Board of Directors 2007

OFFICERS

Peter Hunter (President) is a lifelong Yolo County resident who brings a unique combination of small farm experience and computer expertise to the Board. He holds a B.S. degree in Zoology and a Ph.D. in Ecology, both from U.C. Davis. His work was focused on computer simulations of global energy use and societal change. Subsequently, he has worked professionally in computer database design and management in various scientific and business environments. In 1988, Peter and his wife took over the family farm operation, growing French Prunes on an orchard near Winters. With a goal of long-term sustainability, the Hunters placed their farm in an agricultural conservation easement in 2001, using the proceeds to replant an aging, unproductive orchard using best practices for water conservation, soil management and integrated pest control technology. Peter joined the Yolo Land Trust board in 2003, served as Vice President in 2005 and became President in 2006.

Kenneth C. “Casey” Stone (Vice President) is a life-long resident of Yolo County, having grown up in Woodland and residing now in Winters. After earning a B.S. degree in Business Administration from CSU, Chico, Casey joined the family farming and ranching enterprise, Yolo Land & Cattle Co., where he serves as Vice President overseeing specialty product sales and ranch tours/events. In addition to the family business, he is also a Managing Partner of Beamer Street Storage, a Woodland self-storage complex. Casey is a Past President and current Director of the Yolo County Farm Bureau, Chair of the CFBF Beef Commodity Advisory Committee, and a member of the Yolo County Economic Development Committee where he has served as past Chair of the Ag Advancement and Tourism Committees. Casey has been on the YLT Board since 2005.

Mary Kimball (Secretary), a lifelong Yolo County resident, joined the Yolo Land Trust board in 2004. Mary serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Land-Based Learning (CLBL), which she helped to establish and grow from a program based at one site with 30 students and a $60,000 budget in 1998 to working at 14 sites with over 2,000 students statewide and a budget of almost $800,000 in 2005. As Executive Director, Mary oversees the three programs of CLBL: the FARMS Leadership Program, the SLEWS Program, and the Farm and Nature Center. Prior to working as the Director for the Center for Land-Based Learning, Mary was the Hedgerow Project Manager for the Yolo County Resource Conservation District (1997-1999). The Hedgerow Project helped farmers in Yolo County install native plant hedgerows as buffers and to harbor beneficial insects and other wildlife. Currently, Mary is active in many local organizations and community efforts; in addition to serving on YLT’s Board, she is the Region Four Appointee for the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation’s Fellows Council, Member of the Yolo County Agriculture Futures Alliance, Vice President of the River City Rowing Club Board of Directors, Secretary of the Ohio State Alumni Club of the Sacramento Valley, and a member of the Education Committee for California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. She is a Class XXXII graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program. Raised on a farm west of the town of Yolo, Mary is a 1987 graduate of Woodland High School. Mary holds a Master’s Degree in Human and Community Development from Ohio State University (1996), and a B.S. Degree from the University of California at Davis in Agriculture Science and Management, Plant Science Option (1992).

Marsha Anderson (Treasurer) became a member of the Yolo Land Trust board in 2004. She and her husband John have lived in Yolo County for thirty-two years. Together, they own and operate Hedgerow Farms, a major grower of California native grassland seed and a leader in farmland ecosystem management and habitat restoration practices. The farm often hosts workshops and tours for agencies (NRCS, Fish and Wildlife Service, Resource Conservation Districts), non-profits and conservation organizations and has consulted on restoration projects with a number of nonprofit organizations (River Partners, The Nature Conservancy, Audubon California) and numerous Wetland Reserve Program projects. Hedgerow Farms includes a ninety-acre Wetland Reserve Program easement and an additional Fish & Wildlife Service riparian easement. Since 1988, Marsha has bred and raised Hanoverian & Oldenburg horses. She has produced the licensed Hanoverian stallion ‘Warcloud’ and numerous horses competing in dressage and the hunter jumper ring. Marsha has a Bachelor of Science degree in Bacteriology from U.C. Davis and a Certificate in Financial Planning from U.C. Extension. She is a past member of the Winters Joint Unified School District Board; serving terms as President and Clerk. She is currently a member of Soroptimist International of Winters and California Native Grasslands Association.

DIRECTORS

Suzanne Peabody Ashworth was born and raised on Peabody Ranch where she now owns and operates Del Rio Seeds, dedicated to the preservation of heirloom seeds for future generations. She is a lifelong Yolo County native, earning degrees in Special Education from UC Davis and CSU Sacramento, and a Master Herbalist degree from Dominion College, British Columbia. Suzanne is an instructor in the Community Services Department at American River College, Los Rios Community College District, is a past coordinator of the farmer’s market Project at UC Davis’ Small Farm Center, as well as a former Resource Facilitator, Program Compliance Specialist, and teacher trainer for the Multilingual Department and English Learners in the Sacramento School District. Suzanne continues to research how to reduce input costs in organic multicrop farm production, incorporate medicinal herbs into small farm production and grow specialty crops for community supported agriculture. She has published several times, including her book Seed to Seed, Saving Our Vegetable Heritage (second edition, fall 2000), which is in its 7th printing, and One Hundred and Thirty Five Medicinal Herbs Appropriate for Successful Organic Production in the Interior Valleys of California (1998).

Dan Clawson is a California native who joined the Yolo Land Trust in 2007. He grew up in Red Bluff and attended college at University of California, Santa Barbara where he earned a degree in business economics. Dan has over 20 years of experience in agriculture and agricultural lending and is currently a Senior Vice President/Chief Credit Officer with Sacramento Valley Farm Credit.

