Around Marin County

Awards and Honors

4-H and FFA members brought their livestock projects to the Marin County Fair two weeks ago and won top honors! View photos from the livestock shows. Congratulations to all the members on a successful show!
Local cheese companies took home top honors last month at the California Commercial Cheese Competition in Sacramento, held annually at the close of the California State Fair. Barinaga Ranch in Marshall, Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station, Marin French Cheese Company in Hicks Valley and Nicasio Valley Cheese Company earned gold, silver and bronze medals for several of their cheeses. Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company won Best in Show among cow’s milk cheeses for their semi-soft “Bay Blue,” while Bleating Heart garnered the same award among other milk-type cheeses for their “Funky Bleats,” made from sheep’s and goat’s milk. Congratulations to all!

FARMING 101 - 2nd Tuesdays of each month from 6-8pm at the Petaluma Seed Bank. Experienced farmers, ranchers, and business specialists cover a broad range of practical skills for aspiring and new farmers and ranchers, and individual access to experienced farmers builds on that foundation. UCCE Marin and UCCE Sonoma's wide range of agriculturalists conduct workshops, and those with the knowledge and interest will mentor the next generation in need of support.
Back by popular demand, College of Marin’s Marin County Agriculture class. The class, not offered since 2011, returns to Monday evenings from 6-9pm (with weekend field visits) and starts August 22. View the course flier to learn more, including how to register.
Upcoming free events at the Bolinas Museum: Opening of Bounty, Fine Food Production in Coastal Marin from 1834 to the Future on Saturday, September 24 from 1-5pm; and Family Farm Day on Saturday, October 15 from 1-4pm
"Point Reyes Peninsula Ranching History" with historian Dewey Livingston at the Dance Palace in Point Reyes Station on Saturday, October 22, from 10-11:30am
"Rocking The Bay Area and Beyond" - panel with Warren Weber, Albert Straus, Philis Faber, Helge Hellberg, Sue Conley, and Steve Kinsey, moderated by Robin Carpenter of Edible Marin Magazine, at the Bolinas Community Center on Saturday, November 5 at 2pm

Just published from UC ANR: two free publications on drought and livestock Drought Strategies for Feeding Cattle Grazing Annual Grassland and Supplemental Feeds for Cattle Operations during Drought. And in the Understanding Working Rangelands series, Tools for Healthy Grasslands, Livestock, and Ranchers.