Beginning in April, we will be launching our monthly Barn Series! The Pie Ranch Barn Series are monthly workshops with a focus on practical skills in sustainable agriculture, nutrition & food justice. Workshops will be held on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of every month starting at 4pm. We’ll begin with time out in the fields, break for potluck dinner in the Roadside Barn, and finish with an informal presentation and discussion. We’ll have a suggested donation for these workshops, and some will have a minimum requirement, depending on the guest speaker.

We are lucky to have Thomas Wittman, of Gophers Limited, as our first speaker on Wednesday, April 1st.

Thomas started his gopher career as an organic farmer in 1982. He trapped gophers daily for over twenty years and founded a wildlife damage control company focusing on gophers, moles, voles and ground squirrels. He has been a consultant on rodent problems since 1991 and was educated at the University of California, Santa Cruz as an ecologist where he studied under the famous wildlife ecologist Raymond Dassmann. Today, along with focused presentations about non-toxic vertebrate pest control, field training of farmers and gardeners, Gophers Limited non-toxic measures are becoming the method of choice. Thomas holds a PCA license from the Department of Pesticide Regulation and a nuisance animal trapping license from the California Department of Fish and Game.

His workshops are always sold out, so don’t miss this one! This workshop will be $15 per person, to pay Thomas and cover house costs. Come learn about the skills and resources needed to lessen gopher pressure, whether they’re in your home garden or burrowing down the furrows on your farm.

Please RSVP by Friday, March 27th, to nancy@pieranch.org or 650-879-0995. Please bring cash or check made out to Pie Ranch. Also, bring something for the potluck dinner. Meet at 4 pm at the Roadside Barn. We’ll see you then!