Podcasts about san luis obispo county

Hometown Radio 06/18/25 3p: Shellie Shaffer from Hospice of San Luis Obispo County

Jeff and Jeremy dive into the hot topic of the recent federal announcement eliminating taxes on tips. They chat with a local server who shares the electric atmosphere at his workplace when the news broke, with coworkers celebrating the potential boost to their paychecks. To break it all down, the guys bring in their tax expert, Billy from H&R Block, who runs multiple franchises in San Luis Obispo County. Billy explains how the proposed policy could allow servers to deduct up to $25,000 in tips from federal taxes, potentially fattening their paychecks significantly. But there's a catch—California might not play along, likely taxing tips at the state level. The trio unpacks what this means for servers' take-home pay, especially in a high-tax state like California, and compares it to states with no income tax like Washington or Florida. With their signature mix of humor, tangents about fantasy football and golf plans, and Billy's knack for explaining complex tax rules, Jeff and Jeremy deliver a lively discussion that's both informative and entertaining. Tune in to find out how this game-changing policy could impact your favorite servers!

In this episode, Team Sweasey dives into the dynamics of pricing your home in SLO County. Hal and Christine explain why the listing price is just the starting point—ultimately, the market determines your home's true value. The team also discusses the shifting tides in San Luis Obispo County, where buyers are gaining more leverage, but rising interest rates are keeping a flood of activity at bay. Plus, they highlight why centrally located, family-friendly homes continue to move quickly, while beachside properties with vacation-home vibes are lingering longer on the market. Tune in for expert insights to navigate this evolving real estate landscape! Expert takes and predictions you need to hear If you're buying, selling, or investing in SLO County, and a bonus explanation about how YouTube shorts are different from Reyn Spooner Shorts. Have your question featured on an episode of the SLO County Real Estate Podcast by texting it to 805-244-1170 or if you'd like to have a conversation with the team about your unique situation call team Sweasey at 805-781-3750 and you can always email Hal at Hal@teamsweasey.com for any questions you might have about real estate CA DRE #01111911

Team Sweasey Escrow manager Dakota Bailey on the importance of compromise, and how it is essential for successful real estate transactions, ensuring both parties walk away satisfied. Also in this episode the team discusses the rising inventory in San Luis Obispo County, and what that means for buyers and sellers. Could the Playing field be more equal? With rent rates climbing, The SLO County Real Estate Podcast explores why homeownership remains a smarter long-term investment, and the team breaks down the importance of strategic pricing when listing your home—set it right, because the market always finds the true value. Have your question featured on an episode of the SLO County Real Estate Podcast by texting it to 805-244-1170 or if you'd like to have a conversation with the team about your unique situation call team Sweasey at 805-781-3750 and you can always email Hal at Hal@teamsweasey.com for any questions you might have about real estate CA DRE #01111911

April is National Poetry Month, and we invited Caleb Nichols, the Poet Laureate of San Luis Obispo County, to gather local poets from the region to do a poetry reading session at our studio. Caleb hosts the segment. Mira Honeycutt, host of Wine Country, speaks to winemakers Edgar Torres and Enrique Torres about their journey to making Spanish wines in Paso Robles. Then, the San Luis Obispo Film Festival starts April 24th and continues until April 29th, with encore screenings from May 1st to the 5th at the Palm Theater. Skye McLennan is the Executive Director of the festival and the SLO Film Center. She talks to me, Meher Ali, about what she's most excited about for this year's festival and why a theater is the best place to watch your favorite horror movies.

Welcome to Part 2 of the SLO County Real Estate Podcast's compelling conversation with SLO County Fire Chief Todd Tuggle, exploring the harsh realities of wildfire risk in San Luis Obispo County. Chief Tuggle shares critical insights on shifting weather patterns, vulnerable areas, and the devastating moment fire meets homes—where even one spark can trigger catastrophe. This episode breaks down how smart building codes, personal preparedness, and strong leadership can safeguard our community. It's an intense, engaging discussion every SLO County resident needs to hear. Have your question featured on an episode of the SLO County Real Estate Podcast by texting it to 805-244-1170 or if you'd like to have a conversation with the team about your unique situation call Team Sweasey at 805-781-3750 and you can always email Hal at Hal@teamsweasey.com for any questions you might have about real estate. #SLOCountyWildfires #WildfireRisk #FirePreparedness #SLOFireSafety #WildfireThreat #SmartBuildingCodes #CommunitySafety #FireChiefInsights #SLOCountyResilience #WildfireAwareness #TeamSweasey #SLOCountyRealEstatePodcast CA DRE #01111911

Welcome to Part 2 of the SLO County Real Estate Podcast's compelling conversation with SLO County Fire Chief Todd Tuggle, exploring the harsh realities of wildfire risk in San Luis Obispo County. Chief Tuggle shares critical insights on shifting weather patterns, vulnerable areas, and the devastating moment fire meets homes—where even one spark can trigger catastrophe. This episode breaks down how smart building codes, personal preparedness, and strong leadership can safeguard our community. It's an intense, engaging discussion every SLO County resident needs to hear. Have your question featured on an episode of the SLO County Real Estate Podcast by texting it to 805-244-1170 or if you'd like to have a conversation with the team about your unique situation call Team Sweasey at 805-781-3750 and you can always email Hal at Hal@teamsweasey.com for any questions you might have about real estate. #SLOCountyWildfires #WildfireRisk #FirePreparedness #SLOFireSafety #WildfireThreat #SmartBuildingCodes #CommunitySafety #FireChiefInsights #SLOCountyResilience #WildfireAwareness #TeamSweasey #SLOCountyRealEstatePodcast CA DRE #01111911

Pismo Beach Today 03/09/2025 12p: Anita's guests are Devon McQuade of the Five Citied Homeless Coalition and Ann McDowell of South San Luis Obispo County Womenade. Produced by Jim Richards

KCBX reporter Amanda Wernik talks about why it's important for her to report on the Refugio pipeline. Fr. Ian Delinger visits schools in San Luis Obispo County to learn more about California Wheat Commission's Wheat2School project. KCBX reporter Alyssa Toledo's story about the musical Million Dollar Quartet playing at the San Luis Obispo Repertory Theater until March 9th and what sets it apart from other productions. And my interview with community members from SLO county who want to celebrate Palestinian culture through a poetry reading honoring Palestinian poet and activist Refaat Alareer.

Jim Dantona, host of Working Lunch and CEO of San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce sits down with Maureen Zawalick, Vice President of Business and Technical Services at PG&E to talk about the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. KCBX's Brian Reynolds talks to Reilly Newman, co-author of a new book, along with his business partner Scott Saunders, titled “Brandy: 101 Sips of Wisdom For Attaining a Successful Brand.” Dr. Ronda Beaman, Executive Director of the nonprofit Dream Makers San Luis Obispo, speaks with KCBX's Meher Ali about what she has learned from fulfilling the final wishes of terminally ill patients in San Luis Obispo County.

Correspondent Tom Wilmer visits with Sean Weir, Cal Poly grad and author of the book, The Mad Crush, detailing his time as a cellar rat at the historic San Luis Obispo County based Sausalito Canyon winery.

Lee Herrick, the poet laureate of California in conversation with Caleb Nichols, the new poet laureate of San Luis Obispo County. Robin Coleman for Peace, Love and Pets speaks to Isabelle Gullö from Care for Paws and Katie Bean from Creekside Pet Boarding, about their efforts to make pet boarding more affordable in San Luis Obispo County. KCBX's Father Ian Dellinger traveled to Paso Robles this past November to attend the Garagiste Festival. It was the last in a series of wine festivals and this year's starts next week on February 7th in Solvang.

Jane Connely stops by to talk about mentor month at Big Brothers Big Sisters in San Luis Obispo County with Andy Morris.

Jojo and Langosta are back from their recent Quail hunt in San Luis Obispo County. Learn how they got ready, what shotguns they used, and why you shouldn't overlook Quail Game in California. BIG THANKS to the 'Redondo Rod & Gun Club" for letting us join them on their annual trip.

There are many questions following the tragic wildfires in Los Angeles. How did the wildfires in Los Angeles get to this point? Could more have been done prior to prevent this level of catastrophe? Where does CCA and the CCA Fire Subcommittee go from here in advocating for more action on prevention? Those questions and more are answered on this episode by Anthony Stornetta, a San Luis Obispo County cattle rancher, Deputy Fire Chief of Operations for Santa Barbara County Fire Department and the Chair of CCA's Fire Subcommittee. Listen as Anthony gives his insights and knowledge on how the LA wildfires got to be what they did and where we go from here as a state with more wildfires in its future. Text us your comments, feedback and episode ideas!

Rhys Jensen of Son Care Foundation discusses the ways the nonprofit is saving lives through the human-canine bond. Cathy Cartier, Visit SLO CAL's CEO, shares insights about San Luis Obispo County's non-profit tourism promotion organization. Devon Szalva, a student reporter for KCSB radio, spoke with researcher Ethan Anadon about the challenges facing monarch butterfly habitats. KCBX's Allysa Toledo looks at the impact of the Run SLO Club.

Cathy Cartier, Visit SLO CAL's CEO shares insights about San Luis Obispo County's non-profit tourism promotion organization.

In this episode, we're joined by Brett Bey of Bey Property Solutions to unpack the latest trends in San Luis Obispo County's housing rental market. From low inventory to rising rental costs, Brett breaks down the numbers and shares what it means for local renters, including Cal Poly students scrambling for affordable housing. How much does it cost to rent a room these days, and what's driving the crunch? Tune in for expert insights and practical advice for anyone navigating this competitive market.Contract BrettThanks for listening! Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Email us with any question or comments.

