Get to know San Benito RCD
The San Benito Resource Conservation District (RCD) is in the Central Coast region, located in the Coast Range Mountains. The largest city in the district is Hollister, and much of the district is made up of rural lands, residential housing, and production agriculture.
Agriculture
San Benito County is cool and perfect for many leafy greens like spinach, salad mixes, lettuces, and kales, as well as high value crops like wine grapes, peppers, and nuts. There is also some ranching and pasture lands.
Technical Assistance
To serve these farmers and ranchers, the RCD provides technical assistance in several program areas:
Partners in Restoration (PIR) permit coordination: The PIR permit coordination program allows for streamlined permitting for restoration activities that improve the resource conditions on properties.
Livestock and Land: The Livestock and Land program provides information and technical assistance for resource management of small livestock facilities. See www.livestockandland.org for more information.
Small Acre Stewardship: The Small Acre Stewardship workshop series provides information on various resource management concerns for landowners of 5-20 acres.
Irrigation water management: Irrigation water management encourages the application of water in an amount that meets the need of the growing plant in a manner that avoids extended soil saturation and runoff. By increasing application precision and reducing unneeded application, water can be conserved and energy can be saved.
Irrigation evaluations: The Irrigation Mobile Lab is a service that provides on-site evaluations of individual irrigation systems. Based on these evaluations, a mobile lab technician can work with growers to develop irrigation water management plans tailored to their individual needs. The plans include recommendations to improve system performance, such as developing a maintenance plan and revising irrigation schedules. Through this service, growers learn to operate their systems more effectively and save water in the process.
Annual Garden Tour
The RCD’s most recent event was their 4th Annual Garden Tour. They partnered with the NRCS and San Benito Water Resources Association every year to engage garden enthusiasts about incorporating conservation in their home gardens. The first year they had six attendees, and it has since grown to over 40 attendees.
Along with the demonstration garden, experienced gardeners were present to answer questions about their property and discuss the pros and cons of their conservation gardens.
Attendees learned about incorporating succulents and pollinator forage into their home gardens.
“The feedback from the attendees has been overwhelmingly positive— they enjoy learning about new conservation practices, learning about pollinators, and sharing ideas with other gardeners. They all like interacting with others who share conservation values.” – Camille Abreu-Woida, Executive Director, San Benito RCD
We wish them the best of luck for next year’s Garden Tour!
