that hung over the exhibit and
creating the giant pumpkin and fifteen foot tree decorations.
Approximately 1,500 copies of the Colusa County Local
Farm & Food Guide and a large number of recipe cards
and postcards were handed out during the seventeen day
run of the fair. Food Guide advertisers have reported to
the CCRCD that they have already received calls from
consumers receiving handouts at the State Fair.
Colusa County’s 2013 California State Fair Exhibit; Photos: Patti Turner
page 8
Colusa County Farmers Markets
Colusa County’s two certified farmers markets are winding down. The Arbuckle Certified Farmers
Market opened June 12 and will run through August 21. Featuring locally grown fruit, vegetables,
nuts, eggs, olive oil, wine, flowers, and crafts, The Arbuckle Market has been held Wednesday
evenings from 5:00-7:00 for the past six years, and is hosted by the Arbuckle Revitalization
Committee. The Market also features a weekly bbq dinner provided by local restaurant, Tommy’s
Market Street Grill. For more information on this Market, visit: www.arbucklerevitalization.org
The Colusa Farmers Market opened June 17 and will run through September and possibly longer.
The Market location is Colusa Memorial Park. Now into its fifth year, the Market is held on Monday
evenings from 4:00 - 7:00 and is hosted by the Colusa County Chamber of Commerce. The Market
features fruit, vegetables, nuts, eggs, flowers, crafts and fresh mushrooms from Colusa’s own Premier
Mushrooms.
Colusa County’s two Certified Farmers Markets both saw an increase in vendor and consumer
participation this year compared to last year. We attribute this to the Colusa County Grown project
which increased county-wide awareness of these local direct-to-consumer sales venues.
For more information about local producers and local shopping opportunities, see our website at:
colusacountygrown.org
page 9
The Many Uses of Hedgerows
Part 2: Insectary Hedgerows for Field Crops
by Wendy Krehbiel, USDA, NRCS, Colusa Field Office
In my last article, The Many Uses of Hedgerows; Part 1: Establishing a Useful Hedgerow; I discussed the
importance of hedgerows and how to establish them. In this article I will discuss why and how to
establish an Insectary Hedgerow when growing annual row crops.
Insectary Hedgerows
Insectary Hedgerows are typically
linear rows of flowering plants
(annuals and/or perennials)
designed to attract and provide
year round habitat for beneficial
insects to help with pest
management of the annual row
crop. Many beneficial insects
require adequate supplies of
nectar, pollen, and herbivorous
insects and mites as food to
sustain and increase their
populations. The best source
of these foods is flowering
plants. However, care should be
taken when considering which
insectary plants to install as
these could also be favored by
pest populations over beneficial
organisms.
Plant selection of the insectary
hedgerow and design should
be considered at the same time
as planning for the selection of
the next annual row crop. Care
should be taken to consider the
most common pests typically
found in the annual crop, (aphids,
lygus bugs, and mites) with
consideration to the most effective
beneficial organism, (Big-eyed
bug, ladybug, lacewing, parasitic
wasps) to control the population
of the targeted pest. A few
important characteristics of an
ideal food source in the field are
Continued next page
page 10
Insectary Hedgerows for Field Crops (Continued)
healthy vigorous plants grown in dense stands with more than one flowering variety. It is also
desirable to have plants flowering year round with the stands in a permanent location. When
selecting flowering species, floral structure is an important consideration. Beneficials with short
mouth parts, such as the tiny parasitic wasps, find it easy to obtain nectar and pollinate plants in the
parsley and sunflower families because of the small, shallow flowers these species provide. Plants
that possess extra floral nectaries (nectar sources outside the flower), such as fava beans, cowpeas,
vetch, and several native ground covers, provide beneficials with easy access to an important food
source in addition to the nectar and pollen of their flowers.
Annual cropping systems are much less stable than perennial ones. Depending on the amount of
tillage involved, the ecology of annual systems, both above and below ground, is dramatically altered
every year. To help anchor the ecology of an annual system, consider planting “permanent” insectary
hedgerows. Field edges, irregular unused corners of the field, around the well and pump, are sites
to consider when planning where to establish these “perennial islands” to provide food resources
for beneficial organisms as well as overwintering sites from which crops can be colonized in the
spring. When at all possible consider planting native species. Natives tend to be hardier as they are
well adapted to the local climate, require less fertilizer and resist pests and disease. Planting natives
provides a “bridge” to nearby remaining wildlands. Table 1 lists six common drought tolerant native
California shrubs that provide pollen and nectar for beneficial insects (Bugg et al. 1998; Long et al.
