Article submitted by Sabrina Nicholson, Nevada County Resource Conservation District, District Manager
Does your property seem healthy to you? Are you worried about wildfire? (If you live in California you SHOULD be worried about wildfire.) Would you like to know if your property will accommodate an orchard or small farm enterprise? Is your pond full of algae and weeds? Are star thistle or blackberries running rampant through your property? Need to know what to do with all of that animal manure? Well, the Nevada County Resource Conservation District (NCRCD) is here to help you with all of those questions and many more.
We offer science-based advice to Nevada and western Sierra County landowners; programs and tools to aid you in the successful management of your property; suggest local seminars for you to attend; offer links to great information; and can provide you with contact information of local professionals because sometimes reading about the solution just isn’t enough – sometimes you need a little help with the work.
Right now our most popular program is the Advisory Visit Program. It connects you with our consultant (a local expert with 37 years experience in the conservation field) who will visit your property with you and provide personalized advice on the issues you’re encountering. After your visit, we will mail you a hard-copy summarization of your visit along with detailed documents on the topics you discussed.
We have great planning tools online, like soil surveys, and other information that can help you determine if your property can accommodate your planned uses. If you need manure or compost for your garden or pasture, or have too much manure and need to get rid of the excess, check-out our Manure Exchange Program! There you can sign up to give away your excess manure or contact someone who has what you need. We also have a tool loan program where you can borrow hand tools like a soil sampler, weed wrench, pond rake, and a seed spreader.
We strongly believe in the value of grazing to reduce fire hazard and to promote and maintain plant and wildlife diversity, so we offer a Minimum-Till Drill for rent. The Min-Till Drill is a 6-foot-wide piece of farm equipment designed to be towed behind a tractor and get into places big drills simply can’t. Soil disturbance is minimal with this implement that creates a seedbed, applies seed, and firms the seed into the soil all in one pass – saving time and money. It helps control noxious weeds (such as star thistle), decreases soil erosion, and conserves water for easier plant establishment.
The NCRCD offers seminars and workshops throughout the year on natural resource and conservation topics important to local landowners; sponsors educational events (Nevada County Ag in the Classroom’s Annual Farm Day and CalPac SRM’s Range Camp); and partners with a wide variety of organizations on agriculture and natural resource conservation outreach events (Nevada County Ag Tour).
We’re here to help you with all your land management needs. For more information check out the website, stop by at 113 Presley Way, Suite 1, Grass Valley or call (530) 272-3417.
The Nevada County Resource Conservation District was founded January 4, 1944 with a mission to promote responsible resource management. We are a state mandated ‘Special District’ that is neither a regulatory group nor a city/county entity. We are a “Not-For-Profit” entity, as described under California Public Resources Code – Division Nine and Section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. We receive a small percentage of revenue from property taxes of Nevada County residents. The NCRCD is governed by a five-member board of directors who are appointed by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors and made up of local landowners who provide input for local resource management.
