North Coast Chapter

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REGIONS :: North Coast Chapter

Welcome to the North Coast Chapter page!

Here you can find information pertinent to the North Coast area. The North Coast Chapter currently includes Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma Counties. To get involved, contact your local chapter representative!

Upcoming Events

Dry Farming Workshops

Community Alliance with Family Farmers invites you to a Sustainable Winegrowing Forum. Registration information will follow.

SAVE THE DATE - NOVEMBER 2, 2010

The Integrated Vineyard: What’s in Your Toolbox?
November 2, 2010 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Dutton Pavilion, SRJC Shone Farm
6225 Eastside Road, Forestville

MC: Colby Eierman, Colby Eierman Design & Consulting
Keynote: Paul Dolan, Mendocino Wine Company
Sustainability in Winegrowing

Soil Building & Carbon Capture
Vineyard Floor Management – Glenn McGourty, UC Cooperative Extension, Lake & Mendocino
Cover Cropping in Vineyards –Phill Blake, Napa County NRCS
A Grower’s Perspective on Vineyard Soil Management – David Gates, Ridge Vineyards

Reducing Water Use in Vineyards
Engineering Available Water Capacity for a Low-Water Use or Dry-Grown Vineyard – Alfred Cass, Alfred Cass and Associates
Appropriate Rootstocks for Low Water Use Vineyards - Daniel Roberts, Integrated Winegrowing
Technology for Vineyard Water Management - Mark Greenspan, Advanced Viticulture

Conservation and Adaptation to a Changing World
Conservation Plantings: Benefits for Vineyard Ecosystems – Louise Jackson, UC Davis
Conservation Biocontrol: Creating Habitat for Ecological Pest Management – Rose Roberts, Farm Stewards
Vineyard-Compatible Wildlife Corridors – Adina Merenlender, UC Cooperative Extension
A Grower’s Perspective on Sustainable Farming – Lou Preston, Preston Vineyards

Conference Co-Sponsors: California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN), California Agricultural Water Stewardship Initiative, Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, Sonoma County Winegrape Commission

Tasting Event

October 3, 2010 1-4pm Gina’s Orchard at Bishop’s Ranch 5297 Westside Road, Healdsburg, CA

• Taste rare varieties of apples and pears
• Sample local artisan cheeses
• Talk to the experts about growing, cooking, eating, and preserving different varieties

Download the flyer

Current Projects

•Hedgerows – For 2009-10 we’ve collaborated with Gold Ridge RCD installing hedgerows and have applied for funding to do more. 2010 will begin regional collaboration on hedgerow projects with Central Coast, Central Valley and North Coast areas.

•Climate changes/agricultural carbon sequestration - CAFF is part of a new coalition of organizations, Calcan, (www.calclimateag.com), working to reduce agricultural GHG emissions and increase carbon storage on ag lands.

•Food hubs - CAFF has applied for a Feasibility Study for an Aggregation Facility in Sonoma County where small and medium size farmers will be able to connect with larger buyers of local food. Related to this, Shannon, our part time intern in 2009, surveyed our membership along with other farm organizations to determine interest in cooperative warehousing, processing
and distribution and to learn more about the needs of our members.

•Policy – Outreach to Sonoma County Supervisors on water issues and to get an ordinance to implement the gains made in the new General Plan in ag zoning; creating a questionnaire to County candidates to acquaint them with vital sustainable ag issues and to publicize their positions; participation in County Health Services iGrow and Food Systems Alliance programs.

•Events/farm tours - We are doing several farm tours a year. We had a very successful Dry Farming workshop in conjunction with a new statewide water coalition we belong to, Ag Water Stewards (www.agwaterstewards.org). More of these are being planned for 2010, including in Mendocino, Napa and Lake counties.

Buy Fresh Buy Local comes to the North Coast!

How it works:

1. Farmers sign up to participate, which means they will be identified on the shelf at the market or are able to use the label and other materials on their own.
2. Retailers sign up to participate labeling local farms products in their stores.
3. CAFF creates tools like the Local Food Guides to help consumers find local food in their area.

Download our county-specific local food guides for several North Coast Counties!

			For local food in other counties, including Lake and Mendocino, visit our online guide!
Sonoma County Local Food Guide (PDF)	Marin County Local Food Guide (PDF)	Napa County Local Food Guide (PDF)