The dinner will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the church, located at 5340 Third St. behind Westamerica Bank in Kelseyville.

Enjoy a delicious dinner of turkey with all the trimmings, homemade by Kelseyville Presbyterian Church's incredible cooks.

Delicious desserts are included in the price which is only $12 for adults, and $7 for children 12 and under.

For families with two adults and two or more children under 12, a great dinner costs just $35.

Takeouts are available as well, so don't miss this annual fundraiser for building improvements.

WASHINGTON, DC – Nearly 150 farm-to-consumer marketing projects received funding Oct. 13 under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), marking a $9.2 million investment to support direct marketing and to increase consumer access to healthy food, much of it in food deserts and other low-income areas.

This year's awards – 149 in total, distributed across 42 states and the District of Columbia – showed a rise in urban projects and increased diversity in the types of projects funded.

"Earlier this year, we reported that more than 1,000 new farmers markets have been recorded across the United States, totaling 7,175 markets," said Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. "Through programs like FMPP, we believe that USDA's contributions to direct farm-to-consumer marketing are providing alternative economic opportunities for our nation's agricultural producers."

Traditionally, FMPP has funded projects in both rural and urban areas. However, this year saw a shift toward a more even distribution, with urban projects growing to nearly half of the portfolio.

"In addition to funding many worthy start-up farmers markets, I was particularly pleased to note a rise in the number of innovative projects like those that create or expand community-supported agriculture programs (CSAs), agritourism, and mobile markets," Merrigan added.

Increasing fresh food access in food deserts – low-income areas identified as having limited access to affordable and nutritious food – and other low-income communities was a priority for this year's awards.

As a result, over 40 percent of projects funded by FMPP this year serve one or more food deserts and another 20 percent will be implemented in communities with a poverty rate of 20 percent or higher.

Additionally, improvements in transportation and delivery methods, purchase of refrigeration equipment and improvements to packaging and storage that facilitate food access comprise nearly a third of the projects funded. Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) projects continue to exceed the congressionally mandated 10 percent, accounting for approximately 24 percent of total funding which gives participants in federal nutrition assistance programs even greater access to nutritious food.

Among the more innovative projects this year are:

• Round Valley Indian Health Inc., which will develop a program to provide locally raised products to schools in Covelo, Calif., through a CSA. The organization received $96,200.

• Renaissance Project of New Orleans, which will operate food banks and mobile produce markets at social service agencies and public housing facilities in New Orleans, La.

• EcoStation: NY, Inc., which will purchase, operate and staff a solar- and biodiesel-powered refrigerated mobile market in low-income areas of Kings County, N.Y.

• Lulus Local Food of Richmond, Va., which will establish four virtual online farmers markets and also provide farmers the opportunity to participate in a related gleaning program.

• Oregon Cheese Guild, which will work with Oregon cheese makers to create an "Oregon Cheese Trail" through a comprehensive agritourism and media outreach initiative.

Since its inception in 2006, the Farmers Marketing Promotion Program has awarded more than $23 million across the country to support direct producer-to-consumer marketing and local food projects. FMPP is administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service.

Projects are expected to be completed within 24 months of initiation.

The full list of awards granted for fiscal year 2011 is available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/FMPP.

Signing the agreement were Bruce Nelson, FSA administrator, and George Thornton, chief executive officer of the NWTF.

“FSA and NWTF have mutual interests in enhancing wildlife habitat that will benefit wild turkey and many other species and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities including hunting.” said Nelson. “This announcement would not be possible without our conservation partners, as well as our relationship with private landowners who play a critical role in restoring wetlands and protecting wildlife in this unique habitat.”

FSA administers a number of conservation programs that help to conserve soil and reduce erosion, protect water and air quality, restore important wetland, forest and grass ecosystems, and enhance wildlife habitats, including those needed by wild turkey and other wildlife.

“We’re proud of all we’ve accomplished with FSA,” Thornton said. “Renewing our collaborative agreement reflects the strength and commitment of both organizations to improving wildlife habitat, and provides a solid foundation to expand our successful partnership.”

Wild turkeys are found throughout the lower 48 states and parts of Canada and Mexico. It is estimated that there are seven million wild turkeys in the United States. Wild turkey hunting is part of the social framework of many rural families and is enjoyed by more than three million hunters annually.

Through dynamic partnerships, the NWTF and its members helped restore wild turkey populations throughout North America, spending more than $372 million to conserve 17 million acres of habitat.

Wild turkeys and hundreds of other species of upland wildlife, including quail, deer, grouse, pheasant and songbirds, benefit from this improved habitat.

FSA-administered programs, such as those funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), have proven effective in enhancing wild turkey habitat and providing opportunities for recreational access.

FSA-administered conservation programs help to improve watershed health, the vitality of agricultural lands and aesthetics, and the economies of local communities.

Well-managed private lands also support healthy ecosystems that provide clean water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and other environmental services that benefit the public.

On Thursday Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill by Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) that extends the Lake County Pear Shed Teen Labor law which allows 16- and 17-year-olds to work in pear sheds up to 10 hours per day for a maximum of 60 hours per week when school is not is session.

Without AB 1398, the law will expire on Jan,. 1, 2012. It will now be extended until 2017.

“This program has been in place for five generations and is a great opportunity for many teens to gain work experience in a productive and safe work environment. Each extension of the law has been strongly supported by the community,” Chesbro said.

He added, “This program has been a win/win situation for both our youth and for the pear industry. AB 1398 will simply continue this existing successful program.”

This bill enjoyed widespread support from Lake County agriculture as well as the broader local community.

“Assemblymember Chesbro has long recognized the value of jobs for teenagers and has worked diligently to preserve this opportunity for our community” said Toni Scully, president of the Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture. “We are very grateful for his dedication, and it has been a great privilege to have worked with him over the years.”

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LUCERNE, Calif. – The Lucerne Friends of Locally Owned Water (FLOW) will host its second annual October Harvest Festival and Golden Horseshoe Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 8.

The harvest festival will feature live music, vendor booths, a children's pinata, food and drink, and a flea market at Harbor Park in Lucerne from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sign-ups for the Golden Horseshoe Tournament will be held at Lucerne Hotel on The Strand and Country Club beginning at 9:30 a.m., with the tournament beginning at 10 a.m. The cost is $10 per person.

Contact Charlie at 707-274-8508 or James at 707-794-9359 for more information.

The game will take place, rain or shine, on Saturday, Nov. 6, in Mendocino County, at a location to be announced. Warm up starts at noon, with the first pitch at 12:30 p.m.

There also will be a potluck on the day of the event.

Practices will begin as soon as possible.

Lake County Farm Bureau is recruiting players to participate. They also are looking for team helpers/coaches and umpires.

All players must be a current Farm Bureau member, 18 years of age or older.

Player registration costs $10.

If you are interested in participating, please contact your local Farm Bureau office: Lake County Farm Bureau Office, 707-263-0911; or Mendocino County Farm Bureau Office, 707-462-6664.