Carbon Farm Planning

The TCF was awarded $12,000 from Patagonia to implement Carbon on the Range, a Carbon Farm Planning Process for Tehama County ranchers. A rancher recruiting campaign, rancher selection criteria, and a selection committee were developed. Members of the Selection Committee included representatives of USDA’s NRCS, Point Blue Conservation Science, and the RCDTC, of which one rancher was selected as best fit for the program. Eight applications were received from agricultural producers to participate in this inaugural program. TCF hopes to provide the same CFP service to all applicants in the near future.

A Carbon Farm Plan was produced in collaboration with the rancher that serves as a guidance document for the producer to meet their natural resource management goals while supporting productive lands, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration. The Plan features recommended Carbon Farm practices that have the greatest potential for atmospheric carbon capture on their landscape as calculated by COMET-Planner and COMET-Farm online tools.

Interactive Youth Programs

Milkweed, Monarchs, Migration & Me: A 2-session pollinator educational experience including interactive PowerPoint presentations, artwork, games, and planting nearly 20 milkweed plugs.

Hands-On Habitat: Summer activity workshop engaging youth in our natural world through interactive presentations, guest speakers, and an opportunity to build their own habitat models.

Outdoor Galore: In partnership with the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County, the TCF supports the series of natural world-themed exploratory kits for Tehama County youth age 8 and up. Each kit is free and contains different nature-based, hands-on activities that encourage outdoor exploration at their own pace.

Conservation Conversations

TCF facilitates public, interactive Conservation Conversations to connect citizens with natural resource experts. Meaningful exchange of information between residents and experts helps ensure that the same information is accessible to all. Past themes include drought and the natural history of the Sacramento River corridor.

Farm Table Dinners

TCF has contributed educational insight during Tehama Together and the Tehama Community Food Alliance’s farm table dinner series. TCF presents information to help foster a connection between stewardship, food producers, and consumers. Showcasing producers as land stewards that meet their own needs while optimizing natural assets that occur on their property is of value across the food supply chain.

TinderSmart Tehama Defensible Space Assistance

Defensible Space is a 100 foot buffer surrounding a home or other building that slows or stops the spread of wildfire. It helps protect your home and neighboring structures from direct flame contact or radiant heat ignition. It also improves protection for fire personnel defending your property.

The TinderSmart Tehama Program intended to help Tehama County citizens who are unable to create the required defensible space surrounding their home at no additional cost.

The TinderSmart Tehama Program now operates out of the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County. To learn more, visit the RCDTC website.