Read Western SARE's (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) report on how the organization is encouraging projects to tackle climate change. The report explores how farmers are managing drought and incorporating dry farming into their practices.
Founded in 1988, SARE is a national grassroots organization emphasizing sustainable agriculture through grants, education, and outreach to farmers.
Read about updates to EPA rules governing water, how drones help detect vineyard issues, and more!
EPA publishes updated Waters of the United States rule by Rusty Rumley
In response to the Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court ruling, the EPA has issued a rule change to narrow the scope of its definition of the "waters of the United States," which are waters regulated by the EPA. This article provides links to information on the court case, the rule change, and the Clean Water Act.
Eye in the sky spies on vineyard diseases by Lee Allen
Learn how drones and satellite imaging is helping grape growers identify vineyard issues early!
Research results: Producing food in a drying climate by Lee Allen
Learn about research into farming adaptation to climate change and drought-tolerance conducted by the University of Arizona in Tucson.
A roundup of worthy water- and farming-focused reads from around the web.
WHO/UNICEF Progress Report Analyzes Gender Inequalities in WASH
Learn about how access to clean drinking water and sanitation impacts gender inequalities. This is a summary of the report by SDG Knowledge Hub, an International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) project on UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal: 6 Key Questions, Answered by Katie Lebling, Eliza Northrop and Colin McCormick of the World Resources Institute
Explore how the ocean can help CO2 capturing efforts with nascent methods and technologies.
Inside the Technical Tasting: Unlocking the Secrets of Our Award-Winning Wines by the Dundee Hills Winery Association
Raise a glass to the historic Dundee Hills, and learn how vintage reports are crafted from the annual technical tasting.
Farming with Soil Life: A Handbook for Supporting Soil Invertebrates and Soil Health on Farms by Jennifer Hopwood, Stephanie Frischie, Emily May, Eric Lee-Mader of SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) and the Xerces Society
This free handbook provides information on creating and maintaining healthy soil.
Climate Primer by Elise Haschke, NCAT Climate and Agriculture Program Manager; Lee Rinehart, NCAT Northeast Regional Director; and Darron Gaus, NCAT Sustainable Ag Specialist
Read ATTRA's climate primer, a comprehensive guide to the most pressing issue of our time. ATTRA is a knowledge source for sustainable agriculture, created by the US Dept of Agriculture Rural Development and the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT).
The NY Times and LA Times recently published articles on water and climate change.
LA Times article “Audit finds California water agency not adequately considering climate change in forecasts” by staff writer Ian James gives a deep dive state auditor released a report critical of the agency’s inclusion of climate data in predicting future water needs for Southern California. James’ reporting offering a deeper look into problems addressed by the auditor.
NY Times article “Pumping Groundwater Has Changed Earth’s Spin, Study Finds” by Raymond Zhong provides a look at the groundbreaking (ground shifting?) realization by scientists that ground water extraction has altered the rotation of the earth. Story shared by member. Article is behind a paywall.
At the end of last year, the World Resources Institute (WRI) released an explainer defining "loss and damage" within the context of climate change. This article explores how the UN defines (or really doesn't) the terms for use during climate negotiations. This is an easy-to-read guide to understanding UN climate reports more deeply, especially on what's often an overly-politicized topic. This article goes into depth on economic and non-economic losses and the difficulty in quantifying the latter. Lengthy, but well worth the read to deepen your understanding of international policy negotiations. Read the explainer here.
WRI (World Research Institute) is an international water and development research organization.
Start your Monday off with some fresh off the press news! Check out these recently published articles discussing the dry farming and climate-mitigation practices in California.
Mendocino Winegrowers Inc.: A dry farmer and a new executive director by Karen Rifkin of the Ukiah Daily Journal
Karen Rifkin talks with Lorenzo Pacini, third generation owner of the Pacini Vineyard and dry farmer in the Mendocino AVA of California.
California wants to store floodwaters underground. It's harder than it sounds by Nathan Rott & Claire Harbage of NPR
This report looks into efforts by California to restore underground aquifers using floodwaters and rain from winter storms.
Mangoes and agave in the Central Valley: California farmers try new crops to cope with climate change by Alastair Bland of CalMatters
Bland talks with farmers experimenting with different crops to find more sustainable and adaptive options for the changing climate in their regions. This includes discussion of obscure tropical fruits, pest mitigation in established orchards, and adapting plants for heat tolerance.
