The Farm on Putah Creek
The Farm on Putah Creek
is more than the headquarters for the Center for Land-Based Learning. With 40 acres of prime farmland on Putah Creek in Winters, California, the Farm on Putah Creek (FPC) is where we practice the principles underlying The FARMS Leadership Program and the SLEWS Program. We welcome visitors to our wildlife-friendly demonstration projects, native plant nursery and propagation facilities.
FPC represents an innovative collaboration between the Center for Land-Based Learning and Audubon California's Landowner Stewardship Program. The Farm is also home to two other organizations; Putah Creek Council, a local educational, community-based group focused on the long-term stewardship of Putah Creek and its tributaries, and The Xerces Society - specifically, the education, outreach, and research components of the California Agricultural Pollinator Project
For more information about visiting or renting facilities at The Farm at Putah Creek, please first view the Farm Rentals information page. You may also contact the Center for Land-Based Learning at (530) 795-9569 for more information.
To assure the best visit, please make advance arrangements, especially if you are bringing a group. The Farm is a popular place for many types of audiences, and you will need to contact us early for reservations – we want to be able to bring you the best experience possible.
WHY THE FARM IS NEEDED
“This day and age, it's becoming more and more about computers and technology. No one knows anything or cares about the environment or where food comes from. But agriculture and the environment is the basis of everything. Most people don't see that.”-Andrew Constancio, Woodland High School
The Farm on Putah Creek is where we put into action the concepts we teach in experience-based programs.
The FPC is the only easily accessible learning laboratory and forum for sustainable agriculture and wildlife-friendly farming in the region. We are easily reached from all directions, including the Bay Area and the inland valley.
In California's increasingly developed landscape, we have a profound need for a place where anyone can see, touch and be immersed in agricultural and stewardship practices that support ecosystem health and fertility. The FPC is a hub for digging into far- reaching questions like:
- How can rural communities mitigate environmental problems caused by dramatic population growth while maintaining healthy economies?
- How can farmers produce nourishing food for a growing population in a system as complex and regulated as California agriculture?
- How can wildlife-friendly practices be integrated in the normal operations of a California farm?
- What kinds of innovative collaborations and opportunities can result from the daily challenges that California agriculture faces?
By bringing together farmers, activists, politicians, researchers, students, and community leaders, we can work together to find solutions. At the Farm on Putah Creek we welcome diverse groups and individuals to talk, explore, experiment, experience and learn. These issues will only become more complex in the future. The Farm at Putah Creek is a place where learning and discussion – so critical to the future of agriculture in California – is happening.
“The experience at the Farm on Putah Creek was great. We learned about sustainable agriculture and how to properly take care of the earth - as well as the people whose livelihood it is to feed us all. Overall, the visit really helped my understanding of farms and agriculture.”-Emily Sulita, 2006 Chef-in-Training, Culinary Insitute of America, Hyde Park, NY
FARM PROGRAMS
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. Portions of the Farm are available for rental, and there are a variety of additional activities and events that occur year-round.
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:
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