Center for Land-Based Learning

Filing Period

Jul 1, 2009 to Jun 30, 2010

Signed

Nov 2, 2010

Return Version

2009v1.7

Gross Receipts

$583,183

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

The farms leadership program puts students in agricultural settings in their communities where they experience the relevance of basic environmental and agricultural sciences. At the start of the school year in six regions throughout california, we work primarily with urban high schools to select 200 students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds to participate in the year-long program. Diversity among participants is a vital component of all of the center for land-based learning (clbl) programs, since we expect the participants to develop leadership skills working with others from different backgrounds. During monthly field days, farms students work with - and learn from - farmers, ranchers, teachers, agricultural business owners, environmental professionals, academics and researchers in a curriculum tailored for their region. Students identify and complete a relevant community action project by the end of the school year. Students also examine how society's choices affect the watershed, wildlife, vegetation, soil conditions, and air quality. We encourage students to consider the cultural and social needs that drive agricultural practices and the consequences of specific choices in producing food and agricultural products. This is all considered a key in moving toward productive agriculture that is environmentally sustainable over the long term. The 2009-2010 statewide farms program featured six sites ranging from yuba city in the north to orange county in the south. This year clbl maintained the same number of farms sites as the previous year as funding has become relatively stable. This was the third year of the "slews to farms" program. Students who completed the slews program in the sacramento valley in 2008-2009 were allowed to apply for the farms program in 2009-2010. Over 50 slews students from five schools applied for farms and were selected by the farms coordinator with assistance from the slews coordinators and the teachers. Clbl also continued having each group complete an online education course through the sacramento regional community foundation on philanthropy and the importance of giving back to their communities. At the end of this course, three schools (sacramento, grant, and florin) completed community action projects. Florin completed their project "who's buggin? Ladies buggin" which taught local elementary school students about the importance of beneficial insects, and especially lady bird beetles. Grant high school completed a tree-planting project at their local elementary school with the help of the sacramento tree foundation. Sacramento high school began a project on their high school campus to plant a native plant butterfly garden. There were a total of 40 field days with approximately 1300 student visits as a result of the farms program this year. These field days and visits were as follows: north valley farms: seven field days, approximately 210 student visits. Participating were colusa high school, yuba county career preparatory charter school (marysville and camptonville), marysville high school and east nicolaus high school. San joaquin farms: six field days, approximately 180 student visits. Participating were delta vista, durham ferry academy, middle college high school, and merlo institute of environmental technology. Sonoma farms: six field days, approximately 180 student visits. Participating were casa grande high school, sonoma mountain high school, and windsor oaks academy. Orange farms: six field days, approximately 300 student visits. Participating were la habra high school, westminster high school, and fullerton high school. Fresno farms: eight field days, approximately 210 student visits. Participating were duncan polytechnic high school, central west high school, firebaugh high school, and cart (clovis).

Activity 3

The farm on putah creek is more than the headquarters for clbl. With 40 acres of prime farmland on putah creek in winters,california, the farm on putah creek (fopc) is where we practice the principles underlying the farms leadership and slews programs. It is also the headquarters of the newly-initiated greencorps program, started in may 2010. We welcome visitors to our demonstration gardens, ponds, nursery, farming, and habitat restoration projects. Fopc represents an innovative collaboration between the center for landbased learning and audubon california's landowner stewardship program. This is where we put into action the concepts we teach in experience-based programs. Fopc is also home to the putah creek council, a local educational, community-based group focused on the long-term stewardship of putah creek and its tributaries. The farm on putah creek continues to be the base of operations for free spirit farm and its farmer, toby hastings. In a creative partnership, clbl leases a small plot of land to free spirit farm to grow produce and flowers, some of which is provided for farms and slews field days. Free spirit farm also provides produce for davis farm to school field days with second-graders in the spring and fall, a work area and oversight for the greencorps interns, and assistance with many other educational days at fopc. In additiona, free spirit farm and toby are a part of all educational tours, especially those for k-6 grade groups. The farm on putah creek hosts visitors of all ages and backgrounds interested in seeing real-world applications of the principles underlying its wildlife-friendly agricultural and conservation practices. This includes tailwater ponds and sediment traps, riparian buffer strips and upland restoration, insectary hedgerows - including native pollinator habitat - and native windbreaks. The programs at fopc cultivate leadership in sustainable agriculture practices, environmental stewardship, land-based education and land use policy and planning. We host tours, workshops, school field trips and service learning projects, seminars, retreats, and meetings. Participants include landowners, local resource groups and nonprofits, staff and boards of rural conservation districts, government leaders, university extension staff, researchers and professors, graduate students, and interns. The work at fopc adds to the research, learning, networking and discussions surrounding agricultural landscapes - with an emphasis on sustainable practices. The farm on putah creek is privately held land protected by an agricultural conservation easement. It is open to the public nearly every day of the week. Programs on site include: youth education field days teaching gardens wildlife friendly farming projects & tours intern and volunteer programs technical assistance workshops private and public events facility rental for weddings, workshops, training, and special events. Over 3,000 people attended educational events at the farm on putah creek, including farm rentals and clbl fundraising programs during 2009-10. This year saw continued increase at the farm for k-6 groups, especially "farm to school" programs from the davis area, as well as prek-6 groups from woodland and sacramento. The fopc also hosted high school students from san francisco's downtown high school, located in the mission district.

Filer

EIN

68-0472121