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Happy Earth Month! Spring has sprung - migratory birds are returning, plants are blooming and growth and activity are abundant on our farms and ranches. This month’s newsletter is a special Earth Day edition, including ways you can take action to support ecosystem health and climate-smart agriculture. Read on for resources, events, a Farm Bill action alert and more. Enjoy this month’s News from the Wild! New Blog Post and Video: Hedgerows and Water Quality Upcoming Field Day: Honig Vineyard & Winery Thank You: Business Partners Making an Impact for Earth Month Watch a Movie: Celebrate Soil as our Common Ground This Earth Day |
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New Blog Post and Video: Hedgerows and Water QualityWaterways and agriculture are interconnected. Water runoff from farm fields from rain or irrigation can end up in nearby streams and lakes. Runoff can transport nitrogen, sediments and sediment-associated agricultural pollutants and impact aquatic life. The good news is that in recent years, researchers in the Sacramento Valley have examined ways to mitigate water pollution risks from agricultural chemicals. Their studies show that hedgerows can have a big impact on preventing agricultural chemicals from moving off site. Our new blog post and video features Rachael Long, UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, Emeritus, and her findings on vegetated drainage ditches and hedgerows for mitigating water pollution.
Upcoming Field Day: Honig Vineyard & WineryMay 30, 2024 in Rutherford, CA Join Honig Vineyard & Winery and Wild Farm Alliance out in the field! The event will feature a series of talks given by avian researchers and agricultural professionals, a beneficial habitat walk and a hedgerow demonstration planting. Tickets are $12 - $32 (sliding scale) and include lunch. This event is co-sponsored by: CSU Agriculture Research Institute, Cal Poly Humboldt, UC Davis, UC Riverside, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Cooperative Extension and Department of Pesticide Regulation. READ MORE AND BUY TICKETS HERE
Action Alert: Tell Congress You Support Climate-Smart Conservation Programs Instead of More Subsidies for Monoculture FarmsFarm safety net subsidies, largely for monoculture farms, have become a significant driver of climate change, soil erosion, and farmland consolidation in agriculture. Continuing to increase subsidies that benefit a few farmers at the expense of popular conservation programs would be investing in the wrong direction. Bipartisan negotiations are considering a proposal that could cut billions from both nutrition assistance and popular climate-smart conservation programs – the kind of incentives that all farmers can use to build strong and diverse farms. The proposal would shift those funds to raise subsidies for the largest and wealthiest commodity farms. Make your voice heard this week to stop Congress from making this huge mistake in the farm bill. Tell Congress we want our tax dollars to protect pivotal nutrition programs and proven conservation programs that build resilient food systems, not giveaways that exclude most farmers and fuel farmland consolidation. As part of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, we’ve made calling and emailing your lawmakers as easy as possible. Tailored call scripts and automated email templates are provided at the link below.
Thank You: Business Partners Making an Impact for Earth MonthWe are pleased to recognize three Eugene, Oregon businesses that made a special contribution to Wild Farm Alliance in honor of Earth Month and our campaign with Earth Day Oregon. Together, we are bringing nature back to the farm. If you are a business and want to join our growing number of business league members, click here to learn more! Café Mam (say ‘mom’) is a family-owned and operated coffee company. Their roots grow deep in organic agriculture, and their foundation is built on principles of ethical sourcing, sustainability, environmentalism, cultural identity, human dignity, and of course, high-quality, freshly roasted coffee. Hummingbird Wholesale offers organic, high-quality, nutritious foods grown as locally and sustainably as possible. They take great care and pride in creating long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. Like the Hummingbird, they seek to sip the nectar of the Earth without harming the flower. Doak Creek Native Plant Nursery is a family run nursery nestled back in the hills of the Lorane Valley. Doak Creek specializes in containerized northwest native plants and is dedicated to providing healthy native plants that are fertilized with compost. If you live in the Eugene, Oregon area or know someone who does, be sure to check out our Native Plant Raffle where one lucky winner will get a $250 gift certificate to Doak Creek Native Plant Nursery! DETAILS HERE
Watch a Movie: Celebrate Soil as our Common Ground This Earth DayThis Earth Day, award-winning documentary film ‘Common Ground’ is coming to select AMC Theatres in 75+ cities for a one-day-only super screening, to galvanize the movement of healthy farms and food systems. On April 22, 2024, watch the extended Earth Day edition of the film, including a special Q&A featuring filmmakers, narrators, producers, and other guests. Experience the hard truths about our modern food and agricultural system challenges, and the profound and hopeful stories of heroes amongst us that are defying the odds to heal the planet, one acre at a time. FIND A THEATER NEAR YOU + GET TICKETS HERE
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