SACRAMENTO – California’s Ag Vision, a collaborative effort to plan for the future of agriculture, enjoyed two big wins last week when Gov. Jerry Brown signed a pair of bills to improve food security and support for working families.

One of Ag Vision’s top priorities is to improve access to safe and healthy food for all Californians.

With that in mind, agriculture, public health and food bank groups joined hands to support the bills, both of which were authored by Assembly member Felipe Fuentes of Southern California’s San Fernando Valley.

AB 6 eliminates the use of finger imaging for CalFresh (formerly the food stamp program), which the USDA estimates will increase participation in California by seven percent.

The result will be millions of additional federal dollars flowing into our state for food purchases while stimulating the state’s economy.

AB 152 will make more healthy food available to low-income Californians and create a state infrastructure for the purchase and distribution of healthy food to low-income communities.

The law creates a tax credit for California growers to help defray the costs of donating healthy agricultural products to California food banks. AB 152 will leverage millions of pounds of food for those in need.

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture, a founding partner in Ag Vision, has committed to doubling California farm contributions to food banks within the next five years.

Lake County Land Trust President Pete McGee, and Land Trust board member Roberta Lyons, right, were pleased to present the Lake County Land Trust's Supporter of the Year award to Elaine Mansell who volunteers to lead children's nature education programs at the Trust's Rodman Preserve each month. The presentation took place at the Land Trust dinner on Saturday, October 8, 2011, at Rancho de la Fuente in Lakeport, Calif. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The annual Lake County Land Trust benefit dinner, held Saturday, Oct. 8, at Rancho de la Fuente, was a great evening of socializing with friends, bidding on fabulous silent auction items, enjoying Lake County wines, dining on fine food by Ciao Thyme catering, and hearing about local biologist’s Greg Giusti’s ideas of sustainability.

The Land Trust has its annual dinner as both a fundraiser and a “friend,” raiser and all agree this was one of the best ever.

Giusti, a wildland biologist with the U.C. Cooperative Extension, discussed his ideas on the concept of “sustainability.”

He went over the numerous issues that face Californians now and how they relate to sustainability including water and timber management, exotic species and habitat fragmentation.

Giusti said there are many interests that must work together to find common ground, pointing out that this is something the Lake County Land Trust, like all land trusts, tries to accomplish.

“It’s not easy,” Giusti said.

He talked about how important “applied environmentalism” is and that it is necessary to have a give-and-take approach when looking at natural resource management.

“We have to be flexible and work together,” Giusti said. “We have to be able to work with people; really, the concept of sustainability is people working with people.”

He noted how human activity has drastically impacted wildlife: There are 1,400 legal dams in California alone.

“What does that look like?” he asked, “and what has been the impact on salmon species in this state?”

Giusti also stressed the damage that “fragmentation” has done to species throughout the state and how we need to have sustainable approaches to entire landscapes.

He pointed out that Clear Lake, is a “sum of its parts,” and we need to continue our vigilance regarding the impact of possible quagga mussel invasion.

In conclusion, Giusti noted that humans are making choices that affect humans and non-humans alike – and it is important for humans to provide for the needs of all species; all organisms need to be able to sustain themselves over space and time, he said.

Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Land Trust’s annual “Supporter of the Year,” award which was given this year to Elaine Mansell who is leading children’s nature education programs at the Lake County Land Trust’s Rodman Preserve the third Saturday of each month.

Mansell was honored for her excellent work of inspiring children to get close to nature through her “Rodman Explorers” program at the preserve.

The Lake County Land Trust is a private, nonprofit organization with a mission to protect and preserve Lake County’s valuable natural habitats.

The trust owns and operates the Rodman and Rabbit Hill Preserves and is active in current conservation efforts.

Go to www.lakecountylandtrus.org or join the Land Trust on Facebook for more information.

Greg Giusti, a wildland biologist with the U.C. Cooperative Extension, discussed his ideas on the concept of

Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen invites the community to the Lakeport Disaster Preparedness Expo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Mendo Mill Home Center and Lumber Co., 2465 S. Main St., Lakeport.

At the expo you can find out how to plan and prepare should a major disaster arise.

We all live in a wonderful county, but if a disaster strikes things will change.

The power could be out for a long period of time, roads may not be passable and communications systems may be down.

Think about it, no communication may mean the 911 system could be affected. Will your cell phone service be in operation? Are you a HAMM radio operator? How will you communicate with family, friends and the work place? Do you know first aid and CPR?

If the roads are damaged and you cannot drive home, do you have a disaster kit in your car? If you have to walk, will you be in high heeled shoes or do you have tennis shoes in the trunk of your car to change into?

