Posts Tagged: Napa County

Hopland REC builds conference room

Construction has begun on a conference room honoring the late UC Cooperative Extension livestock advisor Rod Shippey at Hopland Research and Extension Center, reported Justine Frederiksen of the Ukiah Daily Journal.

The article quotes Bob Timm, the center's director, as saying, "We want to talk to people about whether our vision meets what the needs in the community are -- we want a building that fits into Mendocino County." Timm hopes the building will help the center expand its community outreach programs by being a site for workshops, conferences and classes.

The $1.6 million project is funded by UC capital construction funds and private donations to the project.

Timm is encouraging gifts from the community so that that the facility including the added “Green Works” elements can be completed within the coming months.  Descriptions of the building plans and added features are found on the Hopland REC website at http://ucanr.org/sites/hopland.

U.S. EPA, Napa County announce millions for water quality, flood damage, northern California salmon

An EPA press release announced nearly $3.3 million in federal, state and local funding aimed at restoring water quality and riparian and aquatic habitats in the Napa River watershed. As part of two major restoration efforts covering 15 miles of the Napa River, more than 40 landowners have committed to converting nearly 135 acres of farmland to wildlife habitat.

The primary grant recipient is Napa County, in partnership with the Napa County Resource Conservation District, the California Land Stewardship Institute, UC Cooperative Extension and the Rutherford Dust Restoration Team of the Rutherford Dust Society landowner group.

Local food blazing a trail on Napa County map

Responding to Napa County's higher-than-average interest in healthy foods, sustainable principles and wellness lifestyle, the board of supervisors last year created a Local Food Advisory Council. Now the council is looking for citizen input to pursue new initiatives, according to a blog on the Napa County Register website.

Monica Cooper, director of the Napa County University of California Cooperative Extension, is an ex-officio member of the council. Cooper is the county’s viticulture farm advisor and a big champion of expanding local food production, according to a previous article in the newspaper.

“It’s important to have more crop diversity,” Cooper was quoted in the story, and she sees that in small plots, not wide swaths of the county.

Napa's Local Food Advisory Council has identified three priority areas and is seeking volunteers to serve on subcommittees for:

1. Education and Outreach: Help design communications networks to encourage public involvement and information sharing, such as advocacy programs, printed materials, events, website, social media, etc.
2. Local Food Production and Distribution: Help develop mutually beneficial food supply systems linking local farmers to community kitchens, markets and residents;
3. Food Policy: Help influence and communicate county rules, regulations and fees for growing, selling and/or donating food products by both home and commercial producers.

Napa's soil, climate, natural resources and culture position the community to make a positive impact promoting locally grown food and healthful consumption.

Read more