San Luis Obispo County Veterans Museum celebrates Veterans Day at the Memorial Museum

Mujeres de Acción, or, Women of Action, has been dedicated to the empowerment of Latina women in San Luis Obispo County. Join Lata Murti and her guests to learn more.

Hometown Radio 09/13/2024 5p: Guest Host Craig Hill and Randall Jordan Chair of the Republican Committee of San Luis Obispo County

The Smart 7 is an award winning daily podcast that gives you everything you need to know in 7 minutes, at 7 am, 7 days a week...With over 16 million downloads and consistently charting, including as No. 1 News Podcast on Spotify, we're a trusted source for people every day and the Sunday 7 won a Gold Award as “Best Conversation Starter” in the International Signal Podcast Awards If you're enjoying it, please follow, share, or even post a review, it all helps...Today's episode includes the following guests:Guests Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus - Director General of the WHO Dr Margaret Harris - Public Health specialist and World Health Organisation spokesperson Helen Rees - South Africa's MPox Incident Management Team Paul Hunter - Professor of Medicine at the University of AngliaProfessor Yvonne Gilleece - Chair of the British HIV Association Will Guyatt - The Smart 7's Tech Guru Dan Byles - Chief Commercial Officer, UnifAI David Chiu - San Francisco City Attorney Professor Nita Forouhi - The Medical Research Council's Epidemiology Unit at Cambridge UniversityAnthony Clarke - Researcher at Curtin University in WalesProfessor Chris Kirkland - Curtin University Professor Tara Spire-Jones - The University of Edinburgh Jonathan Benger - Chief Medical Officer of the National Institute for Healthcare and ExcellenceAliah Meza - Operations Manager at the Marine Mammal Centre in San Luis Obispo County, California Dr Alissa Deming - Veterinarian in Orange County, California Contact us over at X or visit www.thesmart7.comPresented by Ciara Revins, written by Liam Thompson and produced by Daft Doris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join host Dr. Mario Espinoza-Kulick and the NAACP of San Luis Obispo County to learn more about the upcoming screening of Ava DuVernay's, "Origin" at San Luis Obispo High School. Our guests will talk about the significance of the film and its role in educating viewers. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the NAACP SLO County website, www.naacpslocty.org. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue.Join the conversation live Thursday from 1-2pm on KCBX.

Send us a Text Message.Liberté San Luis Obispo County Pinot Noir 2021- Trader Joe's Value, Very Good PinotThis is a Trader Joe's $9.99 SLO County Pinot Noir.CWF has reviewed this Pinoy since 2017  and it has been an excellent value with each vintage!This year we know who made it (read the review), and we are again impressed with the quality.Check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and of course, listen to the best value-price PODCAST!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

KCBX's Stu Soren sits down with Patrick Hanly for a discussion on the issue of fentanyl. Hanly is a former US prosecutor, and a current criminal defense attorney. Correspondent Tom Wilmer visits with Scott Collins, Executive Director, Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo County. And finally, olallieberries have long been grown in Avila Valley and Cambria. But few actually know what they are.

Correspondent Tom Wilmer visits with Scott Collins, Executive Director, Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo.

KCBX program director Marisa Waddell talks with Lloyd Tanner of Festival Mozaic about what it's like to be an arts administrator who puts together a multi-day event at venues all over San Luis Obispo County. On Peace, Love & Pets host Robin Coleman checks in with Dr. Eric Anderson of SLO County Animal Services to get an update on the shelter, services offered, and some regulations for dog owners. Also, research has found that sea otters on the Central Coast are having a stabilizing effect on the ecosystem. KCBX's Beth Thornton visited a slough in Monterey County with a volunteer scientist.

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and the organization Asian American & Pacific Islanders of San Luis Obispo County, or AAPI SLO, is ready to celebrate! Join Lata Murti and her guests from AAPI SLO, co-founders Mia Shin and Kaela Lee, as they discuss this year's third annual AAPI SLO Festival as well as the Asian American and Pacific Islander community of California's Central Coast. Although we cannot take your calls live during this pre-recorded show, you are invited to listen, learn and send your questions to voices@kcbx.org. Listen to Central Coast Voices every Thursday live from 1-2pm on KCBX.

Author and poet Shizue Seigel shares stories of hidden narratives of People of color sharing class, culture and history

Join us for a special episode as we gear up to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd! While this annual event highlights the importance of environmental protection, for ranchers across the Golden State and beyond, every single day is Earth Day. Through their unwavering commitment and stewardship of the land, our ranching partners play a pivotal role in sequestering carbon, purifying our air, supplying fresh water, offering a sustainable food source, and preserving habitats for wildlife to flourish. Their dedication ensures a thriving legacy for generations to come. In this episode, our CEO and host, Michael Delbar, sits down with one of our ranching partners, Daniel Sinton. Daniel is a fifth-generation rancher overseeing the operations of both the Canyon Ranch and the conserved Avenales Ranch in San Luis Obispo County. Together, they speak about how Daniel's generational knowledge, paired with his innovative approach, empowers him and his family to implement cutting-edge management practices. These practices not only enhance the land but also set a benchmark for future land managers and Californian residents alike, leaving a lasting positive impact on our environment and communities.

Hometown Radio 04/15/24 4p: With Guest Host Gary J Freiberg Shannon McQuat Executive Director of Hospice San Luis Obispo county

Hometown Radio with Dave Congalton Show" airs weekday afternoons from 3p to 7p. Join the conversation as Dave discusses important issues facing the community and chats with a mixture of local officials and interesting people.

Hometown Radio with Dave Congalton Show" airs weekday afternoons from 3p to 7p. Join the conversation as Dave discusses important issues facing the community and chats with a mixture of local officials and interesting people.

Trader Joe's Reserve SLO County Chardonnay 2022- SLO=Real GoodThis is a San Luis Obispo County wine, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, arroyo Secco, and San Luis Obispo Coastal AVA are some of the Central Coasts best.This is a $9.99 New World Chardonnay is a crowd-pleaser wine.SLO County is a "HOT" growing region that is producing sought-after wines.Get your sought-after wine at Trader Joe's for $9.99.For more info check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and listen to the best value-priced wine PODCAST!!!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Generational transfer of property is transfer of wealth, especially in San Luis Obispo County. Property values have skyrocketed here over the past 30 years and that can present some problems if you do not plan ahead. With a prevalent baby boomer presence in the community Team Sweasey is seeing more and more of this and have some tips to prepare and provide a resource to turn to when one inherits a property or needs to come up with solutions in order to keep peace within the family. It happens to everyone at some point, that is why this episode of the SLO County Real Estate podcast is one you need to not only hear, but share with your friends… and quite possibly your family. You can always Contact Hal at hal@teamsweasey.com or by phone at 805-781-3750

In this episode, we're uncovering the secrets lurking within our walls with Mold Doctor, a trusted name in mold testing and remediation serving San Luis Obispo County. We discuss the impact of mold on the human body, and on your home. We also talk through what to do when you have mold in your home and how to prevent it if you don't. Mold doesn't have to be a deal breaker in real estate transactions. The Mold Doctor has a trusted process for identification, testing, remediation and certification that will leave you confident in the safety of your home! Contact The Mold DoctorThanks for listening! Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Email us with any question or comments.

In Part II of this interview with Adrian Berumen, an inmate at Calipatria State Prison,  we track his journey from serving as an inmate Mental Health Assistant (MHA) at LA County Twin Towers to being sentenced to serve a 25-year to life sentence. Adrian's story resonates with Heart Forward because his peer service, under the supervision of the LA Sheriff's Department (LASD) and the LA County Correctional Health Services in LA County jail, exemplified the radical hospitality that undergirds the mission of our organization.  We note that Adrian spent 9 years at LA County jail awaiting his trial and in 2017 volunteered to move from Men's Central Jail into Twin Towers to assist with the most seriously mentally ill inmates living in 141 E and F pod.  Over time, in collaboration with his partner Craigen Armstrong, who had been transferred from San Quentin's Death Row to await a new trial, they began to flesh out their role as Mental Health Assistants.  In 2020, they collaborated on a book about their experience.Owing to the leadership of Supervisor Hilda Solis on the LA  Board of Supervisors, there is a commitment to expand the number of MHA's  and to provide greater support to their work.  Supervisor Solis had unanimous support for a motion she introduced in June 2023 to expand the number of MHA's three-fold.  More recently, in a November 2023 motion, which was seconded by Janice Hahn,  she asked for a report back in 90 days on a number of potential supports that would acknowledge the work of the inmate MHA's.Adrian's story raises important questions:·       What does rehabilitation look like with our California prison system?·       Why can't we consider a different model to come alongside prisoners with mental illness?  The pilot that has been successful in LA County could be replicated by CDCR.  This might be similar to the work done by the Gold Coats in San Luis Obispo County.·       Could LA County and CDCR negotiate an agreement that inmate MHA's doing this work in LA  could see their "credits" transferred to the state prison system?+++Podcast interview S1 Ep 5  conducted  in 2020.12/23  article in LA Times:  Seeking Redemption:  A death row Inmate's journey into LA County's largest psych ward.Prison Levels in CA State SystemWebsite which documents the work of the  Mental Health AssistantsTo contact Adrian Berumen, BU 1415PO Box 1415Calipatria State PrisonCalipatria, CA 92233-5007To support this podcast - you can donate HERE. 

Historian Erik Brun shares fascinating insights about U.S. Army joint field maneuvers in Atascadero that included the legendary U.S. Army's 9th Cavalry, known as Buffalo Soldiers.