1998) and have successive and overlapping bloom periods. These plants were part of four hedgerows
studied adjacent to approximately eighty acres of rotational field crops (wheat, processing tomatoes,
and alfalfa) typical of crop production found in this region.
Planting an Insectary Hedgerow requires more knowledge and management skill than conventional
pest management. However, the investment in knowledge and management may yield such benefits
as: a reduction in pesticide use, savings in pesticide costs, reduced risk of chemical residues on farm
products, a safer farm environment, and more on farm wildlife.
For more information on planning an Insectary Hedgerow and recommended species in this area,
please visit the Resource Conservation District (RCD) or the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) Office in Colusa, California. Or you can call us at (530) 458-2931 ex 3.
References:
Ambrosino, Mario. Practical guidelines for establishing, maintaining and assessing the usefulness of
insectary plantings on your farm. Integrated Plant Protection Center (IPPC).
California Native Plant Society Website: http://www.cnps.org/cnps/grownative/benefits.php
Dufour, Rex. 2000. FARMSCAPING: To Enhance Biological Control. Appropriate Technology
Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA).
Morandin, Lora. Long, Racheal F. Pease, Corin. Kremen, Clair. 2011. Hedgerows enhance
beneficial insects on farms in California’s Central Valley
page 11
Snapshots of The Season
Photos: Mary Fahey
page 12
Snapshots of The Season
Photos: Mary Fahey
page 13
Northern Sacramento Valley
Integrated Regional Water Management Plan
Participating Counties in the Northern Sacramento Valley (NSV) IRWMP:
Colusa, Glenn, Butte, Sutter, Tehama, Shasta
The latest version of the draft schedule for review of the NSV IRWMP chapters and plan has been
posted to the IRWMP Library section on the NSV website at the following link:
http://www.nsvwaterplan.org/app_folders/view/284
The NSV Board will consider adopting the IRWMP at the December 2013 Board meeting, with the
provision that additional information may be added to
the IRWMP related to the Regional Flood Management
Plan at the March 2014 NSV Board Meeting.
A third round of public workshops will be held on
September 25 & 26. At these workshops, the consultant
team will present information including a background
and overview of the Plan, a timeline and process
for finalizing the Plan, information about upcoming
funding opportunities and future opportunities for
public input. Board and TAC members will be present
to answer questions from the public and there will be an
opportunity for project proponents to talk with each other
to find opportunities to integrate projects. See page 15 for
dates and locations of workshops.
Photo: Jack Alderson
Westside Integrated Regional Water Management Plan
Participating Partners:
Lake County Watershed Protection District, Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation
District, Solano County Water Agency, Water Resources Association of Yolo County and its 11
member agencies, Colusa County Resource Conservation District
The Westside Sacramento Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) has been
completed and formally adopted! The Plan is available online at http://www.westsideirwm.com
Colusa County has elected not to be a part of the Westside IRWMP Regional Management Group
during the implementation phase. This decision was based on the very small acreage and population
of our county that is contained in this region. Although Colusa County will not be an official member
of the Westside IRWMP Water Management Group, the Board of Supervisors has instructed the
Colusa County Resource Conservation District to continue to represent our county as an active
stakeholder in the process to keep abreast of activities and opportunities in the region.
What is Integrated Regional Water Management?
Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) is a collaborative effort to manage all aspects
of water resources in a region. IRWM crosses jurisdictional, watershed, and political boundaries;
involves multiple agencies, stakeholders, individuals, and groups; and attempts to address the
issues and differing perspectives of all the entities involved through mutually beneficial solutions.
The IRWM grant program is administered by the California Department of Water Resources. For
more information, visit DWR’s website at: www.ca.water.gov/irwm
page 14
Upcoming Meetings, Workshops & Events
Colusa County RCD Board Meetings
CCRCD Board meeting DATES HAVE
CHANGED. Previously held the first
Wednesday of every month, regular Board
meetings will now be held the 3rd Tuesday
of every month at the Colusa Industrial
Park conference room, 100 Sunrise Blvd.,
Colusa, CA 95932 at 5:00 p.m. The public is
welcome to attend. Our next Board meeting
is Tuesday, September 17, 2013
For more information, visit our website:
www.colusarcd.org
Colusa Crawdad Festival
Saturday, September 7th
1:00-10:00 p.m.
Colusa County Fairgrounds
$10 adults, children under 10 are free
Come enjoy the ever popular Crawfish,
Corn and Potatoes with Red Beans and Rice.
Items that are available for purchase include
Crawfish, Etouffee, Carnitas, Hotdogs, Hot
links and Ribs.
Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated
Regional Water Management Planning (NSV
IRWMP)
Technical Advisory Committee Meeting
Meetings are held the third Thursday of every
month, 9:00 a.m., Willows City Hall
Next TAC meeting: September 19, 2013
TAC meetings are open to the public
Next Board Meeting: September 9, 2013
9:00 a.m.
Monday Afternoon Club in Willows
Board meetings are open to the public
For more information visit the NSV IRWMP
website: www.nsvwaterplan.org
Sacramento River Watershed Program’s
5th annual State of the Sacramento River
Watershed Forum
Tuesday, September 17th
Sacramento Sheraton Grand Hotel
SRWP will host its 5th annual State of the
Sacramento River Watershed Forum to be held
on Tuesday, September 17th at the Sacramento
Sheraton Grand Hotel. This exciting event hosts the
region’s top leaders who will share the latest news
on the hottest topics affecting the Sacramento River
Watershed.
Colusa County Coastal Clean-up Day
Saturday, September 23
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Meet at Premier Mushrooms. See page 18 for more
information and a schedule of events
Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional
Water Management Planning (NSV IRWMP)
Public Workshops
Three public workshops will be held in September
to provide a face-to-face forum for engaging the
public during the official public comment period
on the draft NSV IRWM Plan. The public is
encouraged to attend. There will be three identical
workshops, each held in a different geographical
area in order to serve the entire six-county NSV
region. Workshop dates and locations are:
September 25, 2013
Sutter County Veterans’ Hall
10:00 a.m. - noon
Oroville Indian Health Center
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
September 26, 2013
Redding City Hall
10:00 a.m. - noon
Arbuckle Pumpkin Festival
Saturday, October 5th
10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Downtown Arbuckle
Vendors, Lunch, childrens’ activities & lots of
pumpkins! www.arbucklerevitalization.org
page 15
Weeds In Your Hedgerow?
Weeds in your hedgerows? Actions to consider
Article by Marit Wilkerson, Graduate Group in Ecology and
Dept. of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis
Details about research background, setup, and analysis can be found in June newsletter.
Recommendations for hedgerow managers
1. Choosing hedgerow sites:
- Certain soils could be harmful (e.g., entisol or inceptisol soils) or facilitative (i.e. alfisol or vertisol)
for weed establishment
- Hedgerows oriented along the north-south axis had greater weed diversity than ones running
along the east-west axis. These patterns may be due to prevalent wind directions in this area;
hedgerows might be acting as “drift-fences.”
- Managers should also consider what type of landscape immediately surrounds their hedgerow
site. Sloughs, fields, and edge matrices were positively associated with greater invasion whereas
vineyards and orchards were negatively associated with invasion. The types of surrounding
landscape associated with greater invasion all have low structural profiles and may be less heavily
managed than vineyards and orchards. Sloughs and fields may provide greater habitat for birds and
animals (“edges” types were usually heavily-used field edges, often compacted).
)
Examples of types of surrounding landscape
Row crop and edge
Orchard and row crop
2.
Field and vineyard
Row crop and ditch
Management: The very methods meant to diminish plant invasion could be associated directly or
indirectly with increased habitat suitability for invasion. Tilling had a significant positive correlation with
invasive cover and prepping that involved disking or surface scraping was also associated with greater
invasive cover. Those methods may-uncover dormant seed banks or create habitats
that are easily
invaded. (Though much more labor intense and sometimes more costly, well timed solarization might
be a good alternative.)
Continued next page
page 16
Weeds In Your Hedgerow? (Continued)
Management recommendations cont.
3. Longer-term: Hedgerow owners may be able to relax long-term concerns about plant invasion because
increased age was strongly associated with a decline in invasive cover. There will still likely be weeds
along the edges of the hedgerow. However, those might be easier to manage with period mowing and
targeted herbicidal spray.
4. Other concerns: Weed diversity and cover dropped off
sharply when moving away from a hedgerow into the
surrounding agricultural landscape. Though managers
should and will always be vigilant about weed invasion
into their crops, hedgerows do not seem to be acting as
a source of invasion. Many other studies throughout the
US have also found that the risk of field margins
contaminating field crops is relatively minimal after a
distance of 10 ft or so.
Wheat field near planted hedgerow with
orchard in background
Acknowledgments:
Funders: Northern California Botanists student research award; NSF Graduate Research Fellowship; UCD
Graduate Group in Ecology block grants; UCD Dept of Plant Sciences fellowship and Madson Scholarship;
UCD Jastro Shields/Humanities research fellowship
Special thanks to: Truman Young; Young lab; Rice lab; Eviner lab; Hedgerow Farms; Yolo County growers;
Neil Willits
Many many thanks to all the folks who made this research possible with hedgerow-owner contacts,
information about hedgerow efforts in focal counties, and permission to gather data on privatelyowned working land, especially Yolo, Solano, and Colusa RCDs, local NRCS offices, Audubon
California, and UC Extension.
