Connecting Habitat, Soil, and Pest Management: 
Wild Farm Alliance Hosts Rancho Corralitos Field Day on November 6

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831-761-8408

Watsonville, CA — Wild Farm Alliance, in collaboration with Rancho Corralitos, Coronel Produce and the Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Santa Cruz County, is hosting a free, bilingual field day on Thursday, November 6, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The event will offer hands-on learning opportunities for integrating habitat, pollinator support, beneficial insects, compost, and cover crops into sustainable pest management systems. Presentations will be held in English and Spanish, with interpretation available, and lunch will be provided. 2.5 Continuing Education Credits have been approved from DPR and CCA. The event will proceed rain or shine.

“Farmers are seeing multiple benefits when they incorporate perennial hedgerows and other habitats into the farm,” said Jo Ann Baumgartner, Executive Director of Wild Farm Alliance. “Hedgerows transform farm edges into living infrastructure—supporting pollinators and beneficial insects, buffering wind and erosion, filtering runoff, and creating vital wildlife corridors—all while boosting farm resilience and productivity,” 

Field day participants will tour both newly planted and mature hedgerows, learning directly from farmers and field experts about what works on the ground. Featured speakers include Sacha Lozano of RCD Santa Cruz and Adelio Coronel of Coronel Produce and Rancho Corralitos. Sam Earnshaw of Hedgerows Unlimited, will share insights on hedgerow installation, management and the benefits provided for pest control.

 “The newly planted hedgerow we helped install with almost 20 native species creates structural and floral diversity that draws in a rich community of beneficial insects,” said Lozano. 

Later sessions will highlight the role of pollinators, beneficial insects, and soil amendments in sustainable pest management. Speakers include Deedee Soto (Xerces Society), Saul Alba (Biobee), Doug O’Brien (Pleasure Point Farm), Daniel Hoffman (National Center for Appropriate Technology), and Sara Tiffany (Community Alliance with Family Farmers). 

Beyond technical learning, the field day offers a space for connection and collaboration among growers, technical advisors, students, and conservation advocates. 

“Rancho Corralitos is a living example of how farmers can work with nature and benefit from it,” added Baumgartner. “This field day gives them the tools to make it possible on their own land.”

The Rancho Corralitos Field Day is free. Spanish and English interpretation will be available, and lunch will be served onsite. Shuttles will be operating nearby because of limited parking. 

About the Hosts

Wild Farm Alliance (WFA)

Founded in 2000, Wild Farm Alliance is a nonprofit organization promoting farming systems that protect and restore wild nature while sustaining viable agriculture. WFA helps farmers integrate biodiversity and habitat through practices like hedgerows, native plantings, and cover cropping—ensuring farms and nature can thrive together.

Rancho Corralitos and Coronel Produce

Rancho Corralitos is a 177-acre organic farmland project in Watsonville expanding equitable land access for Latino/a immigrant farmers. Initiated in 2021, the project unites Kitchen Table Advisors and partner organizations—The People’s Land Fund, Dirt Capital Partners, Manzanita Capital Collective, and La Cultiva—to create a model for generational land ownership and regenerative farming. Coronel Produce, run by Adelio and Lilia Coronel, is one of several farms in Rancho Corralitos.

Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County (RCD)

The RCD of Santa Cruz County is a locally governed, non-regulatory public agency supporting voluntary conservation and sustainable land stewardship. The RCD provides landowners, farmers, and communities with technical assistance, restoration funding, and educational programs focused on soil health, watershed restoration, habitat, and fire resilience.

Acknowledgement

This project was funded by the Department of Pesticide Regulation. The contents may not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the State of California.