Center For Land-Based Learning

THE PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSE OF THE CENTER FOR LANDBASED LEARNING IS TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, ESPECIALLY YOUTH, TO PROMOTE A HEALTHY INTERPLAY BETWEEN AGRICULTURE, NATURE, AND SOCIETY THROUGH THEIR ACTIONS AND AS LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING:THE CFA FARM INCUBATOR OFFERS FARMLAND FOR LEASE TO QUALIFIED BEGINNING FARMER TRAINING PROGRAM GRADUATES AND OTHER LOCAL BEGINNING FARMERS ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS IF LAND IS AVAILABLE. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES ACCESS TO SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE, EQUIPMENT, AND MENTORSHIP. INCUBATOR SITES ARE LOCATED IN WOODLAND AND WEST SACRAMENTO. PLOTS OF LAND RANGING FROM ONE-QUARTER TO ONE ACRE OR MORE, AS WELL AS GREENHOUSE, WASH AND PACK, TRACTOR, AND COOLER SPACE CAN BE LEASED. LAND CAN BE LEASED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS. PLANS ARE ALSO UNDERWAY TO EXPAND THE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS TO THE WEST FIELD (11 ACRES) AND ESTABLISH AN OLIVE ORCHARD ON FIVE OF THOSE 11 ACRES. WE AE PARTNERING WITH BOUNDARY BEND ON THE OLIVE ORCHARD PROJECT.THE CALIFORNIA FARM ACADEMY APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IS FOR HIGHLY MOTIVATED AND COMMITTED INDIVIDUALS WHO KNOW THEY WANT TO PURSUE A CAREER IN AGRICULTURE. THE PROGRAM LASTS APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AND INCLUDES BOTH A PAID ON-THE-JOB TRAINING COMPONENT, AS WELL AS COURSEWORK REQUIREMENTS. UPON COMPLETION, THE APPRENTICE WILL GRADUATE TO A JOURNEYMAN LEVEL IN THE OCCUPATION OF A BEGINNING FARM AND RANCH MANAGER. IN 2021-22, THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM EXPANDED STATEWIDE AND IS EXPLORING A SPANISH LANGUAGE TRACK FOR FARMWORKERS. THE PROGRAM ALSO HIRED A VETERAN COORDINATOR IN ADDITION TO THE ALREADY EXISTING OUTREACH COORDINATOR AND PROGRAM COORDINATOR. THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM ENGAGED WITH MENTOR FARMERS ACROSS THE STATE AND PLACED APPRENTICES ON THESE FARMS.THE CFA TRAINING PROGRAM COMBINES CLASSES, HANDS-ON TRAINING, FARM VISITS AND FIELD TRIPS. FROM AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION TO BUSINESS PLANNING TO MARKETING OF SPECIALTY CROPS, THE CFA TRAINING PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO START THE NEXT GENERATION OF FARMERS ON THEIR JOURNEY. THE TRAINING PROGRAM TOOK A HIATUS IN 2020-21 AND RESTARTED IN FEBRUARY OF 2022. WE INTRODUCED THE CONCEPT OF TRACKS IN THE TRAINING PROGRAM AS A PILOT, TRACK WAS FOR LIVESTOCK, ORCHARD CROPS, AND ON FARM RESEARCH TRIALS. WE ALSO HAD SEPARATE MARKETING CHANNELS CREATED FOR THE PARTICIPANTS TO HAVE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE OF MARKETING THE PRODUCE THEY GREW THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT CHANNELS.THE WEST SACRAMENTO URBAN FARM PROGRAM WAS RENAMED AS A COMMUNITY FOOD PROGRAM. WITH THE FUNDING FROM USDA, NRCS, USDA AMS WE MADE STRONG CONNECTIONS WITH THE WEST SACRAMENTO COMMUNITIES. WITH THE AID OF THE MOBILE FARMERS MARKET TRUCK, WE HELPED OUR FARMERS SELL PRODUCE TO LOW- INCOME COMMUNITIES USING EBT/SNAP BENEFITS. THE MOBILE MARKET TRUCK IS IN ITS SECOND YEAR OF OPERATION AND HAS BEEN A RESOUNDING SUCCESS.THE FARM AND CLIMATE PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED AT THE MAPLES FARM AND ITS GOAL IS TO SERVE AS A MODEL OF HOW FARM PRACTICES CAN LEAD TO CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND INCREASE BIODIVERSITY IN AGROECOSYSTEMS. WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE YOLO RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND CARBON CYCLE INSTITUTE TO PILOT CARBON FARM PLANS AT THE MAPLES AND A COUPLE OF OTHER FARMS IN THE REGION, AND THESE PILOT MODELS WILL BE USED TO EDUCATE OTHER FARMERS IN THE REGION.