CSU Faculty will begin voting on a tentative agreement next week. CA March 5th primary voters need to make two key decisions for one ballot measure. Forecasters confirm a weather phenomenon in San Luis Obispo County.   Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.com.  Support the show: https://laist.com

 In this 2 -part interview with Adrian Berumen, an inmate at Calipatria State Prison,  we track his journey from serving as an inmate Mental Health Assistant (MHA) at LA County Twin Towers to being sentenced to serve a 25-year to life sentence. Adrian's story resonates with Heart Forward because his peer service, under the supervision of the LA Sheriff's Department (LASD) and the LA County Correctional Health Services in LA County jail, exemplified the radical hospitality that undergirds the mission of our organization.  We note that Adrian spent nine years at LA County jail awaiting his trial and in 2017 volunteered to move from Men's Central Jail into Twin Towers to assist with the most seriously mentally ill inmates living in 141 E and F pod.  Over the course of this time, in collaboration with his partner Craigen Armstrong, who had been transferred from San Quentin's Death Row to await a new trial, they began to flesh out their role as Mental Health Assistants.  In 2020, they collaborated on a book about their experience.Owing to the leadership of Supervisor Hilda Solis on the LA  Board of Supervisors, there is a commitment to expand the number of MHA's  and to provide greater support to their work.  Supervisor Solis had unanimous support for a motion she introduced in June 2023 to expand the number of MHA's three-fold.  More recently, in a November 2023 motion, which was seconded by Janice Hahn,  she asked for a report back in 90 days on a number of potential supports that would acknowledge the work of the inmate MHA's.Adrian's story raises important questions:·       What does rehabilitation look like with our California prison system?·       Why can't we consider a different model to come alongside prisoners with mental illness?  The pilot that has been successful in LA County could be replicated by CDCR.  This might be similar to the work done by the Gold Coats in San Luis Obispo County.·       Could LA County and CDCR negotiate an agreement that inmate MHA's doing this work in LA  could see their "credits" transferred to the state prison system?Resources:Podcast interview S1 Ep 5  conducted  in 2020.12/23  article in LA Times:  Seeking Redemption:  A death row Inmate's journey into LA County's largest psych ward.Prison Levels in CA State SystemWebsite which documents the work of the  Mental Health AssistantsTo contact Adrian Berumen, BU 1415PO Box 1415Calipatria State PrisonCalipatria, CA 92233-5007

Hometown Radio 02/01/24 5p: Guest Host Dr. Scott Robertson talks with Dr. Steven Goodman to discuss the state of primary care in San Luis Obispo County

Join host Fred Munroe as he speaks with guests from the San Luis Obispo County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (SLONAACP), Tobin Johnson, President and Irv Hepner, Branch Legal Redress Chair, with the SLONAACP, as well as Isaac Garrett, Vice President with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Santa Barbara (MLKSB). Fred will also talk with MLKSB student poetry contest awardee, Evelyn Calkins. Together they will discuss the importance of the MLK holiday, and the mission of MLKSB to foster positive relationships between the many diverse groups of their community.You are invited to listen, learn, and participate in the conversation, between 1-2 pm. Call in and be part of the discussion at (805) 549-8855. Broadcast date: 1/11/24Central Coast Voices is sponsored by ACTION for Healthy Communities in collaboration with KCBX.

If you've lived on California's Central Coast for any amount of time, you're aware of the name Cattaneo Brothers. Since 1947, this family-owned brand has produced artisan jerky, as well as other snacks and sausages, and their handiwork can be found nearly everywhere you look in San Luis Obispo County. CEO Katelyn Kaney joined me on the podcast to talk about the history of Cattaneo Brothers, its humble beginnings in the basement below present-day restaurant Luna Red, how her parents took the company nationwide, and, well...how the jerky's made. Website: cattaneobros.com Instagram: @cattaneobros

 On this episode of the California Now Podcast, host Soterios Johnson heads to San Luis Obispo County to secure top-tier suggestions from three in-the-know locals.  First, Johnson chats with Jason Haas, partner and general manager of Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles. Haas describes how SLO's unique landscape makes it perfectly suited for producing an array of award-winning wines. “The conditions here are amazing and we have the chance to make something tremendous really every year,” Haas says. The second-generation vintner also gives Johnson a crash course on Tablas Creek's holistic winemaking philosophy before getting into personal recs around Paso Robles.  Next up, Johnson is joined by Jim Allen, director of marketing and communications at Hearst Castle in San Simeon. Allen discusses how the lavish estate came to be, highlighting the fascinating characters behind its inception. “Julia Morgan was a California native, a Bay Area architect. Mr. Hearst was also born in San Francisco, so [Hearst Castle] is a very California-created entity,” Allen notes. He goes on to discuss the incredible attention to detail and artistry that went into building the castle. “The indoor pool has 2 million hand-cut glass tiles from Venice, Italy. It took five years just to do this one swimming pool.” Allen also covers the state park's most popular tours, its celebrity-studded past, and offers insider tips for visitors.  Lastly, Johnson talks to multi-instrumentalist Dan Curcio of the San Luis Obispo-based band Moonshiner Collective. A longtime local, Curcio explains how the area's positive vibe continues to shape his sound. “I've been so inspired by the Central Coast, by California, just the lifestyle here and all the influences that we have around here, both musically and just in the natural surroundings,” he shares. Curcio also breaks out his guitar for a live performance of two originals, “Autumness” and “Good Company.” The local musician then shares some of his favorite stops in Cayucos, Avila Beach, Pismo Beach, and the city of San Luis Obispo