If the power is out, how long will it be, do you have a generator? Do you have batteries stored at home? Will you get water pumped from your well? Which stores will be opened? What if the ATM machines are out of service because of no electricity? Do you have extra cash available to you?

Do you have a family plan – where to meet up, how to communicate with each other? Have you set up an outside area contact so family and friends can call to that contact to find out how you are doing? There is a good chance they will not be able to call you in a disaster area.

The city of Lakeport and Mendo Mill are co-hosting the expo.

There will be booths staffed with experts to share disaster preparation with the public. The first 200 will be treated to free hot dogs and water.

Don’t wait for a disaster, prepare now!

For more information, call the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.

Greg Scott is the Lakeport Police Department's volunteer emergency services coordinator.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Janie Rezner's guests for Monday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m., on KZYX (www.kzyx.org) will be Leymah Gbowee, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and our very own Sherry Glaser, on their fall pledge drive.

Gbowee's story was told in the 2008 documentary, “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” and who was most recently honored with the Nobel Peace Prize, along with two other women.

As a young woman and trauma counselor in war ravaged Liberia – which was under the control of monster Charles Taylor and his armies of child soldiers – Gbowee in 2002 organized the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace and saying, “In the past we were silent, but after being killed, raped, dehumanized and infected with diseases, watching our children and families destroyed, war has taught us that the future lies in saying NO to violence and YES to peace! We will not relent until peace prevails.”

Under her leadership, the women managed to force a meeting with Taylor and extract a promise from him to attend peace talks in Ghana. Many films clips are in the movie of this violent time, including seeing Charles Taylor.

Dressed in white t-shirts to symbolize peace, and numbering in the thousands, these very poor and often abused women became a political force against violence and against their government. Their movement brought an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003, and led to the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia, the first African nation with a female president.

The show can be heard live streaming at www.kzyx.org.

Covelo ethnobotanist Edith Van Allen Murphey (center) with native consultants Lucy Young (Lassik) and her husband Sam Young (Hayfork Wintu). Courtesy of the Robert J. Lee Collection of the Mendocino County Historical Society.

WILLITS, Calif. – On Sunday, Oct. 30, at 2 p.m., the Mendocino County Museum will present “Healing Plants and Mendocino Medicine Women: Edith Van Allen Murphey, Marcia Pratt and Donna D’Terra.”

The focus of the presentation will be Western native plants, especially those in Mendocino County.

The speakers will discuss a variety of medicinal and mythological cultural traditions associated with native plants, including Indian uses recorded by the late Covelo ethnobotanist, Edith Van Allen Murphey.

Marcia Pratt, a Willits writer and editor, spent years studying Murphey, a self-taught ethnobotanist who worked from 1925-1935 with eleven tribes in Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon.

These botanical experiences led her to write “Indian Uses of Native Plants,” a book still in print today.

Murphey also worked with Covelo tribes and for Ukiah nurseryman Carl Purdy. Pratt has long admired Edith Van Allen Murphey, a fiercely independent woman who went her own way.

Herbalist Donna D’Terra has taught thousands of students about native plants over more than 25 years.

She runs an apprenticeship program at Motherland Botanical Sanctuary and Herb School on 160 acres northeast of Willits.

D’Terra has a special love for plants and their stories, as well as a commitment to the Mendocino bioregion, which will be the focus of her talk.

This free presentation is part of a series associated with the Museum’s exhibition “A Passion for Plants & Place: Carl Purdy of Mendocino County.”

The exhibit has been extended until March 18, 2012, with additional programs, including a presentation about redwoods by Greg Giusti in February and a concluding talk by Kate Frey on the last day of the show.

The Mendocino County Museum is located at 400 E. Commercial St. in Willits.

For further information, call 459-2736 or go to www.mendocinomuseum.org.

The dinner will take place at the Galilee Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 8860 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville.

A salmon dinner with all the trimmings will begin at 6 p.m.; the cost is $8.

At 7 p.m. the guest speaker, Sons of Norway Zone 1 Director Carol Francis will hold a meet and greet in Norwegian.

Ellen Aasen is designing and making a queen size quilt to be raffled at the Scandinavian Christmas Open House on Dec. 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is another scholarship benefit for the group's heritage members to attend Camp Troll Fjell Language and Heritage Camp at Camp Norge.

Tickets can be purchased at this meeting, the Nov. 12 lutefisk and meatball dinner and at the open house.

For more information call Mary Beth at 707-987-2404 or visit www.vikingsoflakelodge.org.