Grazing, Fire Risk Management, Affirmative Agricultural Easements & Alternative Payment Structures

Eight months after devastating fires swept through Sonoma County, our community has rallied to an ongoing recovery. Still, the tragedy of those wildfires remains fresh in the minds of our friends and neighbors. The lives and property that were lost last year can never be replaced.  As the dry season begins a new and unfortunate truth comes to mind: California is a drought-prone state, and there will always be some risk of wildfire. In Sonoma and Marin Counties, active rangeland management...

Gold Award for Outstanding Educational Material

Sheila Barry, UCCE livestock and natural resources advisor in the Bay Area, and Stephanie Larson, UCCE livestock and range management advisor in Sonoma County, won the Gold Award for Outstanding Educational Material in the Promotional Materials category from the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals.   Decision makers and the public have little knowledge of animal agriculture production or the ecosystems...

Grazing Panel - California Grazing

How Grazing Livestock are Beneficial to Vernal Pools

On a global scale, rangelands are a fairly diverse array of biomes - deserts, scrub, prairies, and chaparral, but in Sonoma County, they comprise oak savannahs and grasslands; one such is our vernal pools. Vernal pools are defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency as “…seasonal depression wetlands that occur under the Mediterranean climate conditions”. They are a rare and interesting sight to see in the spring after they have filled up with water. Especially this...

Ranger Rick Olufs discusses grazing to SRJC Range Management class at FWS property in Santa Rosa Plains.

Ranger Rick Olufs discusses grazing to SRJC Range Management class at FWS property in Santa Rosa Plains.

Livestock Grazing at Point Reyes National Seashore

The Santa Rosa Junior College Range Management class toured Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS) to learn about the park history, livestock grazing, and issues surrounding public land management. The class met with Range Management Specialist, Dylan Voeller, Rich Grossi, a 4th generation rancher, and Rich Grossi's granddaughters, 6th generation.  The class learned about the direct link between urban consumers and local food producers, providing a powerful conduit for educating the...

Grazing at Point Reyes National Seashore

L-R: Dylan Voeller, PRNS Range Specialist, Rich Grossi and his granddaughters, Ashley and Jessica and Spring 2017 SRJC Range Management class at Point Reyes National Seashore

Grazing at Pepperwood Preserve

The Santa Rosa Junior College Range Management class visited Pepperwood Preserve to learn about the livestock grazing program and their range management plan's goals.  Pepperwood Preserve is a 3,120-acre nature preserve in northeast Sonoma County owned and operated by the non-profit Pepperwood Foundation. The preserve is a mosaic of grasslands, oak woodlands, Douglas-fir forests and chaparral. The annual rainfall averages 34 inches and almost entirely comes between October and May. The...

Portable electric fence at Pepperwood Preserve

Grazing at Pepperwood Preserve

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