Since the time of the Dust Bowl, landowners have worked with Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) to conserve water, improve soil, preserve natural habitat, and prevent erosion. However, it can take two to three years to secure funding to begin a sustainable initiative. Devin Best, Executive Director at the Upper Salinas-Las Tablas Resource Conservation District, and Michael Larcher, North American Solution Lead at cBrain have partnered on a new system that drastically decreases that timeframe by matching a grower's land conservation needs with grants in a database. Landowners can participate in the Sustainable Land Initiative by submitting a short form that includes their location, acres, and goals. Technical staff from the RCD will follow up with a sight visit to determine all potential conservation projects including healthy soils, cover cropping, beaver dam analogs, and carbon farm plans. Through a database, the RCD can pull a report on all landowners interested in similar projects and connect them with funding and permitting. By aggregating data, the RCD can fund more growers, advise grant agencies on what conservation programs are most effective, and spend more time helping growers on the ground. Resources: *** Register 12/6/2023 | Prepare for 2024: CA DPR Changes, Bulk Wine Trends & Funding Sustainable Projects*** 181: Can Applying Compost Reduce Water Use? 122: Preserving Agriculture Land to Combat Climate Change 58: Barn Owls cBrain Devin Best Michael Larcher on LinkedIn San Luis Obispo County Beaver Brigade Sustainable Land Initiative Upper Salinas-Las Tables Resource Conservation District Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet   Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.   Transcript Craig Macmillan  0:00  And our guest today are Devin Best is executive director of the upper Salinas, las tablas Resource Conservation District. And Mike Larcher, who is a North American solutions and sustainability lead with a company called cBrain. And today we're going to be talking about a very interesting idea called the sustainable land initiative. Thank you both for being here. Thank you.   Devin Best  0:19  Thanks for having us.   Craig Macmillan  0:20  Actually, before we get into that, let's kind of set the stage for those folks that are not aware. Devin, can you tell us what is a resource conservation district?   Devin Best  0:28  Sure. So a resource conservation district is a non regulatory, nonprofit local organization that works with growers and local community to help provide resources and technical assistance for their management of natural resources.   Craig Macmillan  0:41  And there are RCDs throughout the state, correct?   Devin Best  0:44  That's correct. There's about 95 of us or so. And they're organized around watersheds, watershed political boundaries, sometimes county boundaries. So it there's a little bit of a mix of how they're organized, but they were formed out of the dust bowl er, and some of them have combined, so you might get a little bit of those sort of things. Originally, the idea was that a federal government had the Natural Resource Conservation Service. And that was a entity that was focused in on dealing with the Dust Bowl and how to help farmers with their resource issues, but they recognize that the federal government didn't really have the best working relationship with local growers. So they formed what was originally known as soil water conservation districts, and here in California, are called RCDs, resource conservation districts, primarily same sort of mission, but they're more directed towards not just water, but also other things as well. And so California, if you look, you'll see this sort of conglomeration of some our cities have combined like ours is upper Salinas and Los Talas, this was to our cities that combined to form one but our counties actually shared by two our cities, the other one is being Coastal San Luis, our city.   Craig Macmillan  1:43  And Mike, tell us what is cBrain? What does the brain do?   Mike Larcher  1:47  The C brain is a process company, we specialize in redesigning processes, typically for government agencies, to make them as efficient, effective and transparent as possible, so that the government can do the work and arrive at the appropriate decisions very quickly. And so citizens get better services.   Craig Macmillan  2:06  And you two are working together on this thing called the sustainable land initiative. Is that correct?   Devin Best  2:10  That's correct.   Craig Macmillan  2:11  Devin, what is that?   Devin Best  2:16  So that actually started with Michael coming into my office and saying, you know, I'm really interested in this beaver brigade and beaver dams, and how can I help to get more of those? And I said, Well, that's great. But I'm also working on this thing called the carbon farm plan. And I need to get more of them done. But it's really tough. They started talking a little bit more about like, what does it take to actually do a carbon farm plan? Why is it takes so long? Why is it so expensive? Why are people not, you know, sort of gravitating behind these things. And as I started explaining, to Michael and his company, how it works, it was really apparent that we, as RCD staff don't spend that much time actually working on the plant itself. Most of it is there's these stop gaps between when we meet with somebody, and when we actually get something done. either. It's funding permitting something staff turnover, sometimes whatever it may be. And Michael's company actually sort of dealt with this particular instance of how do we make sure that we sort of streamline that whole process from start to finish, and get it down to the bare sort of essential parts, but make sure that there's tracking things along the way. So the sustainable land initiative really just focused more on how can RCDs be better at when I meet with the landowner getting resources to them, and I'm not spending all this time chasing grants and looking for permits. And so the example I've been given people is if I was to go meet with the landowner, and they're asking about, let's say, cover crops in vineyard rows, and they're looking for funding for that, usually, I'd go look into CDFAs, you know, list of programs that they have grants and stuff. That's one landowner, and I'd have to write one grant, and I have to wait three to six months until we got announced if we got awarded or not wait for the contract, then the resources, it's so we're talking almost a year or two. And if there's permitting, you're almost talking three years from the day I meet them. That adds some long amount of time between when we meet and actually get something done. And that's not beneficial to the landowner. It's not really the best use of our time. And so we started looking at like, but that's just for cover crops, I might meet with that landowner and say, you know, actually see you have some riparian corridor stuff that we can be doing to and you know, you have an oak woodland, we actually have a program for that. Well, in that one hour to two hours, we might meet that landowner, we lose a lot of information, a lot of potential projects, because now I'm off chasing after the cover crop grant and say, I don't get it. Well, all those other projects sort of fell by the wayside. Well, what if we were able to take all that information, put it in a streamlined sort of database essentially, and then tie those things in and aggregate them with other landowners, so I might be able to say, hey, in addition to that one landowners interested in cover crops have 10 other people I know that are interested in the same thing. Now I'm applying for a larger grant for 10 people all at one time, rather than one and competing against the other. And if I see a grant for my period restoration, I I can combine those together. So it's taking a lot of that information we get in a short amount of time and put it in a place where we can make it the most useful.   Craig Macmillan  5:08  You are probably more likely to get funding when you can come to a funder and say, Hey, this is going to affect 10 properties is going to 1000 acres as opposed to one person, 100 acres, one person 100 acres, you know, and it's probably also going to increase the efficiency of the actual implementation, I would guess, because you set up your team to do whatever it is, and then you can do a lot of work.   Less administrative oversight. Yes.   Now, Mike, I want to go back the way that Devin made it sound was you were just walking down the street one day and said, Hey, look, there's a sign these guys look cool. I like beavers. And you just wandered in. And I very, very quickly the beaver brigade and whatnot. I'd like you just to touch on what that is. Because that's an interesting thing in and of itself. What brought you to Devin went right to the RCD.   Mike Larcher  5:52  Sure, I wasn't. I wasn't walking down the street. But I was driving. I I grew up here on the Central Coast. And I spent a long time away last couple of decades, actually, the pandemic silver lining was I got to start working remotely. And so I came back home was on my way to the MidState fair, my wife and we looked out the window and I said, I don't remember the river looking green and lush in the middle of summer. I know what's going on what's changed. And that was how I stumbled across the slo beaver brigade. So for those who don't know, this is a nonprofit organization focused on trying to bring back Beaver and educate people about the benefits that they create. And they do so much cool stuff. Both Beaver and the SLO beaver brigade. But they are they're known as what is a keystone creature that can create entire habitats that benefit farmers, as well as the biodiversity in the overall ecosystem by slowing the water down, helping to improve soil moisture, reconnect with the underground aquifers. I think I saw some statistics that round about 90% of species in California depend on these wetland habitats. And so the more that beaver started coming back, the more water that is available for fish habitat for agricultural purposes, etc.   Craig Macmillan  7:16  So you had an interest in this you knew about the importance of the Beaver? And then what brought you then to the RCD, you had an idea.   Mike Larcher  7:23  I started actually with a quick Google search. And I found a call a Cal Poly graduate student who had just done his graduate paperwork on land that was suitable for beaver habitat in and around San Luis Obispo County. And Devin was one of the supervisors overseeing that and providing advice. So we had an introduction I was very excited about about the beaver. And Devin said, Wait, I'm really excited about what you guys do, you can make things so much more efficient and effective. Let's talk about doing that for beaver. But let's do that next. And so our first conversation was, how do we help landowners spend more time in the fields and less time at a desk dealing with government bureaucracy, let's make it really easy for them.   Craig Macmillan  8:08  So the sustainable land initiative, this was the two of you having a conversation and this is your project. This is your idea.   Mike Larcher  8:13  It started with the two of us. But we actually had feedback from the Farm Bureau from landowners throughout the region, city, county officials, everyone coming together and realizing that everyone actually wants the same thing. landowners want to become more sustainable. They want to maintain the legacy of their land. They don't want to spend a ton of time dealing with government bureaucracy to make it happen. How do we make it really easy for landowners to do what they already want to do? And to connect them with the immense amount of funding sources that are out there.   Devin Best  8:44  And I think the one thing I'd add on to that was that when I go to my RCD counterparts, one thing we always talked about was the limitation of our capacity. It's always funding and permitting. And yet we spend all our time doing just that is going after funding and get trying to get permits. And so we're not being a resource to the local community. It's like we want to be we're sort of hindered by those two other processes. So when Michael came to me, it was like, Well, if I can make the ways, that we're getting more funding to us quicker, that's churning the way that we're moving that technical assistance more towards helping the farmers we're talking about, hey, I'm not waiting for this grant. But this is a cover crop, I think it's really good for you. What I think's really fascinating is because because as Michael said, we started got a lot of feedback from other people was that this turned in from just the two of us to really be brought in much broader we have Cal Poly involved. We have three other RCDs involved as well. We have a lot of other incident entities and organizations, NGOs, municipalities. And so we've quit calling it like so much of a program, but it's more of a platform.   When did this begin?   I think we launched in 2022.   Oh, wow. You've done a lot of work in a short period of time.   Yen-Wen Kuo  9:33  Yeah.   Craig Macmillan  9:33  This is October of 23. For listeners, as you've done this, you've talked to growers, you've talked to all these folks, what are the top priorities in terms of implementation, project practices that people have said, Hey, these are the things that we want to do, what are the things that seemed to be the most I don't want us popular, but were the most interest is   Devin Best  10:10  BDAs Beaver Dam Analogs. That's one of the big ones, which is not a standard practice with vendor NRCS or CDFA. Is this the climate smart agricultural practices, it's something that's still kind of out there and still new enough. And that's one of the reasons why this is working really well is we can go forward and have sustainable land initiative and be sort of that platform for us to go outside of that. Those are the list of practices, developed the tactic, goal practices, the actual techniques, the implementation, the funding, the monitoring, the ecological benefits, all that information that goes into feeding into those to make them a standard practice, we can do that, and still provide that information under SLI. So that when it does become a practice.   Craig Macmillan  10:51  I want to come to back to Mike. But one thing that I want to clarify, because I don't feel like people understand this, the National Resource Conservation Service has a list of conservation practices, they are numbers, much like the code that you'd get diagnosis code and hospital, everything is tracked by that. And if it's on the list, then you maybe find a place where you can fund it. And if it's not on the list, well, then you're not far as the federal level goes, which can make it kind of tricky beaver brigade. That was kind of what got you into this. I'm guessing it must be very gratifying that a lot of folks are now interested in the same thing. Two questions for you on this. First of all, what is a beaver dam analog? We know about the benefits, but how does it fit into this, this this process? You know, do we need permitting? How do we go about it? What are the costs? Like how do you find people that have land that want to do this? I mean, you had the graduate student that sounds like they did the mapping? How is this? how's this working?   Mike Larcher  11:53  Yeah. So a couple questions there. To start with, like what is a BDA? Do you remember when you were like four years old, and you wanted to put some rocks and sticks in a little creek or something and slow the water down and hold it up?   Craig Macmillan  12:06  Too old? I don't remember when. But 14, how about that? But yes, yes, I do. Remember? Yes.   Mike Larcher  12:12  I have a three and a five year old and they still love to do it at its core. That is what a BDA is, we're basically pretending to be little kids or beavers again, and you're slowing the water down the same thing that the beaver would have been doing if it was still in that area. And what that does is it holds the water in the watershed longer. And so it can actually recharge and go into the ground, it's incredibly low impact shouldn't have any negative environmental consequences. However, when you're talking about doing anything in a riparian corridor, or in California, it's going to involve eight permits, Sequa, from six different agencies at three levels of government   Craig Macmillan  12:58  SEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act, by the way, thanks.   