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Welcome!!!!  

The Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) provides educational and business opportunities for farm workers and aspiring farmers to grow and sell crops grown on two organic farms in Monterey County, California.

Our mission is to advance economic viability, social equity and ecological land management among limited-resource and aspiring farmers. We work to create opportunities for family farms while providing education and demonstration on conservation, habitat restoration, marketing and whole farm planning.

Small Farm Conference in Fresno   Eight ALBA farmers and ALBA’s Education Program Manager, Nathan
Harkleroad, received scholarships to attend the Small Farm Conference in Fresno on March 10-12. On the conference, the attendees went on different field courses ranging from visiting Hmong and Latino farmers in the Central Valley to having an opportunity to talk regional buyers. There was also a day and a half of workshop events, a tasting reception, and a banquet
dinner. Some of the ALBA farmers took advantage of the opportunities to network with the many farmers’ market managers also in attendance.

Update of ALBA’s Voluntary Wetlands Restoration Project:

February, 2013. On the left, an ALBA PEPA student, Evangelina, volunteering with the restoration project partner, the Coastal Watershed Council, performing post-restoration water quality monitoring as the water leaves the Triple M Ranch wetlands. Next picture, ALBA Triple M farmer, Francisco Serrano, showing a pond area where he and his crews removed noxious weeds to help the native plants establish. Read an article about this project from the Register-Pajaronian.

After the first storm event on November 30, 2012 Carneros Creek had significant water flow. The creek jumped the banks of its man-made channel and entered the wetland areas, filling up the majority of constructed ponds. These ponds now provide breeding habitat for endangered amphibians. Another storm on December 1st filled in the other ponds across this restored wetland field.

September and October 2012

ALBA’s Voluntary Wetlands Restoration Project:

Before: Wetland field with a monoculture of nativepolygonum amphibium to be restored. After: A series of 8 constructed amphibian breeding ponds in the same area. All excavated areas will have native plants installed to improve wetland functioning and will be monitored by biologists to ensure the habitat is suitable for threatened and endangered species’ needs.

During the rainy season, Carneros Creek floods out of its channel trying to return to its historic pathway. The raised road will allow the water to flow back to its historic pathway and fill a series of 4 amphibian breeding ponds. In progress: The Sill Road crossing is being raised with a series of three gated culverts to control wetland hydrology. The longer the water remains in the wetlands through late spring and early summer, the better chances that the threatened and endangered amphibians living in the wetlands will fully develop into adults. In addition, pro-longed water retention times allow for better wetland functioning, more water recharge to the groundwater table and increased elimination of water impurities.

¡Bienvenidos!
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