Rancho Corralitos Bilingual Field Day

November 6, 2025 / 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Watsonville, CA 95076

[Haga clic aquí para español]

Join Rancho Corralitos, Wild Farm Alliance and the RCD of Santa Cruz in the field to learn about habitat, pollinators, beneficial insects, scouting, compost, and cover crops that support sustainable pest management success.

Some presentations will be in Spanish, others in English, with interpretations available for both. This event is FREE and includes lunch. It will be held rain or shine.

2.5 Continuing Education credits offered for DPR and 4 credits offered for CCA for this event.

Role of Birds on Midwest Farms Course Underway

In September we launched our webinar course, Role of Birds on Midwest Farms. In the first two lessons we introduced the benefits of birds on farms and then examined the role of American Kestrels in pest management for fruit production and discussed ways to support them. If you missed either lesson, you can find the recordings here.

Join us for Lesson 3, Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types, on November 4, 2025.

42nd National Pesticide Forum Series

The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health
Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature

Session 1: October 29, 2025, 1 - 3:30 PM Eastern (ET)
Session 2: December 4, 2025, 1 - 3:30 PM Eastern (ET)

This 42nd National Forum challenges us to think holistically about ways we can join together to solve the existential threats to health, biodiversity, and climate for which petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers are major contributors. WFA’s Jo Ann Baumgartner is a featured speaker on October 29th. Join us for this virtual event!

NRCS Conservation Program Deadlines

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) is currently accepting producer applications for its conservation programs. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is NRCS’ flagship conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands. Many states have application deadlines for NRCS programs in the fall. Ranking dates for all states can be accessed at the button below. If the government shutdown ends soon, it will allow applications to be processed before the deadlines.

Photo credit: Connie Faulk

WFA Remembers Fred Kirschenmann

By Dan Imhoff, Board President

In late September of this year, the sustainable agriculture movement lost an exemplary leader when Fred Kirschenmann passed away. Fred was a tall man with an easy smile and a big vision, one in which agriculture strives first and foremost to co-exist in balance with wild nature. He was born into a farming family and dedicated his life to meeting the continual challenges of being both a conservationist and a large-scale grain farmer. His north star was following in the footsteps of Aldo Leopold who wrote that one of Homo sapien’s greatest challenges was to find our place in the biotic community rather than being controllers of the land.

I visited Fred Kirschenmann’s farm in North Dakota almost 25 years ago when I was researching the book Farming with the Wild. It was a large family farm by some standards, with upwards of 4,000 acres divided between two properties. We spent a day touring the farm operation, which included 100 brood cows grazing on 1,000 acres of protected and unplowed prairie. They had developed complex rotations of 10 different grains, oil seeds and cover crops in relatively small fields, often separated by wind breaks, shelter belts and other natural habitat. His rotations were designed to balance fertility and weed control without chemicals, as well as to accommodate the year-round habits and needs of birds. I had a strong sensation that it was gardened rather than farmed.

Napa Green: Growing Regenerative Viticulture

November 18-19, 2025

Join Napa Green for an immersive 2-day exploration of regenerative viticulture across Napa and Sonoma Counties.

Day 1 attendees will meet at the famed Opus One winery in Oakville, CA. Through expert workshops, interactive panel discussions, and targeted network sessions you’ll have the opportunity to gain real world strategies for transitioning your vineyard to a resilient, thriving ecosystem.

Day 2 is held at Bedrock Vineyard in Sonoma, CA. Participants will walk the rows with veteran viticulturists, learn the underground dynamics of soil health, and see how these approaches enhance old-vine dry farmed vineyard blocks.

Thank You! Wild Farm Alliance’s Legacy Fund Grows from $9,000 to $51,400

This year, as Wild Farm Alliance celebrates 25 years of championing a vision where farms and nature thrive together, we launched the 25th Anniversary Legacy Fund to secure the future of wild farming for generations to come.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, the Legacy Fund grew from $9,000 to $51,400 over the summer, a remarkable achievement that will strengthen our organization for the next 25 years and beyond.

Your gifts are already making a difference by helping to:

• Expand farmer education on biodiversity-friendly practices
• Restore and protect native habitats that build climate resilience
• Support on-farm conservation projects that sustain wildlife and working lands
  Ensure a thriving future where farms and nature flourish together

With this expanded fund, Wild Farm Alliance is better prepared to navigate changing times and continue advancing biodiversity, soil health, and climate resilience across agricultural landscapes.

Thank you for planting the seeds of a lasting legacy. Together, we are ensuring that wild farming continues to grow strong – for farmers, for wildlife, and for the planet.

Want to contribute to the Legacy Fund during our 25th Anniversary year? Donate at the button below.

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