Mike Larcher  13:01  So when you think of it that way to do something that a three year old would do, or a beaver would do on his own, is going to take $10,000 in permitting and three years. So that's one of the values of the sustainable land initiative is that we're trying to take an approach where we can aggregate this across property owners. And instead of permitting each individual one, we can actually go after this as a region or as a watershed. Devin, you want to add something to that?   Devin Best  13:27  I do. And then the point being is that as a practitioner, somebody that's actually having to go after and get these permits, they typically will permit one feature at a time. So if you're looking at Beaver Dam Analog, you can only do one feature one permit. And that takes three years, well, we're talking about doing hundreds to 1000s of BDAs. And so as an organization, we wouldn't be able to keep up with that level of detail and information and processing of data, to be able to relate that to the regulatory agencies and make sure that we're tracking all these things without something like the sustainable land initiative, which is what we have.   Craig Macmillan  14:02  And I think that's where you come in. So this is process and process tracking and process design. I'm guessing that's where your expertise would come into this, Mike.   Mike Larcher  14:12  Yes, that's right. So the way the sustainable land initiative works is that any landowner who is looking to adopt more sustainable practices or to find additional funding and would like the RCDs help, they would submit an intake form that takes no more than five minutes. They can do this from their mobile phone. I've we've even had people submit this while driving, which we do not recommend.   Craig Macmillan  14:34  Do not recommend.   Speaker 3  14:35  Don't recommend that no. If it's, if it's a long light, all you have to do is say here's where I live, how much acreage we have, what our vision and goals are for our property. And then RCD staff come out and say this is your vision. We will try and help connect you with funding and permitting to make that happen so that you don't have to spend time going after grants or going after an Dealing with permits yourself will do the heavy lifting. What my company does is we designed a process so that it's really easy and efficient for RCD staff to do this. It's that five minute intake form. And then typically about a one to two hour meeting with the landowner where they'll walk your property, understand your needs, identify appropriate NRCS practices that have been approved and tried and trued. And a couple of things like BDAs, that aren't yet a standard practice, but that might have an appeal to that landowner. And if the landowner wants to do them, the RCD keeps that information. And when a funding opportunity avails itself, the RCD can go after that with a number of properties at the same time, so drastically increasing the RCDs capacity to help landowners here in the region.   Craig Macmillan  15:45  One of the things that I think is interesting here is this is this is a new model. I haven't heard of anything quite like this before, at least in Agriculture and Land Management, you guys are doing stuff already. I mean, you're making things happen. How has the world of funders reacted to this because this is not their norm? This isn't what they're used to.   Devin Best  16:04  Yeah, actually, so one of the best case studies was, actually there's the SB 13, Senate Bill 1383, which is about reducing the amount of green waste that goes to landfills. And it was a you know, it's a mandate, and everybody was scrambling to try and figure out how to make this happen. Our local county slo county Waste Department reached out and said, Hey, RCD, you guys work with landowners? How can you maybe help us as well, you know, and actually, this works out really well, with our sustainable land initiative, I can actually, one identify a number of people that we've already talked to that are interested in compost, I can give you the acreage is I can already have a way to track how that that resource would be dispersed and monitored and reported in a very efficient way. So what would have normally taken us a year or even two years to get a scope of work and figure out all the details and how many landowners etc. We turn that around in three weeks, but that was only three weeks, but I was doing other things. That's not really like three weeks they spent doing it. But that's how quickly we could get the information to them. Right up the scope of work, get a contract, we are already doing it. We're meeting the goals for SB 1383. Here and still counting for 2022 and 2023.   Craig Macmillan  17:09  What about federal funders, state funders, how's that been going?   Devin Best  17:14  So that is something in the process of developing one of the programs we're really hoping to actually make this more attractive for a lot of people is there's the CDFA Healthy Soils block grants that was originally sent out for solicitation we put in two grants for healthy soils, and also for the state water energy and efficiency program. Our thought was that if we had those funds, we would actually be able to give as much as $5 million of funds directly to the landowners. The main thing that was a problem, and I will just say this, honestly, a lot of our cities were hesitant, because we're not administratively designed to have that much capacity for that much money really. And meaning that many that much demand. It was only because we had sustainable initiative, I was like, Well, this is perfect, because not only can we receive those funds, and get those to directly to landowners, but we can actually report it very quickly back to CDFA. And track all that information where it's not on a spreadsheet or someone's notebook somewhere or something like that. It's in a centralized database for us to use. That was one of the things I was really looking forward to getting those funds to sort of see the true power of the platform itself.   Craig Macmillan  18:21  That's fantastic. And that leads them to the next part of the process. So we've we've we've brought people into the system, we then have put together an application for funding, we now have a way of making that efficient, and getting to the funders hopefully funding that then comes in which it sounds like it has now there's a lot of reporting, having worked on grants the past, there's a lot of reporting that's involved, and it takes every form from where how many pencils Did you buy to how many acre feet of water did you move? I mean, just everything. So Mike, this sounds like where the data management is really, really powerful.   Mike Larcher  18:58  So often, when you think about writing a report, if you're starting with a blank piece of paper, that's going to take you a very long time.   Craig Macmillan  19:06  Oh, yeah.   Mike Larcher  19:08  But in reality, you probably know a lot of the information already. And that's what we've done by using standard process is that all of that information that was captured during the original site visit and from the landowners intake form, including what their vision, their goal is, how many acres are on an orchard, how much or natural and all of that valuable data is available at a click of a button. So as you go through the process, you've actually had all these conversations, you've had all that you've discussed that and you've probably even written those notes down. Because all of those components are now digitized. All you have to do is click one button or at least RCD staff just has to click one button within the slides system and it will generate a word report pulling all of that information in and having it look and feel like the report that's necessary for the grant. It really makes it It's easier for monitoring and for tracking, Devon.   Devin Best  20:03  So going back to our original discussion about carbon farm plants, this is where we're really seeing the benefit, where before it would take my staff, many, many months to write a carbon farm plan one, and then to this the funding to be able to get those in place and everything else. Well, so now that we're, actually, I am going to use the word I do not know if its actually true, templatetorizing our businesses, it is now so we're actually taking what we do in our site visits. And we call these resource conservation profiles that collects all this information, we put it into a document for the landowners to have just as a living document. But because Michael's been involved in helping us kind of move these things forward, we're taking all that information and fitting it into carbon farm plans. So now what was taking me a year to write a carbon farm plan, I'm now getting my staff basically a day. And they're getting close to actually writing a full carbon farm plan in a day because we have all that information gathered. And it's just fitting the site visits and the resource conservation profiles, to these templates into these requirements for carbon farm plans. So that's in place, we're also doing the same thing with forest management plans, and conservation plans. So we have a way to make it so that my staff isn't spending all their time writing documents, they're just getting information, putting it in a format that's useful for everybody, whether it's the funding agencies, regulatory agencies, the landowner themselves, but then really transitioning in our conversations away from planning, and assessing, and actually implementing and doing and monitoring what's actually working on the ground. Yeah, go ahead, Mike.   Mike Larcher  21:28  The nice things about working with the rscds is they have this immense expertise and knowledge, they can write a carbon farm plan, I can't do that, all I can do is build the process to make them more efficient and effective. And so we'd still take all of that expertise from people who are highly trained. And we simply turn it into actionable results as quickly as we possibly can. You still have to know how to write a carbon farm plan, you have to be trained and have the understanding, and the scientific and agricultural backing to do it well. But now let's just make all of that information actionable, so that it can go into a plan, yes. But a plan just sits on a shelf? How do we unlock all of that data so that it can easily flow into a grant. So it can easily be tracked over the course of the next five years to say, here's what its real impact was. And that's the power of digitization.   Craig Macmillan  22:21  And that then brings us to, we've gone through the process. Now everybody's concerned about the final outcome. What about monitoring? What about evaluating? Did this work this work better here than better there? Can we improve is that part of this whole process is the post implementation part.   Devin Best  22:38  It is 100%. So that's one of the things when early on, we're designing this processes that we amend to make sure that we're one transitioning RCD staff role from being an administrator. Secondly, being more informative and providing that feedback loop. The other thing too, is if we're doing more of these sorts of things, we can be more informed to CDFA and NRCS, about what practices people like one, what are useful, and Intuit is again, sort of the biggest bang for the buck. At this point, if you look at all this healthy soils practices, I couldn't quite tell you which one is the best one for them to continue pushing forward and Central Coast versus maybe in the northern part of California. But if we do enough of these, we have the monitoring, and I'm shifting my staff time away from administration to on the ground monitoring and reporting and actually talking to people and having that conversation. And I think the main thing I can almost point to is, if you look at what we're doing, we're really sort of putting ourselves back into what they were originally designed to do. You know, back in the Dust Bowl era, not these administrative, let's go chase grants, but really being a resource, a local resource for growers and sort of taking their input and providing it to a higher context, whether it's the state agencies and saying, This is what you should be supporting. This is why we're gonna move this direction, maybe it's BDAs. Maybe it's biochar, maybe it's how these forest management plans fit into a larger context of our secret document, whatever it may be. But we can't have those conversations. When I'm going, Gosh, I really got to get this grant written. And I'm holding my fingers and crossing, hoping that we get something that comes up. So   Craig Macmillan  24:08  The same question, Mike, where now that we've gone through the process, where are we headed? From your perspective? Where are we going to go?   Mike Larcher  24:14  I want to see this really start to expand. It starts with the individual landowner. No one knows what's appropriate for their land as well as the landowner. As as much as a farmer or rancher who has been working that land. They know what they need, what they want. The sustainable land initiative exists just to help them achieve that as quickly and as effectively as possible. I want to see this start to scale. And when we start talking, we can talk about one individual landowner and helping them that's amazing. But when an entire region starts to do it, or when an entire state starts to do it, you start to see some really incredibly impactful outcomes. So we've actually deployed a solution that's quite similar. This is actually bottoms up working with individual landowners, we've done a solution very similarly in Europe from the top down. So within the the nation of Denmark, it allows landowners to select what fields they're willing to follow. And this is very specific to Denmark because it's such a low lying land mass, that's only a couple 100 feet above sea level. Well, they have a lot of agricultural land that is that has been completely drained from wetlands, and is very low yielding. It's only existing because it's already government subsidized. Well, what if we subsidize them to return it to wetlands instead? It is, landowners have been so excited about this initiative that they've had to continue to increase the funding year over year. And this one process on its own, is actually on track to reduce greenhouse gas for Denmark as an entire nation by 20%.   Craig Macmillan  25:52  Wow.   Mike Larcher  25:53  I mean, that's huge. And California is 10 times larger than Denmark.   Craig Macmillan  25:59  And also has its own goals. Yeah, there's a lot of potential here.   Mike Larcher  26:04  So my goal is to help landowners achieve their individual vision. But to do it at such a scale that we're really actually impacting the entire environmental the state.   Craig Macmillan  26:14  On this topic, is there one thing you would tell growers and landowners   Mike Larcher  26:17  take five minutes, open your phone or your browser   Craig Macmillan  26:21  Not while you're driving!   Mike Larcher  26:22  Look for stainable land initiative, not while driving, don't do it while driving.   Craig Macmillan  26:25  If we if we if you search a sustainable land initiative, we'll find you. And we will also put a link.   Mike Larcher  26:30  search sustainable land initiative, let your local RCD know what it is that you want to do with your land. And they'll try and help you fulfill your vision.   Craig Macmillan  26:39  Perfect.   Mike Larcher  26:40  They'll they'll try and make it so you don't have to deal with bureaucracy. And you can spend more time working your land. They'll figure out the permitting in the grants.   Craig Macmillan  26:49  Mike, where can people find out more about you?   Mike Larcher  26:51  You can google us at cBrain, the letter C and then brain like what's in your head. It stems from corporate brain. We designed a software to help enable all this in conjunction with the Danish government about 15 years ago. And we are now the back end of 18 of 21 Danish ministries part of why they're considered the most digitized government in the world.   Craig Macmillan  27:11  That's really interesting. Mike, thanks for being a guest.   Mike Larcher  27:15  It was my pleasure. Thank you for having me.   Craig Macmillan  27:17  Our guests today have been Devin Best executive director of opera Salinas Las tablets resource conservation district located in San Luis Obispo County, California and Mike Larcher is a North American solution sustainability lead for cBrain and we talked about amazing, really fascinating model process that they've been implementing called the Sustainalbe Land Initiative.   Nearly Perfect Transcription by https://otter.ai

