Just about everyone agrees that preserving California's productive agricultural lands is a good idea, even if there have been some highly charged disagreements over the best means to accomplish that objective. Sidestepping these policy debates, California FarmLink is working directly with farming and ranching families to help them decide what they want to do with their lands from one generation to the next, as reported on today's North Bay Report:

Shrinking real estate values in California are prompting some ag families to re-evaluate their plans for their land. But Steve Schwartz, Executive Director of California FarmLink, says the shifting economic climate also holds some unexpected opportunities for new farmers to get established.
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California Farmlink is hosting a series of regional conferences in Sonoma, Humboldt and San Luis Obispo counties titled Sowing the Seeds of Farm Succession:  Planning the Transition to the Next Generation of Family Farmers. the next session in Sonoma county will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21 at SRJC's Shone Farm, 6225 Eastside Road, Forestville. Click here for registration information.

 

It's official.  The drought is back, and mandatory cutbacks in water consumption are imminent. {mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/2-3-09.mp3{/mp3remote}

Water reserves are at or approaching historic lows in both Lake Mendocino (see at right) and Lake Sonoma. With seasonal rainfall totals  for the year also running well below normal, the outlook is not encouraging.To monitor how conditions are progressing--or not-- you can use this like to see the Sonoma County Water Agency's  graphs of declining water supplies   in Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma(pdf).

Amidst all the agricultural and economic impacts of the drought, Dick Butler of the National Marine Fisheries Service pointed out the obvious--that it is also bad news for fish.

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To help get a jump on the rationing that is almost certainly coming our way, here are the Sonoma County Water Agency's

Top 10 Water Conservation Tips:

• Reduce outdoor watering by one day a week
• Find and repair leaks now
• Inspect and tune-up your sprinkler system monthly
• Water between midnight and 6:00 a.m. to reduce water loss from evaporation and wind
• Use a broom, not a hose, to clean your driveway, deck or patio
• Use a bucket and a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle when you wash the car, or take your car to a carwash that recycles
• Cover pools and hot-tubs to reduce evaporation
• Use front-load washing machines
• Run the dishwasher and clothes washer with full loads only
• Prevent and report water waste

Find more water saving suggestions here.

 

Job training and education go hand in hand for Conservation Corps North Bay, the rebranded Marin Conservation Corps which has recently expanded to serve Sonoma County, too. {mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/1-8-09.mp3{/mp3remote}

Marilee Eckert, Executive Director of the newly renamed Conservation Corps North Bay, says it is well-positioned to grow into a regional service agency.

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Eckert anticipates bringing many of the programs the organization has already established in Marin into Sonoma County under their new banner, such as their youth recycling crew, which is already at work at some Sonoma County parks and schools.

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After 20 years as a director of the Sonoma County Water Agency, departing Sonoma County Supervisor Tim Smith thinks there's a better way to govern that key department. {mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/1-6-09.mp3{/mp3remote}
It is unclear if anyone on the new Board of Supervisors is prepared to take up this issue and champion it, but if and when someone does, Smith says some of the political groundwork has already been laid. {mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/explore.mp3{/mp3remote}	Smith says the Sonoma County Transportation Agency could be used as a successful model for a more broadly shared governance of a similar agency dedicated to managing all the county's water infrastructure and related endeavors. {mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/model.mp3{/mp3remote}