NEVADA CITY, Calif. April 29, 2021 – In August 2020, the Jones Fire raged through the South Yuba River Canyon up Jones Ridge near Nevada City, CA devastating lands and buildings in its path. The Woolman at Sierra Friends Center campus was hit hard. The fire destroyed 19 structures including the farm buildings, fence, and irrigation. Now the Center is looking to rebuild and replant under the direction of Malaika Bishop, local farmer and stewardship associate with Sierra Harvest.
In celebration of Rotary’s new Protecting the Environment focus, Nevada City Rotary decided to initiate an environmental project for Earth Day April 22 and Rotarians At Work Day 2021. The Club worked with Malaika cleaning up the orchard and garden, repairing irrigation lines, and replanting an extended hedge of pollinator plants donated by Nevada City Rotary and a grant from Rotary District 5190. The Center is planning to repair fencing and hoop houses as it rebuilds the garden.
Supporting local healthy farms is critical to ensuring food security and a healthy environment for our community. Club members were delighted to partner in an outdoor socially distanced project – digging in the dirt together to rebuild our community and help ensure local healthy food sustainability.
Restoration of Woolman Farm is still in its early stages. Malaika is hosting a series of weekly work days Thursdays and Saturdays through June 5. The community is invited to help bring this beautiful little farm back into production at socially distanced work parties.
Activities vary weekly: Something for everyone from pruning, transplanting, weeding, to building, digging, setting fence posts. To learn more and signup visit https://woolman.org/event/volunteer-workdays-farm-restoration/.
Nevada City Rotary is currently meeting each Thursday via zoom. To join us contact news@ncrotary.org or visit NCRotary.org.