Tug and Kathryn are enjoying the autumn heatwave in Southern California with a bottle of rosé. Made from 100% Grenache (a varietal that Kathryn once despised) the hosts talk about the versatility of this grape. This wine comes from one of the most influential wine professionals in the United States, and his journey into farming is a good sign for the industry. In other news, the couple has survived Halloween and the candy rush. Tug is spending more time at Esters. Kathryn takes the kids to an art museum. The Wine of the Week is the Brij, Rosé of Grenache, San Luis Obispo County, California 2022. Phelan Farm Wine www.phelanfarm.com Follow us on Instagram @thelongfinish @esterswine @kathrynweilcoker @tugcoker @phelanfarmcambria The Couple Behind TV's Boldest Shows https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/06/20/the-couple-behind-tvs-boldest-shows The Art of the Billionaire https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/12/06/the-art-of-the-billionaire

San Luis Obispo County native Brook Munro is a composer and musician who works on his craft at night after he manages the wine club at Claiborne and Churchill Winery in the Edna Valley all day. He has scored a number of award-winning films, but his new LP "Harvest in Twelve Parts" is his first work to mix music and wine. He recorded and produced it over the course of the 2021 and 2022 harvests—listen throughout the interview because I weave parts of his tracks throughout. And on that note, headphones are a good idea for this one.

