News, Events and Workshops

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February 2

Clearing the Air Workshop, Livestock Agriculture & Management of Greenhouse Gas Emissions will be held at the Point Reyes Dance Palace Community Center in Point Reyes Station, 3-5pm. A $10 donation will be collected at the door. Please RSVP by Jan.26th to David at 415-499-4204. Topics of discussion will be: greenhouse gases emitted from livestock production systems and practices to reduce those emissions, funding opportunities and compliance deadlines for the California Diesel Rule, successful implementation of methane digester, and USDA Farm Bill technological and financial assistance programs.

February 6

21st Annual Great Sonoma Crab & Wine Fest benefiting ag education programs and scholarships. This event will be held at the J.T. Grace Pavilion, Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa beginning at 5:30pm with the Seafood Gally Reception and Silent Auction. For more details visit: www.sonomacountyfarmbureau.com

February 20-21

5th Annual International Alsace Varietals Festival. Love dry Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris or Riesling? Taste these wines, enjoy live music and savor bites crafted by local chefs. It's the only event of its kind in the nation and includes a technical conference, grand tasting, gourmet winemakers dinner at the Boonville Hotel and winery open houses. It's an event that will brighten even the darkest winter month (and will leave some cash in your pocket book!), so purchase your tickets today at :www.avwines.com

February 22

Mendocino County Ag Commissioner's Office, Ag Unlimited and Interstate Ag Plastics will be conducting an Ag Chemical Container Recycling event 9am-4pm at the Ag Unlimited location at 4550 El Roble Road, Ukiah. For further information contact 707-463-4208.

February 23

The County of Mendocino Agricultureal Commissioner will provide its annual calibration of growers' orchard thermometers for accuracy. Growers wishing to have their thermonmenters checked should deliver them to the Ag Commissioner's office at 890 N. Bush St., Ukiah prior to 5pm and then can be picked up on Thursday, Feb. 25th. Please make sure the thermomenters are clean of chemicals and dust and broght to the office in a stored bulb-end down sturdy container. Please contact the Ag Commissioner's office at 707-463-4208 for questions.

February 23-26

AgSafe will be hosting it's 16th Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Monterey, CA. This event is the premier health, safety and human resources educational program focused solely on California's agricultural industry. For more information or to register visit www.agsafe.org

February 24

Mendocino Transit Authority (MTA) is holding a seminar for all agricultural industry employers about a new Mendocino Farmworkers Transportation Program they are making available. Please join them to learn how you can benefit from this program, you can gain decreased liability risk, improve employee reliability, and increase business productivity at no cost to you. This seminar will be held at the MCFB conference room at Noon with lunch being served. RSVP with Maggy Espitia at 707-234-6458.

March 2 and March 18

California Air Resources (CARB) will be conducting two sessions of the diesel truck rule workshops. These workshops are for those who want to take advantage of the ag mileage thresholds and be signed up with CARB by March 31st and labels will need to be on those vehicles by April 30, 2010. Information about the rule, forms and labels is available at their website: www.cfbf.com/issues/trucksbus.cfm
There will be two sessions on each day. 9am-Noon and 5pm-7:30pm

March 10, 17, and 24th

The three-part workshop for those enrolled in the 2010 Fish Friendly Farming Program will be held at the MCFB Conference Room from 1-4pm on these days. This program offers one-on-one technical assistance to vineyard managers/owners leading to the completion of a Farm Conservation Plan. Participants will receive technical assistance in the completion of the plan and can receive funding for soil conservation, road and erosion site repair, habitat restoration, stream bank stabilization, and other projects. Frost water conservation BMP's are a major focus of the program. Farm Plans can be reviewed by a certification team consisting of the Regional Water Quality Board, NOAA-Fisheries and the County Ag Commissioner, allowing growers and property owners to gain written recognition for their land management practices and be be in pre-compliance for the Russian River watershed TMDL.

March 12-14

Young Farmers & Ranchers 2010 Leadership Conference will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park. Registration fee is $125 per person which covers meals, workshops and tours. Visit www.cfbf.com/yfr to get the tentative agenda and sponshorship opportunities. Contact the hotel direct for reservations at 707-584-5466-$84 per night plus tax. You can call 916-561-5590 for additional information.

March 13

MCFB 2010 Annual Fundraiser Dinner and Auction at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center. The silent auction starts at 5pm and dinner starts at 6:30pm. Help us support the MCFB Scholarship Fund at the 2010 fundraiser event! Tickets are $50/person and tables of eight can be reserved for $400. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP by March 1st by calling the MCFB office at 462-6664.

March 17

Free Sustainable Winegrowing Self-Assessment Workshop and Certification Overview to be held at the UCCE Building, 890 N. Bush St., Ukiah 8am - 1pm. Lunch to be provided. This workshop will allow vineyard and winery managers, principles and other personnel to assess their operations using the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Self-Assessment workbook. If you already have the workbook bring it with you; others will get it at the workshop. RSVP with Lisa at 415-356-7545

March 24

Mendocino County Dept. of Ag will be conducting the "Fieldworker Pesticide Safety Training in Spanish" at the Board of Supervisors Chambers starting with sign-in at 9:30am. This class is a free service provided for growers with Spanish speaking fieldworkers working in treated fields. This is NOTt a training for pesticide handlers. A verification card will be issued upon class completion and is good for five years. Please RSVP by March 19 to the Ag Dept at 707-462-4208.

March 25-27

Redwood Region Logging Conference to be held at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds in Ukiah. Come see the historical logging exhibit, wildlife show, high school forestry competition and vendor exhibits. For more information on the ticketed events please contact the RRLC at 707-443-4091 or visit the website at: www.rrlc.net

April 22

Cal EPA Air Resources Board, Enforcement Divion will be conducting a "Diesel Exhaust After-Treatment Divices course at their Sacramento office 8:30am-5pm. This class will discuss diesel particulate matter and their health effects, operation, constuction, and application, as well as, regulations requiring particulate filters. Topics included are diesel oxidation catalysts, continually regenerating traps, N0x catalysts, ammonia slip, selective catalytic reduction, N0x adsorber catalysts in addition to passive, active, online and offline regenerating strategies. Register on-line at: www.arb.ca.gov/training/registration/registration.php
You can call 916-322-2227 if you have any questions.