Darrell Hansen of Humboldt Creamery gives an assist to one of the creamery's newest employees (© 2006-2007 Carrie Branovan)
President's Message:
As spring rolls into summer and the pace of activities seems to increase with the length of the days our Executive Director, Katherine has informed me that part of my duties as president of the Humboldt County Farm Bureau is to write newsletter articles periodically. Yikes! I am a dairyman, not a writer.
We live in such a unique area with our climate, coastline, timber, green pastures and rangeland. This ideal environment that we live in allows many of us to capitalize on unique marketing opportunities. This year, we have held some of our Farm Bureau board meetings at businesses with great success stories, such as The Eureka Co-op, Cypress Grove Cheese, and this month, Coast Seafood Company where our June meeting will include a 5 a.m. tour of the oyster beds in
Humboldt Bay.
The board members have enjoyed the networking and the sharing of ideas with their fellow members, Farm Bureau is also strengthening its ties with Cattlemen’s, the Buckeye Conservancy, and the Farmers’ Markets. This unites us in
supporting one another when faced with government issues.
Your Farm Bureau membership has more than local benefits. With the American and California Farm Bureaus representing agriculture on all fronts - such as the legislature and our courts - your membership and involvement has been and continues to be beneficial for all. I invite each one of you to invite your neighbor and attend a board meeting. Don’t worry ... they don’t always start at 5 a.m.! Call Katherine for information on our monthly meetings or membership.
Jim Regli, President
Past Newsletters Archive
Download Spring 2006
Download Summer 2006
Download Summer 2007
Humboldt County Agricultural Survey
For the first time in Humboldt County, agricultural producers, landowners and the general public provide compelling and quantitative results on the importance of local agriculture to the economy, environment and quality of life in Humboldt County. Results from the Humboldt Agriculture Survey, gathered during the summer fall of 2002, provide a more complete understanding of the values, threats and feasible solutions people hold towards maintaining productive agricultural lands...
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It All Fits Together - by Clif Clendenen
Several issues have seemed to coalesce for me recently and I’m going to grab a sack needle and attempt to stitch them together.
While involving myself in Fortuna’s General Plan Update process, I’ve seen a dovetail of goals with city planning and agriculture. Progressive planning, like “New Urbanism,” that tries to densify development, even in rural communities, helps the city better utilize infrastructure. Also created is a more walkable community with the associated health and social benefits. In addition, a well designed community has less dependence on energy usage because living, working, and shopping are integrated...
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Williamson Act in Jeopardy Again
California’s most important land conservation program is being threatened for the first time in four years as Governor Schwarzenegger tries to close a lingering structural budget deficit.
The California Land Conservation Act of 1965, better known as the Williamson Act,created a program for counties to protect viable agricultural land by offering a tax incentive to property owners for keeping their land in agricultural production. The Act provides an arrangement where private landowners voluntarily restrict their land to agricultural uses under a Land Conservation Contract with the county...
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Living with Aleutian Geese in Humboldt County
After 30 years of remedial actions by Federal and State wildlife agencies, the once endangered Aleutian Goose population is thriving on the Pacific North Coast. From a low of about 800 geese in 1975, today 100,000 of the geese stop in Humboldt and Del Norte counties to prepare for their incredible transoceanic migration on to nesting grounds in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. However, since these vegetarian geese are incredible grazers that seek out the greenest of pastures, a major conflict has emerged on the North Coast...
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Humboldt County Farm Bureau Land Use Policy Concerning Agriculture and Other Rural Lands
The Humboldt County Farm Bureau Board of Directors has adopted the following Land Use Goals and Policies concerning Agricultural Lands within the County of Humboldt.
- Conserve agricultural lands, and
- Encourage the continued profitable production of high quality, Domestic food and fiber in the most efficient, responsible manner;
- Protect the rural lifestyle of Humboldt County.
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College of the Redwoods Farm Enters Its Fifth Growing Season (from Summer 2006)
Agriculture students taking the agriculture enterprise project are busy planning for the 2006 growing season. This will be the fifth year for the student run (CSA) Community Supported Agriculture project. Students sell shares in their garden. In return shareholders get a box of produce once a week for the entire growing season, usually 20 weeks. These students will also hold a farmers market on campus one day a week starting in late August. All produce has been grown in Shively on the CR farm. This year there will also be some produce grown on the CR campus...