If you want science-backed earth, water, biological, and mapping data about your land, look no further than the United States Geological Survey. Geoffrey Cromwell, Geologists at USGS at the California Water Science Center shares what this nonregulatory agency can do for growers and delves into two studies on California water basins. The USGS's mission is to investigate Earth sciences and make all research data available to the public. Studies cover floods, climate, earthquakes, volcanos, species, and geology.   The Adeladia Area Hydrological Study located in San Luis Obispo County California, aims to understand how water moves in this atypical basin. Researchers are using stream gauges and monitoring wells to better understand how water flow changes seasonally and if there are differences in areas included in the project. In Northern Santa Barbara County California, the San Antonio Creek Study is developing a holistic hydrological model to support the region's Sustainable Groundwater Management Plan (SGMA). Resources: Evaluation of Groundwater Resources in the Adelaida Area of San Luis Obispo County, California Hydrogeologic Characterization of the San Antonio Creek Valley Watershed, Santa Barbara County, California San Antonio Creek Hydrogeology Studies Simulation of Groundwater and Surface-Water Resources of the San Antonio Creek Valley Watershed, Santa Barbara County, California United States Geological Survey Vineyard Team Library | Water References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet   Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.   Transcript Craig Macmillan  0:00  Our guest today is Geoff Cromwell, he is geologist with the United States Geological Survey at the California Water Science Center. And today we're going to talk about you guessed it, water. Thanks for being on the podcast, Geoff.   Geoffrey Cromwell  0:12  Absolutely happy to be here.   Craig Macmillan  0:14  Before I met you, I thought that the US Geological Survey made maps that you buy on paper. I've had many of them. And turns out, there's a lot more going on with that group. First, what is the United States Geological Survey?   Geoffrey Cromwell  0:23  I also had a very limited view of the USGS even when when I started working, I also have had to do some background on my own. And I've learned quite a lot, having been with the survey of what different people do and really that overlap, then at these different intersections of science. The USGS is one of the bureaus within the Department of Interior. And so this is under the executive branch. And what is unique about the USGS, among other bureaus within Department of Interior, is that the USGS has non regulatory. And so the USGS, really the mission is to investigate earth sciences, collect data, interpret the data, and then make all those data publicly available that then other agencies, the federal or state, or local or any other entity can then make decisions or action decisions. Based on the interpretive science that the USGS puts out. There's a quote that I pulled that USGS does Science in the Public Interest, the mission is to supply timely, relevant and useful information about the Earth and its processes. And so the earth and it's processing things very, you know, brought up to go. So not only do we do mapping, so topographic maps, geologic maps, there's just a whole swath of data collection and just digital map information available, but for water, floods, climate two, there's a whole breadth there, there are currently five science missionaries for the USGS. There's the mapping group, there's the biological arm focusing on Ecosystem Science. So there's a group in San Diego that studies a lot of frogs, the reptiles down there, energy and minerals. And so where are the mineral resources for the country? What are the economic and then natural environment impacts of identifying and extracting minerals? In my mind when I think of the USGS, even as I'm in the water world, is earthquakes and volcanoes. So there's the monitoring of natural hazards? And what are the effects of life and property that could occur from these natural and natural hazards? Lastly, is the Water Resources area and that's what I'm involved with. And what the California Water Science Center is a part of in this is to evaluate and monitor and interpret water resources of the nation so that we do monitor and collect data on streamflow, groundwater, water quality, water use and availability. So just how much is there? Where is it? And can you drink it? Can you irrigate?   Craig Macmillan  0:31  It sounds like this would be the kind of thing where you mentioned working with different entities that sounds like you would be working with all kinds of different institutions and scientific groups you work with, with universities, you go up to grant funding, how is this funded? And what are some of the other scientists that are involved in this stuff?   Geoffrey Cromwell  3:21  The USGS doesn't, you know, operate independently necessarily. So we do collaborate and coordinate with other universities, definitely other science branches of the government to find the intersection of what needs to be learned. And in a particular area, it could be a biologic, or water or geologic and so my, my training and expertise is in geology, and, you know, identifying and mapping the subsurface in three dimensions and those a direct intersection of that earthquakes and hazards. And then what I do in my job is intersect the geology with the groundwater system. So you know, the rocks, there's the water on the surface of the water in the ground, and it all kind of flows above and through the materials in the subsurface, you know, I work a lot to with my colleagues to understand the dynamics of the subsurface, and that allows for better understanding of, of the groundwater and then other surface water and how human dynamics are affected by that. Normally, local water districts, we work with universities, we work with companies, all to find the answer for what we're what we're trying to learn.   Craig Macmillan  4:27  So how exactly do you do that? I mean, you can put flow monitors and streams and things on the surface. Obviously, groundwater is underground, we don't see it. What is your job like? What, what do you do? How do you find things?   Geoffrey Cromwell  4:40  You picked on you know, in some ways, the first step of a study is collecting data, or even go back a step. It's still what is the problem? And so we will coordinate in the Water World Water Resources world at the USGS we have, in general a different business model than other parts of the USGS like the natural hazards folks and for earthquakes and volcanoes, a lot of other sciences have funded directly by Congress. And so they are you know, there's a there are a line item in the in the Congressional Budget. But in the water world, we are primarily funded through cooperative programs. So we work with counties, the state, other federal agencies, such as Department of Defense on military bases, we work a lot with the California Department of Water Resources as a state agency. And then for a local study here in San Luis Obispo County, and we're working with the county, and they are a cooperator in that study. So the first part is to talk to the cooperators. And in talking to them, what are their needs? What are they uncertain about? What are their concerns? Are they worried about contamination from pollutants? Are they worried about wells going dry? Are they worried about future management of water resources? So especially in California, where drought is an ongoing issue? Future sustainable management is a big question. So how can we help these other agencies think about their water resources?   Craig Macmillan  6:01  Which reminds me something so we're talking about California, and I met you through sounds bespoke County, but I'm guessing that this this kind of work is happening all over the nation? I would think.   Geoffrey Cromwell  6:10  yes, these types of investigations are happening all over the country. And you can think about just the geography of the nation where it's hot, and where it seems to rain a lot more than other places are going to have different water issues. And so different investigations are occurring via for water chemistry, or groundwater availability or surface water resources. And if you look just in within California, it can be a microcosm of the whole country where Northern California in general surface water resources are more plentiful versus Southern California, where the primary water concerns are groundwater based.   Craig Macmillan  6:43  How does this work proceed? You said you get to identify a problem and you were trying to cooperators then what what kind of tools do you have to investigate a problem?   Geoffrey Cromwell  6:52  I think we use the study in San Luis Obispo County that you and I partner on, we will for service water monitoring, we have stream gauges that are placed on selected streams. And there are instrumentation there that allows for continuous monitoring to the stage or the height of the water. And then that gets translated into a total volume or discharge of water that's moving through streams and you can track seasonal cycles, that's a value for groundwater, we can usually see the groundwater. And so we will take individual tape down measurements of groundwater wells. So groundwater well is basically a hole in the ground with a steel or PVC casing. And you can one can drop down a tape, which will be either steel tape or an electronic tape that will signal what the Depth to groundwater is at that location. At that time. If you do this over a broad enough area and over, especially continuously, you know, with regular readings, you get a sense of how groundwater levels change seasonally and whether they change seasonally, the same amount everywhere. Or if there's different dynamics within that particular study area that are affecting how groundwater flows.   Craig Macmillan  8:03  You also use water chemistry, is that right?   Geoffrey Cromwell  8:05  Yeah, water chemistry, both surface water and groundwater. And this can tell a lot about the aquifer system. So the water level measurements and surface water measurements we just mentioned, those are useful for basically the ups and downs of groundwater and to get a sense of the direction that, especially for groundwater, where groundwater is moving in the subsurface, the water chemistry can inform a lot about not only the direction of groundwater flow, it can inform about any contaminants, or in the cases of, you know, something to think about often that comes up as the presence of nitrates in the subsurface. So that can be related to agricultural fertilizers. That's something that can be observed, but also can tell about which types of rocks the water is flowing through. And so that helps us understand the aquifer system, the different earth materials in the subsurface go stepping way back to my geology training here is we can use this water chemistry to help us identify which geologic units are in different parts of the aquifer. And that is going to help us inform how the groundwater flows through the system.   Craig Macmillan  9:08  Are there other tools I remember a helicopter with like some kind of antenna hanging off the bottom of it. And I never understood what that was. But I think that's part of your project, isn't it?   Geoffrey Cromwell  9:19  Now we're getting into the geophysical work.   Craig Macmillan  9:21  Okay, let's go for it.   Geoffrey Cromwell  9:22  Comon joke in geophysics is, What do you want the answer to be? I love geophysicist. But geophysical tools are a way to sense the different properties of materials in the subsurface. So that helicopter that was flying had a big hoop underneath it, and this was an airborne electromagnetic system. So this helicopter flies over over the terrain, and in the signal that gets bounced back provides information on the resistivity or the electrical properties of the materials in the subsurface and so then different electrical properties can get tied to different geologic materials. So this is another way for us to map and understand this subsurface geology. It also is very sensitive to changes in salinity, saline water versus freshwater will have a different electrical conductance electrical properties, that type of system can also be used to track you know, the presence of saline water in the subsurface. And so that's another another tool there. So, in this Adelaida study, we're really getting on all these different types of data collection that then can eventually be used to interpret and holistically evaluates the hydrogeologic character of the of the aquifer here.   Craig Macmillan  10:30  What you're referring to is the Adelaida Area Hydrological Study, which is a project with San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, I believe they're funding it or funding part of it. And let's just use that as an example. Obviously, we are involved in it, but I think it's a good case study. Overall, the kinds of things that you folks do tell us about that project. How did it start? What is it and what are you doing?   Geoffrey Cromwell  10:54  Yeah, Adelaida hydrological study is in northern San Luis Obispo County. And this was a study partnership or in cooperation with the San Luis Obispo County flood control and Water Conservation District there are a cooperator here, the Adelaida area is the west part of the city of Paso Robles. And this is a, you know, a highland upland kind of rolling hills. It's even some more sort of steeper mountain type terrain. So it is not a classical eluvial Groundwater eluvial Basin aluvium would be unconsolidated sands and gravels and some finer materials that tend to erode off the hillsides that will fill the cemetery depressions. That's often where a lot of agriculture and people live with water is extracted from these groundwater basins because water is historically more readily available. But in the Adelaida area, this is a relatively small population of local residents, there is been a presence of agriculture for some time, many, many decades.   Craig Macmillan  11:55  More than a century.   Geoffrey Cromwell  11:56  The county asked us to do this study to evaluate the groundwater resources and learn what we can do to concerns from from landowners about a potential overuse of water, concerns at some local wells might be going dry. And so the county wants to understand the groundwater system. And so it's a bit just typical of USGS. What are the data? What are the interpretations and make that information publicly available that then the county or any other entity can then make decisions on what actions to take.   Craig Macmillan  12:25  But how did that proceed? We've talked a little bit about the kinds of data that you collect. But what's the actual what was the actual timeline like and what's the future timeline like?   Geoffrey Cromwell  12:33  Projects started, we got funded just before COVID. So it was end of the very early 2020, I believe. And we spent that that first year of with the county, we said that USGS would compile all available data that we could find. And so this particular area because of the small population, you know, relative perceive low impact. There hadn't been any hydrologic or geologic studies in the area, besides some some broad geologic maps and regional geophysical investigations. So this was really an unknown, I should say, publicly unknown, because you'll local farmers and local residents who've been there for decades or centuries, they know what what is in on their land, and you have a sense of of the world there. So we were trying to compile we can from what we would use, and maybe in a report to help us just understand as we're coming in, what's the geology? What are changes in land use? What groundwater information is there that might be available to help us think about, okay, how do we then collect new data? Where do we go? What do we do? So we compiled data for a year and evaluate and learn just what we could have the area. Now we're on our second phase of the study, which is collecting groundwater level data, and surface water data and water quality data for a period of just about two years. And so we're taking groundwater measurements every three months. And we have a series of just about 60, groundwater wells that were that were taking water levels from all around the Adelaida area. And we are being able to see seasonal shifts in in groundwater, as you know, recharge generally occurs in the winter months with with rainfall. And then we also see in some places where water levels might be increasing more versus others. And so that'll be as we're collecting this data will be interesting that as we get to the interpretation phase, what does that mean?   