Margaret Lloyd, UCCE organic agriculture and small farms advisor for the Capitol Corridor, hosted a tour on Oct. 24 for about 40 Hmong and Iu-Mienh farmers to meet other farmers in Winters and Sacramento.
“This is a first of its kind – for us and probably these farmers,” said Lloyd, who organized the tour for the small-scale farmers.
The farmers met at the UCCE Sacramento County office, then traveled by bus to Winters to meet walnut grower Craig McNamara at Sierra Orchards, who talked about the benefits of hedgerows. Their second stop was Rainwater Farm, a flower farm owned by Lauren McNees, former UC ANR program and event specialist, and her husband Lee.
“After lunch we went to Tierra Firma Farms to look at farm equipment,” said Meaghan Donovan, small farms program manager. Then we visited Fiery Ginger Farm where we saw a bed weeder that helps control pathogens and weeds, small-scale leafy greens harvester, and a paperpot transplanter.
Lindsey Kelley, community education specialist, made a video of the tour: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFzaUl_5AA/9yNUVdHlTUTYmAlQFl_XZA/watch