Val Dolcini is a fifth generation Californian with deep roots in Yolo County. Currently, he manages all government relations activities in the western United States for Accenture LLC, a global consulting firm. Previously, he served as the State Executive Director for the USDA Farm Service Agency and before that, he was Congressman Vic Fazio’s district Chief of Staff. Val has also served in senior staff positions for Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Gray Davis, the California State Assembly, and the Office of Lt. Governor. More recently, Val served as the chairman of the Yolo Basin Foundation and he currently sits on the Sutter Davis Hospital Foundation Board.

Richard Jenness is a Professional Engineer and Vice President of the civil engineering and land surveying firm Laugenour and Meikle in Woodland. Rich oversees planning, design, and management of a wide range of projects, including road improvements, drainage, wastewater and water systems. His experience includes grading and drainage plans, hydrology and hydraulics, improvement plan preparation, specifications, feasibility studies, land surveying/mapping, residential development and consulting work for drainage and irrigation.

Kent Lang has lived and farmed in the Elkhorn area of Yolo County all his life, except for his college years at Chico State College and a tour of duty in Vietnam. A lifelong walnut grower, Kent as been involved in leadership roles in many organizations, including the Yolo County YMCA, the Yolo County Farm Bureau and the Yolo County Planning Commission. He currently farms with his sons along the Sacramento River and north of Woodland along Cache Creek.

Gregory Merwin grew up in Clarksburg, attended Stanford University and used his civil engineering degree with the California Division of Highways and U.S. Army. In 1959, he returned to Clarksburg to join his brothers in forming Merwin Brothers, a family farming operation. Over the years, Merwin Brothers (now S.H. Merwin and Sons) has raised dichondra lawn seed; dehydrator, market and seed bulb onions; cannery tomatoes; sugar beets; barley; wheat; and safflower seed. Their current operations focus on dichondra and alfalfa. A long-time member of the Yolo County Farm Bureau, Greg was the Clarksburg Center Chairman in the 1960’s and has served 10 years as a member of the Board of Directors including one year as its President. Greg has served on the Board of the California Sugar Beet Growers Association in the late 1960’s, and from 1974-2000 was a member of the California Agricultural Roundtable Steering Committee. Greg plays the organ at his local church and is a member of the band New Holland Combine, which has entertained at three YLT annual events. An Eagle Scout himself, Greg was active with the Boy Scout Golden Empire Council in the late 1970’s to mid 1980’s. He is also an avid railroad fan, laying out an outrageous ½” scale railroad in his house each Christmas.

Paul Muller is a founding member of Yolo Land Trust. During his 18 years on the Board of Directors, Paul has seen the organization grow from a small group of dedicated volunteers working around a kitchen table and meeting at the farmer’s market to one of the most active agricultural land trusts working in the Central Valley. Over the years, Paul has been involved in every aspect of the land trust -outreach, negotiating easements, stewardship and monitoring, public policy, landowner relations, and of course, fundraising. Paul, along with his family and partners, owns and operates Full Belly Farm -a 250-acre certified organic farm located in Capay Valley, an hour northwest of Sacramento. Full Belly Farm grows and markets over 80 different crops year-round; provides year-round employment for farm labor; uses cover crops that fix nitrogen and provide organic matter for the soil; develops innovative marketing strategies; and plants habitat areas for beneficial insects and wildlife. This set of strategies allows the farm to integrate farm production with longer-term environmental goals.

Kathy Ward grew up on a ranch in Baker, Oregon where she was involved with her family raising cattle, horses, hay, wheat, barley, peas, sugar beets, and potatoes. She earned a B.S. degree in Agronomy from Oregon State University and MBA from Western Michigan University. She and her husband Harold have lived in Woodland for 10 years. She is employed at Seminis Vegetable Seeds in Woodland as the Director of R&D Finance and Operations. She is responsible for overseeing the global resources in over 16 countries involving all aspects of vegetable research including facility construction, farming, greenhouse and laboratory operations. She has served on the Board of the Woodland United Way and Highway 16 Safety Task Force.

STAFF

Deborah North (Interim Executive Director) brings to the Yolo Land Trust 19 years of experience working in the areas of land conservation, riparian habitat restoration, and water quality. As a private consultant prior to joining YLT, Deborah assisted clients in the greater Sacramento area with natural resource planning, wetland mitigation, CEQA compliance and conservation easement projects. In 1996 Deborah helped found the Sierra Foothill Conservancy. In 1998 she joined the staff of the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust as their first Land Stewardship Director. In that role, Deborah developed and managed conservation, education and recreation programs related to the creation of a 22-mile parkway along the San Joaquin River. Her major tasks included working in multi-agency forums to plan comprehensive riparian habitat restoration projects that provide public access to the river, initiating an invasive weed management program for Sesbania punicea and Arundo donax, developing trail plans, tracking and commenting on proposed land use changes adjacent to the river, and implementing a public opinion research and outreach program designed to raise local awareness of the watershed. She has also worked with the Washington State Department of Ecology, where for seven years she implemented the Clean Water Act’s NPDES industrial permit program, and has held agriculture and environment policy positions with the Council of State Governments (NY) and the National Audubon Society (DC). Deborah earned her B.A. degree in Biology at Dartmouth College and a Master of Environmental Studies degree from the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She is a member of the Land Trust Alliance, the California chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration and the California Invasive Plant Council. Deborah serves on the Board of Directors of the Putah Creek Council.

Angela Stone (Administrative Assistant) joined Yolo Land Trust in January 2006. Angela has a diverse background in business administration, bookkeeping, event planning, human resources, and organizational effectiveness. She is a key player in organizing the annual fundraiser “A Day in the Country” and helping the land trust run smoothly day to day.