Please send any questions to [email protected] and visit www.maritwilkerson.com to learn about
my other hedgerow research
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Opportunities for Smaller Acreage Landowners
As part of a Cooperative Agreement with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
in Colusa County, the CCRCD Projects Manager is assisting with outreach to smaller acreage
landowners (100 acres or less). Many small acreage landowners are unaware of the valuable
programs and technical assistance that NRCS provides. We feel that there are tremendous
opportunities to help with natural resource issues such as noxious weed eradication, water use
efficiency, pasture management, soil health, integrated pest management and more on these smaller
acreage parcels. Typically, smaller acreages have a more diversified system - homestead, crops,
gardens, pastures - than do larger acreages. This diversification requires a whole-system approach
to ensure the health of the land. Creating a whole farm Conservation Plan is an excellent way for a
landowner to get a good overview of their current conditions, and work with NRCS staff to create a
road map to achieving their ultimate goals for their land, while ensuring a healthy and productive
system.
NRCS provides free technical advice to landowners, and opportunities for producers to participate in
cost share programs funded through the Farm Bill. For more information, please contact:
- Mary Fahey, CCRCD Projects Manager: 530.458.2931 X117; email: [email protected]
- Wendy Krehbiel, Soil Conservationist, USDA-NRCS: 530.458.2931 X114; email: wendy.krehbiel@
ca.usda.gov
Colusa Basin Watershed Management Plan Completed!
Do You Need Assistance with a Natural
Resource Concern?
The Colusa Basin Watershed Management Plan was
completed in December, 2012. The Colusa County Resource
Conservation District is working to identify projects to
Colusa Basin Watershed
Management Plan
address the goals and objectives of the Plan. Do you have
a natural resource issue on your land that you would like
to see addressed, but need help? The CCRCD is currently
creating a database of potential projects and seeking funding
opportunities for implementation. Please let us know if we
can assist you, or if you would like more information:
530.458.2931, or email: [email protected]
December, 2012
Prepared by the Colusa County Resource Conservation District
100 Sunrise Boulevard, Suite B | Colusa, California 95932
530.458.2931 | www.colusarcd.org
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Support Your Local RCD! (Donations are Tax Deductible)
As you are contemplating your charitable donations please consider a donation to your local
Resource Conservation District. Charitable contributions to governmental units, such as the RCD,
are tax-deductible under section 170 (c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code if made for a public
purpose.
Why support your RCD?:
(From the CARCD website)
RCDs are a leader in on-the-ground conservation
efforts. The 99 districts statewide are the center
of locally led conservation in their communities
and accomplish thousands of practical, handson conservation projects every year. Often these
projects involve agriculture and private land, but
we also accomplish much more.
Typical projects include:
• Water conservation
• Watershed protection
• Creek restoration
• Stream bank restoration
• Habitat improvement
• Fish passage
• Hedgerow plantings
• Community education
• Grower workshops
• Native plantings
• Creek clean-ups
• Education of agriculturists on better and new
environmental practices particularly around water
conservation and BMPs
• Classroom visits
• Fire prevention projects
• Fire prevention education
•Technical assistance to agriculturists
• Watershed Management
Watershed Education
Stream Bank Restoration &
Habitat Improvement
RCDs are special districts that are a good
example of strong local government. We are
responsive and accountable to our communities
to promote local conservation goals.
Since most RCDs do not receive tax payer
funding, we bring millions of dollars to local
communities through conservation projects funded
mainly through grants and private contributions.
We are your partner in local conservation and agriculture.
Field Days
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Colusa County Grown printed items are available at no charge to Colusa County
producers, consumers and businesses. To get your materials, please contact Mary at the CCRCD:
530.458.2931 x117 | email: [email protected]
or stop by our office: 100 Sunrise Blvd., Suite B, Colusa, CA 95932
Bumper Stickers
3” X 4” Stickers
8 1/2” X 11” Flyers (English & Spanish)
Why Buy Local cards
(2-sided)
Reusable Tote Bags
Recipe Cards (featuring seasonal breakfast,
lunch, dinner, dessert & snack ideas)
24-page Local Farm & Food Guide
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Photo: Jack Alderson
Happy Harvest & Thanks for Reading!
100 Sunrise Boulevard, Suite B, Colusa, CA 95932 | 530.458.2931 | www.colusarcd.org
Follow us on facebook!
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