By Rowan O’Connell-Gates, WFA Program Associate

WFA welcomed 50 growers, researchers, and agricultural professionals from across California to Jessie’s Grove Winery in Lodi for a dynamic field day focused on barn owls, biodiversity, and conservation strategies on working lands.

With its ancient oak trees, vibrant vineyards, and expansive network of barn owl boxes, Jessie’s Grove Winery provided the ideal setting. Vineyard Manager Jarred Shires opened the event with an overview of the 158-year-old operation, highlighting the winery’s ongoing commitment to integrating conservation practices into its land management.

The morning began with insights from the Barn Owl Research Team, a collaboration between Dr. Matthew Johnson of Cal Poly Humboldt and Dr. Daniel Karp of UC Davis. Joined by graduate students Lauren Jackson and Karen Gallardo-Cruz, the team shared findings on how nest boxes support Barn Owl populations and how those owls contribute to natural rodent control on farms.

The Barn Owl Research Team takes questions from the audience. Photo by Katie Goode Donaldson

Next, attendees learned about the Lodi Rules sustainability program and innovative pest management strategies from Stephanie Bolton of the Lodi Winegrape Commission. Bolton introduced ongoing canine detection research accompanied by Baxter, a six-month-old detection dog in training. Dogs like Baxter are being trained to identify vineyard pests such as vine mealybug, giving growers another tool for early detection and disease prevention. Bolton and her work are featured in an amazing video.

With the sun climbing in a cloudless blue sky, participants left the shade of the tasting room area and set out through the property’s historic oak grove. Gathering beside an occupied barn owl box, they were treated to a rare behind-the-scenes look at active barn owl research underway at Jessie’s Grove. Using a skyjack lift, researcher Jackson was raised by the elevated nest box and carefully retrieved a fledgling Barn Owl. Once safely on the ground, she and Gallardo-Cruz conducted measurements, health assessments and banded it while Johnson and Karp answered questions and explained how the data contributes to long-term studies of Barn Owl populations and their role in agricultural ecosystems.

Karen Gallardo-Cruz holds the fledgling barn owl after completing the banding. Photo by Katie Goode Donaldson

After the young owl was safely returned to its nest, the group walked along the oak grove to the ranch’s “flower farm” for a series of discussions on habitat enhancement and soil health. Jo Ann Baumgartner of Wild Farm Alliance, Sam Earnshaw of Hedgerows Unlimited, and Margaret Smither-Kopperl of USDA explored topics ranging from beneficial insects and natural pest control to hedgerow design, cover cropping, and strategies for building resilient vineyard ecosystems.

“Seeing a Barn Owl fledgling in the morning and walking through habitat plantings in the afternoon really brings the ideas of conservation biodiversity into focus,” said Baumgartner. “These practices don’t exist in isolation, they work together to create healthier ecosystems and thriving farms.”

Jo Ann Baumgartner points to a mealybug destroyer on the WFA Managing Pests with Habitat poster. Photo by Katie Goode Donaldson

Back at the tasting room, presentations from Kathy Grant of Lodi Public Works and Sydney Smith-Ransom of the Center for Land Based Learning highlighted the connections between agricultural stewardship, salmon recovery efforts in the Mokelumne River watershed, wildlife corridors, and the SLEWS program.

To close the program, Rowan O’Connell-Gates of Wild Farm Alliance shared information on financial and technical assistance opportunities available to California growers. Programs including CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program (which will be open again in upcoming months) and NRCS’s EQIP and CSP initiatives were highlighted as practical pathways for implementing conservation practices on working farms.

Lunch provided an opportunity for continued conversation and learning, with attendees treated to La Campana burritos and a bonus presentation from Johnson and Karp on their songbird  research and the ecosystem services these birds provide in agricultural settings.

Wild Farm Alliance extends its gratitude to Jessie’s Grove Winery for hosting the event and to all the speakers, partners, and attendees whose knowledge, curiosity, and enthusiasm helped make the day a great success.