Sonoma County Farm Bureau hosts successful inaugural Water Summit

The Sonoma County Farm Bureau (SCFB) hosted its inaugural Water Summit on May 10 and 11 at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. Over two days, 35 top-level policymakers and water experts discussed efforts underway to address water access challenges during the continuing drought and presented information on opportunities to improve water infrastructure to more effectively conserve water resources.

SCFB was proud to convene over 150 community stakeholders from not only agriculture but also local elected officials, public agency staff, conservationists, educators, tribal representatives, and the business community.

Featured speakers were Secretary Karen Ross, California Secretary of Food and Agriculture, Secretary Wade Crowfoot, California Secretary of Natural Resources, and Congressman Jared Huffman, 2nd Congressional District of California. Acknowledging our urgent water access challenges requires a collaborative approach, the positive impact of innovation and effective partnerships on both water management and water conservation were key themes throughout the Summit.

“The Sonoma County Farm Bureau Water Summit was a great opportunity for Sonoma Water to meet with agriculture representatives,” said Grant Davis, General Manager at Sonoma Water, “Staff was able to present information and share resources, as we all work together to save water during the drought. Sonoma Water provided updates on key issues such as our county's three Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and the Potter Valley Project. Sonoma Water looks forward to continuing the dialogue with the Sonoma County Farm Bureau and its members on the health and resilience of the Russian River.”

The agenda for the event was comprehensive. Topics addressed ranged from the Groundwater Sustainability Act, water trading markets, groundwater recharge, water infrastructure funding sources, recycled water resiliency, and information on how to build and use water optimizing technologies and measure evapotranspiration in the field to manage irrigation decisions.

SCFB was proud to take a leadership role in helping to plan for the future of water resources for Sonoma County agriculture.

Sonoma County Farm Bureau President, Jennifer Beretta said, “Sonoma County Farm Bureau is committed to bringing diverse interests together to collaborate and have a seat at the table during discussions regarding the future of water in Sonoma County and our region.”