YOUTH, EDUCATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING:THE STUDENT AND LANDOWNER EDUCATION AND WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP (SLEWS) PROGRAM SERVED A TOTAL OF 81 STUDENTS FROM 4 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN YOLO COUNTY DURING THE 2021-22 PROGRAM YEAR AND RECRUITED AND TRAINED 18 VOLUNTEER PROFESSIONAL MENTORS. COMPLETING A TOTAL OF 12 FIELD DAYS (11 WITH STUDENTS & 1 WITH MENTORS), WE PLANTED 1,280 TREES, SHRUBS, AND FORBS, 180 GRASS PLUGS, AND INSTALLED 4 IRRIGATION SYSTEMS WITH 21 BLUE BIRD BOXES. WHILE TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT HABITAT RESTORATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, STUDENTS WORKED ON CALIFORNIA RANCHES AND FARMS TO GAIN HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AND LEARN ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREERS WITHIN THE NATURAL RESOURCES FIELD. OUT OF THE STUDENTS SERVED IN THE 2021-22 FIELD SEASON, 95.7% OF STUDENTS WERE MORE INTERESTED IN CAREERS RELATED TO AGRICULTURE OR NATURAL RESOURCES, 87% OF STUDENTS SHARED WHAT THEY LEARNED WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN THE COMMUNITY, AND 95% OF STUDENTS FELT THEY WOULD ENGAGE MORE WITH THE OUTDOORS AS A RESULT OF THE SLEWS PROGRAM. DUE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC, OUR PROGRAM SIZE WAS HEAVILY REDUCED TO SUPPORT PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS. WHILE THE SCHOOLS CONTINUED TO HAVE COVID RESTRICTIONS THROUGH THE FALL OF 2021, WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO COMPLETE ALL 12 FIELD DAYS BETWEEN JANUARY AND APRIL OF 2022 WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR PARTNERS, SCHOOLS, AND VOLUNTEER MENTORS.FARMING, AGRICULTURE, AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABILITY (FARMS) LEADERSHIP - THE FARMS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM INCLUDES INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. THE FARMS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM INTRODUCES, TRAINS, AND RECRUITS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES. FARMS PROGRAMS STATEWIDE STARTED BACK IN THE FALL OF 2021 IN-PERSON IN MOST OF OUR REGIONS. IT WAS A NEW CHALLENGE TO SWITCH BACK TO AN IN-PERSON SETTING AGAIN BUT OUR FARMS COORDINATORS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DIDN'T SKIP A BEAT.STATEWIDE STATS:TOTAL FARMS VIRTUAL FIELD DAYS COMPLETED - 6TOTAL FARMS IN-PERSON FIELD DAYS COMPLETED - 51NUMBER OF SCHOOLS SERVED - 24NUMBER OF STUDENTS IMPACTED - 223 FIELD DAYS FOR FARMS 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR: - SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2021 THERE WERE 8 STATEWIDE FIELD DAYS - NOVEMBER 2021 THERE WERE 7 STATEWIDE FIELD DAYS - DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022 THERE WERE 7 STATEWIDE FIELD DAYS - FEBRUARY 2022 THERE WERE 8 STATEWIDE FIELD DAYS - MARCH 2022 THERE WERE 9 STATEWIDE FIELD DAYS - APRIL 2022 THERE WERE 10 STATEWIDE FIELD DAYS - MAY 2022 THERE WERE 8 STATEWIDE FIELD DAYS MJDOA SCHOLARSHIPS - THE ANNUAL FARMS SCHOLARSHIPS ARE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CENTER FOR LAND-BASED LEARNING AND MY JOB DEPENDS ON AG. IN 2022 WE AWARDED 20 SCHOLARSHIPS, TOTALING $14,000. RECIPIENTS OF THE SCHOLARSHIP WILL BE PURSUING DEGREES OR CERTIFICATIONS IN FIELDS RELATED TO AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES. THIS YEAR, TWELVE $500 SENIOR SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED TO GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND EIGHT $1,000 SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ALUMNI IN COLLEGE OR A VOCATIONAL PROGRAM.INTERNSHIPS AND JOBS - 24 INTERNSHIPS WERE CREATED IN THE SACRAMENTO REGION; 5,000 HOURS OF PAID INTERNSHIP HOURS AT $14/HOUR. ONE FARMS ALUMNI PLACED IN AN AGRONOMY INTERNSHIP AT DRISCOLL'S SANTA MARIA IN THE SUMMER OF 2022. ONE ALUMNI PLACED IN A SEASONAL POSITION WITH BLOOMFIELD ROBOTICS IN KERN COUNTY IN THE SUMMER OF 2022.CARING FOR OUR WATERSHEDS (CFW) - A JOINT PROGRAM WITH NUTRIEN, CFW IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROPOSAL CONTEST AND A PROJECT FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. CFW EMPOWERS STUDENTS TO IMAGINE AND DEVELOP SOLUTIONS TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES AND TURN THEIR IDEAS INTO ACTION.