Craig Macmillan  14:25  One thing that I think is interesting, so like you said, there's a kind of the classical groundwater basin idea, which in my mind is kind of a big bathtub. So everybody pokes a straw into the same Slurpee, essentially, and then rain falls and it refills but these mountainous areas and the rolling topography is a little bit different in like, for instance, in in the scope of this area that you're studying is all the water below the ground. Is it all connected, or is it isolated from each other? Or could it be I know you're really in your study.   Geoffrey Cromwell  14:53  What is likely to occur where we have these geologic structures with hills and folds is that you know, although There's groundwater is present everywhere, what will be interesting to see is how the structure of the geology affects where groundwater flows and is present. So it's possible someone coming in one valley, a person in a nearby valley may or may not see the effects of that pumpage in their groundwater wells. And so we have groundwater monitoring wells has dispersed across the areas, we were able to find the hope of identifying then whether or not different areas are connected, what the effects are between the shallow and deeper systems of the of the aquifer, based on the geologic structures. So it's really is this dynamic and complex question that we're looking to to learn more about.   Craig Macmillan  15:44  This is an idea that I just thought of, because it comes up in the local conversation, and that is, when water starts to become scarce. The solution in some people's minds is to drill a deeper well, just very expensive in the kind of geology you're talking about. That doesn't necessarily sound like that would work. Is that accurate statement? Or? Or even in a groundwater basin? Is there a limit to kind of how long that straw can be and still be be affected?   Geoffrey Cromwell  16:13  That's interesting question that would be on a probably a basin by basin or area by area question. In general, though, the deeper you go, the more poor the water quality can be. And that's not to say that 100 feet is great and 200 feet, it's going to be hyper saline everywhere. But groundwater basin dependent area dependence, the fresher, more usable water was going to be closer to land surface. And so that gets into the question of water quality. And so just by digging, drilling a deeper Well, there could be other impacts or concerns that one might have in drilling deeper.   Craig Macmillan  16:50  Water is not necessarily water everywhere. Oh, this is a question that someone asked me does water have an age? Can you tell when it fell from the sky?   Geoffrey Cromwell  17:00  Yes, that is one of the neat things to learn from either water quality samples that we get. So we test for and we'll go into water chemistry, we'll sample for major and minor ions, calcium, magnesium, sodium, we'll measure for nitrates. And those types of constituents are useful for identifying the aquifer system, what rock are we in, and that will collect the stable isotopes, hydrogen and oxygen. Those allow us to tell from what elevation or area to groundwater recharge. So you expect water to be coming in the mountains and flow down and we should be able to see that indicator in those stable isotopes. And then the two age constituents we usually measure would be for tritium. And then we'll also be for carbon 14. So carbon 14 is probably one that most people are aware of, or heard of, right, you take clean organic materials, and you can get a sense of age back to think about 50,000 years old. So we can directly measure can estimate of groundwater age, many groundwater basins in California, oftentimes, the water can be 10,000 years old or so oftentimes, much more. Than tritium is neat, because tritium allows us to tell if water has been recharged since about 1950. So tritium was naturally occurring in the atmosphere. But in the 1950s, during all the nuclear tests, tritium within is released in the atmosphere in great abundance. And so if tritium is present in groundwater, above background levels, we are very confident that that water recharge since 1950, we have these age measurements of groundwater, that you within a study area, we get a sense of where recharge is occurring, and whether it's recent recharge, or old or older recharge, and so that can help understand that aquifer dynamics,   Craig Macmillan  18:39  That's fascinating. Just blows my mind. Future timeline. So you're well levels, stream gauges, chemistry, this radiological kind of stuff, you're in the middle of the data collection, what's going to happen after that?   Geoffrey Cromwell  18:54  We're in the middle of our of our data collection, like you said, we have about one more year of groundwater level measurements that we will take as part of the current the current agreement with the county and then the surface water will also continue for just about another year. And then we're going to have conversations with the county to hopefully take the the next steps. And that could include additional, you know, ongoing groundwater monitoring, surface water monitoring, always value in developing these long term records. And so being able to track seasonal cycles, ideally decades, right? Because then you can really see how things are changing. So there could be value in continuing this monitoring effort. And then the next step would be to put up an interpretive product. And so basically take the data that we've compiled in look at the how the aquifer system changes, look at the age of the groundwater, look at the flow paths and maybe you know, understand if there are structural controls to groundwater flow. The next phase of our project will kick in probably early 2025. In the conversation with the county and possible we could we could start sooner the era Boerne em that we mentioned before the helicopter with a big hoop flying under that, we're using that right now to help construct a geologic framework. And so that's product that we should be able to, we anticipate being able to put out next year or so. So there will be some interim bits in there. But one thing is very important in the USGS does is that all the data we collect is publicly available. So as we go out, and we take our groundwater level measurements, that will be out again in August in the Adelaida. area, within a couple of days, that data is online, it is accessible, it is viewable by the anyone in the world can can go to our website and look at this data. And so the transparency of that is valuable, just just that real time knowledge of the Earth system is I think, hugely important, valuable.   Craig Macmillan  20:48  These wells and the streams and whatnot, they're gonna oftentimes be on private land. So you're gonna have to find participants that will let you come in and take your measurements. How did you go about recruiting participants? And also, I would guess that you would want to have wells in particular spots of interests to help you with your mapping your data collection, how did how did that process work?   Geoffrey Cromwell  21:14  There's a lot of initial interest in the study itself. From the get go, there were there was a pool of several dozen interested landowners who were more than willing to provide access to let us just access their property and, you know, take these groundwater measurements, and allow us to, you know, install stream gaging equipment on there, you know, we spent the first part of of our data collection, part of our agreement there, identifying additional landowners. And so some of this was was word of mouth, we've been holding at least once a year, a community meeting specific to the Adelaida study. And so we've garnered more interest and think as we've explained more what the study is and purpose and the outcomes and the projected outcomes in terms of reports, we've gotten more interest in that sense. And sometimes we're just out knocking on doors and looking for it, like you said, there are some some geographic holes, if you will, of where we either we can identify the landowner or the land owner says no, which is fine. But also, we just haven't had luck contacting or reaching out or finding anybody in those particular spots. So we're especially interested always in deeper wells, so anything you have, if you only have hundreds of feet deep, more than a few, but a well, more than 500 feet deep, we'd love to come back. That'd be definitely a value to it to the study. But we've had very good conversations with landowners across the Adelaida area, and some have granted permissions and some said no, and, you know, we say thank you, we keep moving. So it is ongoing. And I think it's we the next community meeting, hopefully will be this fall before the end of the end of the calendar year. And we'll be able to share some of our next set of studies, you know, outcomes, what we've done, and hopefully talk to folks and continue to identify geographic areas that we can use more data in.   Craig Macmillan  23:00  Cool, that's neat. Individuals within communities recognize the value to themselves, but then they also recognize and feel like they have a responsibility to the rest of the community. And I think it's pretty cool that we're seeing folks step up to be participants. And I encourage people nationwide if they're, if you're listening, and to not be afraid, I can speak for the company that I worked for Niner wine estates were a participant. When I first heard about this, I jumped, I jumped all over it. I was like, This is so cool. But also I had questions about our own property. Our location is such that there's lots of other neighbors, both residential and agricultural, but also we have wells in different different spots. And we could just look around and see, hey, is the geology between these wells? Is it the same? Is it different? What can we learn from what you guys learn? So there was kind of a two fold piece to that. And I think that that's really important for communities to do. We got a couple of minutes left, you're also working on a project in Santa Barbara County in the San Antonio Creek area. Can you tell us just just a little bit about that? Because that's a different kind of project.   Geoffrey Cromwell  23:00  Yes. Let me go back to the last thing you said about about participants. Yes, this is free. We it's paid for by taxpayer dollars. But these are essentially free groundwater level measurements and free water quality if we take water quality. So like you said, there's there's there's value in knowing what's under the ground in your well your spot. And if you're interested, then we might be able to accommodate, obviously, constraints and things from the study public interest.   Craig Macmillan  24:28  That's right USGS is here for you. Well, it's true. I mean,   Geoffrey Cromwell  24:31  Yeah, no, I was gonna say we're, we're with the government. We're here to help word.    Craig Macmillan  24:35  Yeah, exactly.   Geoffrey Cromwell  24:37  We really, we really are.   Craig Macmillan  24:40  And you folks have been great to work with, by the way. I really appreciate it. Yeah. So just a little bit, a little bit about the San Antonio Creek project.   Geoffrey Cromwell  24:48  The San Antonio Creek project. This is San Antonio Creek is the groundwater basin in Northern Santa Barbara County. And so that's a Santa Barbara County is the county directly south of San Luis Obispo. San Antonio Creek is a coastal groundwater basin. So to the west is the Pacific Ocean. And then to the east is the other Highland and upland areas. And this is a project in cooperation with the Santa Barbara County Water Agency and Vandenberg Air Force Base, there was recent legislation. And at this point about almost 10 years ago in the state of California called SIGMA, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Part of SIGMA process was identifying groundwater basins of high and medium priority, those types of basins were required to by the state to develop groundwater sustainability plans to basically manage groundwater resources into the future. And this is one such basin, San Antonio Creek. And so our work USGS work here has been to provide this holistic hydrogeologic characterization of the groundwater basin. So looking at historical groundwater trends, current groundwater trends, identify the groundwater budget, so how much water is coming out how much water is coming in naturally, and then also to develop a miracle groundwater flow model. So that's pretty typical of a lot of our California Water Science Center availability projects is we we look at the geology look, the groundwater, okay, this is what's been happening. And then we feed that we develop a computer model of that. So the computer model is then a simulation of the earth as we can best understand it and model it in, which is neat, because then you can if you've modeled the historical system, then you can project into the future. And you can see like, Okay, what happens if the climate is drier? Okay, what if we're anticipating, you know, a two fold increase in population, we need to pump more for municipal needs? Or what if we're anticipating an increase in agricultural use is a tool to project changes, and then help identify how you can manage your water resources. So we develop those two products in San Antonio Creek, and I'll share both of those published sources with you.   Craig Macmillan  26:48  Yeah, that'd be great.   Geoffrey Cromwell  26:50  But since a creek is an agricultural basin, Vandenburg Airforce Base and the town of Los Alamos for the two municipal users, but primarily, you know, groundwater needs in the basin, this was for agricultural purposes.   Craig Macmillan  27:01  That is really interesting. And I liked this idea of looking ahead to the future, I think we need to be thinking ahead. And the way to do that is to get good quality data on what's happening now. And to get a sense of what may be happened in the past, if we can.   Geoffrey Cromwell  27:16  In San Antonio Creek, in the past, there's a long term record long term partnership there. And so we're very fortunate to be able to look at these decades long trends dating back to the mid 1900s.   Craig Macmillan  27:25  Oh, wow.   Geoffrey Cromwell  27:26  There were some that were very long term monitoring wells. And from that, you can learn a lot about that study. So this, I think that's very neat. If you're interested in learning more, this is a nice, compact little study here of investigation. We have ongoing work, keep updated.   Craig Macmillan  27:42  Cool. Well, we're getting short on time, is there is there one thing related to kind of this water topic in the USGS that one thing that you would tell people one thing you'd like growers to know,   Geoffrey Cromwell  27:53  The one thing for growers to know about the USGS is that the USGS is unbiased, it is nonpartisan, and most importantly, is that the data that we collect is publicly available not only allows people to access the data that's there, but it means that everyone can access it and then make decisions and see what the interpretive products are based off of here's the data. And so everything that USGS does is intended to be reproducible. It's intended to be shared, and it's in the public interest. And this is here, any number of datasets the USGS puts out, so if growers are interested in their local geology, local soils, local water, and local climate, and I'm sure there's many others there that people interested in, the USGS probably has a data set out there, or at least has historical records, you know, going to the USGS website, there's a lot of information on there, but you can find that data, you can also reach out to a local USGS office, and those are, we're all over the state many different capacities and one of us doesn't know the answer. We probably know someone who knows someone who knows the answer.   Craig Macmillan  28:58  And again, that would be nationwide. Nationwide, where can people find out more about you?   Geoffrey Cromwell  29:02  About me, the easiest would probably be to look at my contact on the Adelaida website, the Adelaidaa Area Project website and I'll share that with you Craig and I'm based out of our Santa Maria field office. This is in very northern Santa Barbara County. So I'm the Central Coast local California Water Science Center. We have our main project hubs are San Diego and Sacramento. And we do we do geology, we do groundwater. We do surface water, we do biology, we do modeling climate data collection, we touch a lot.   Craig Macmillan  29:29  USGS touches a lot of different things. I want to thank you for being on the podcast. Our guest today has been Geoff Cromwell, geologist with the United States Geological Survey, specifically the California Water Science Center. Thanks for being on podcast. This is great conversation. I really appreciate you taking the time to do it.   Geoffrey Cromwell  29:45  Loved to be here, Craig. Thanks so much.   Nearly Perfect Transcription by https://otter.ai