By Alyson Schmidt
It was nearly noon on an April day in 2013, as Paul Hain discussed project tasks on his ranch in Tres Pinos. The attentive crowd, consisting of environmental educators-in-training from the group Naturalists at Large, and Pinnacles National Park habitat restoration volunteers, shuffled dirt between their boots in a freshly tilled field as they listened. The agenda: to help plant over a third of a mile of California native shrubs and trees between the banks of the Tres Pinos Creek, and Hain Ranch Organics’ walnut orchard and poultry farm. Additional shrubs and trees would be planted in gaps in an existing “hedgerow” that lines the long, gravel-lined entrance to the rural property.
The idea behind this extensive “riparian” (streamside) planting, is to serve the multiple purposes of improving wildlife habitat, preventing stream bank erosion, removing invasive species, and enhancing natural pest control in the adjacent walnut orchard.
In 1998, the Tres Pinos Creek scoured away 2-3 acres of Paul and Leti Hain’s walnut orchard during heavy El Niño rains. As the roots of the newly planted trees and shrubs grow and spread over the years, they will help prevent erosion along the creek bank, which will both protect the orchard and reduce sediment entering the Tres Pinos Creek during future severe storm events. Less sediment in the creek will mean cleaner water for fish and other wildlife living downstream from the Hain Ranch. Ridding the creek banks of the invasive Giant Cane (Arundo Donax) will provide more room for native plants to grow, which is especially important for many bird species that use this habitat for food and cover.
The plants and trees for this project were chosen by lead project partners Wild Farm Alliance and hedgerow expert, Sam Earnshaw, specifically for their ability to attract and provide refuge for beneficial insects such as pollinators and predators of common orchard pests. The plants will bloom at different times, providing a constant, year-round supply of pollen and nectar for these “natural enemies”, which are key to an organic farming operation. Increasing the number of flowering plants on the Hain Ranch will also increase populations of pollinators. Though walnuts are self-pollinating, these insects will help pollinate the Hain’s cover crop, and will address the general decline of pollinating insects which are so crucial to California agriculture. The presence of both pollinators and predatory insects benefits the Hains’ free-range chickens as well — providing them with ample populations of new snacks to chase.
Back on the ranch, everyone divided into four teams, consisting of weeders, hole diggers, planters, and water haulers. Calls for water filled the air over the sound of shovels digging and an old truck ambling up and down the dusty road. Soon more than 30 people were moving about, busily creating spaces for native plants and trees, including cottonwoods, willows, sycamores, mulefat, quailbush, blackberries, sage and elderberry bushes. Plants for the project were sourced from native plant nurseries in Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Moss Landing, and Prather, Calif.
The riparian planting project is an example of successful collaboration among working ranches, government agencies, and non-profit organizations addressing agricultural and wildlife concerns. Paul Hain is paving the way for local landowners to utilize available resources for their own land stewardship projects. The project was headed by the Watsonville-based Wild Farm Alliance, which coordinated funding from the State of California Wildlife Conservation Board (a division of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife) for this project and one other farm in the region. The non-profit Community Alliance with Family Farmers was contracted to choose the plant species and to help design and implement the planting project.
Apart from the in-kind contribution of his own labor and equipment, Hain’s only out-of-pocket expense for the planting of approximately 150 trees and 300 shrubs, was the partial cost of installing a new irrigation pump. The new pump has made irrigation of the riparian planting possible in the first three years of establishment. After that, the drought-tolerant California native species will survive on their own with little or no irrigation. The new pump will also be used to irrigate the Hains’ walnut orchard, an added benefit to their farm business.
Another partner in the project was the San Benito Working Landscapes Group, which connects local landowners with available financial and technical resources to improve the economic viability of San Benito area ranches and aid in voluntary habitat improvement projects.
When Hain mentioned that he would like to create opportunities for local youth to learn about agriculture and the environment, the SBWLG connected him to Hollister Boy Scout Troop 436. The Boy Scouts showed up with enthusiasm on two early weekend mornings to shovel mulch around the newly installed plants. One aspiring Eagle Scout hopes to create permanent signage (wood or metal) for the trees and shrubs planted at this site. An interpretive sign and self-guided tour brochure will eventually provide brief facts including the benefits to both wildlife and farmer of each species planted, as the project is intended to serve as a demonstration site to inspire other landowners in San Benito County.
As the mid-afternoon heat began to set in, the buzzing around the Hain Ranch came to a close. Once again, the large crowd gathered in the freshly tilled field, now full of the day’s footprints. Paul Hain wiped the sweat from his brow and looked out among the faces that had helped to plant his creek bank and other areas of his farm with native plants. The feeling was one of mutual satisfaction, as volunteers had come together from near and far to help one San Benito farm family enhance their agricultural operation while protecting and restoring nature.
After a couple minutes of chatter and contemplation amongst the group, Hain smiled and said, “Now who wants to go see the chickens?