Sierra Foothill REC

I suppose my obsession with the weather apps on my smartphone started during the 2013-2014 drought. I've always been a weather geek, but during that dry spell, I found myself constantly checking multiple apps to see if one held more hope for moisture than another.

With full containment of the Mosquito Fire last weekend, residents of Placer and El Dorado Counties have largely returned home and are beginning the difficult process of recovery.

The Placer County Resource Conservation District (Placer RCD) is rapidly expanding their prescribed burning program offerings to improve community wildfire resilience.

Register now for our upcoming September workshops! Working Rangelands Wednesdays - Remote Sensing and Drought Forecast with Dr.

Broomsedge Bluestem (Andropogon virginicus L.) is an increasingly problematic weed in irrigated pastures in the Sierra foothills. We've grazed several pastures with fairly significant infestations - and we're seeing it spread.

Register now for the Sierra Foothills Cattle & Sheep Grazing School! If you look back far enough in the histories of most foothill cattle operations, you'll find... SHEEP! Believe it or not, many long-time cattle operations also had sheep at one time.

Last month, between dog food and vaccines, we spent just over $103 on our three livestock guardian dogs (LGDs). For the first part of April, our two older dogs (Bodie and Elko) were with our ewe-lamb pairs on annual rangeland west of Auburn. Our younger dog (Dillon) was protecting our rams.

With the month of May upon us, wildfire season (at least here in the Sierra foothills) is just around the corner.

When it comes to livestock protection tools, there are no "silver bullets"....

Like many people in the rural areas of the Sierra foothills, my family raises chickens. Our dozen or so laying hens keep us supplied with eggs year-round.