A new workshop will be exploring how farming operations can adapt and thrive in a new climate reality. Hosted by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and several organizing partners, the event is going to be held on Tuesday, January 7, at the Ulatis Community Center in Vacaville. The Farming in the New Normal workshop will feature information on the climate challenges facing agriculture and methods for adapting to a changing environment.
“What we wanted to do at this event was bring climate change information to farmers in a way that they could really apply on their farm,” said Wendy Rash, District Conservationist for Solano and Napa Counties. “We wanted to talk about the impacts of climate change on agriculture, specifically in our local region and we also wanted to talk about how farmers can use different farming practices.”
Some of the topics that will be addressed include grazing system strategies for drought, optimizing irrigation water use, and pest control in a changing climate. While the focus will be on farming systems in the area, much of the information that will be presented can be applied to farms statewide. “We’re trying to hit all of those major points looking at soil health and looking at practices that can be adopted on the farm to be adaptive to climate change and also to help mitigate for climate change,” said Rash.
The workshop will feature experts, ag industry professionals and farmers explaining various options available to growers to help navigate the issues created by the new climate reality. The information to be presented was specifically selected with an emphasis on the feasibility of implementation.
“If it does not fit into a farmer’s system fairly easily, then it is not going to be adopted in a widespread way,” Rash noted. “It really needs to be something that’s practical, that farmers can adopt without too much of a change and without too much cost.”
Listen to Rash’s interview below.
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