Page 30 - Sonoma County Gazette September 2019

By Leslie Curchack
I sat with Mike Boss in a rustic redwood gazebo on the grounds of his
Two Decades of Educating the Next
Generation of Conservationists
By Christine Kuehn, Sonoma Resource Conservation District
newly acquired 7 acre Hidden Forest Nursery outside Sebastopol. For decades it operated as the Sonoma Horticultural Nursery, specializing in shade plants and featuring rare botanical wonders along its beautiful forested garden paths. Simple benches and pathways allow one to wander and contemplate acres of incredible rhododendrons, azaleas, wisteria, and magnolia, as well as discover a peaceful pond, a creek, a wetland, 100 specimens of dawn redwoods, a Chinese Water Pine and more. The serene feeling of a sanctuary was palpable to me as I walked through the forest with Mike on the way to the gazebo. Mike describes himself as a passionate plant-person. For 30 years he’s been running a landscaping business in San Francisco, and he’s been holding a dream of someday owning property in Sonoma’s West County. In the summer of 2017, he learned the long time owner of ‘Sonoma Hort’ was retiring. Immediately, he found business partners, marshaled resources and was
“FARMS Leadership taught me the impact we have on our environment
and why sustainable farming is important,” stated Fernando Isol of North
Bay Met Academy upon his final day in FARMS Leadership. The Sonoma Resource Conservation District’s longest standing youth education program of over twenty years, FARMS (Farming, Agriculture, and Resource Management for Sustainability) Leadership provides innovative, hands-on experiences
ready to make an offer. The night before submitting paperwork, his partners dropped out and he also learned a bid had been accepted from a developer planning to turn the 7 acres into two mega mansion properties. There was a contingency which gave another buyer 30 days to possibly get the place first.
annually.
Over the course of the academic year,
Mike wrestled hard with the choice. “A bird on one shoulder was saying ‘Mike, walk away!’ A bird on the other shoulder was saying ‘If you don’t do this, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.’” The horticultural brilliance before him was compelling and the clincher was that if he didn’t pull off a miracle in the next 30 days, the property would go to private parties. “I needed to make the leap for the Earth, but also for the community. The place has a richness
of nature connection, with amazing educational and spiritual experiences
for people, and there’s a deep need for this kind of connection right now. The decision became simple.”
the students directly engage with Sonoma County’s local agricultural producers and stewards of the environment in a series of on-farm field day experiences. Participants develop leadership skills and learn about agricultural practices that contribute to
“I maxed my LOC, cashed in my retirement, took out a high interest loan. I met a guy at a party and told him my story. He wandered off, but at the end of the party came back to me and said he’d just come into an inheritance that he wanted to do something good with, and my project was going to be it.”
a healthier ecosystem, while connecting them to where their food comes from. The impact on the students is long lasting, some alumni seeking jobs within agriculture and conservation while others gain knowledge of our local food systems, importance of our working landscape as a tool for natural resource conservation, and feel more confident to engage in community service.
On the 31st day, Mike put down the money. The nursery was his hope for income and there were decent sales the first spring. But after Mother’s Day, sales tanked and the high interest loan pressed down. A chance meeting with an old friend led him to a mortgage broker who worked miracles
Working with CLBL and groups like
My Job Depends on AgTM, we are able to
secure scholarships for our qualified seniors
entering into environmental or agricultural
higher education institutions. In 2018, Carpe Diem High School Senior, Makena Calegari Toleu received a $500 scholarship from My Job Depends on AgTM to attend the Santa Rosa Junior College and study Agribusiness and continues down this path today.
for a refinance. That got him through to this following spring of 2019, but continuous rains kept people away. Sitting before me now, he’s still on a
keen edge of uncertainty. He laid out upcoming changes that should help: 1) actively expanding their selection of shade plants 2) introducing a new line of edible plants for food, teas, herbs, and medicines 3) changing the name and upgrading signage 4) getting non profit status 5) asking for donations at the entrance and offering membership options.
“I love that we are exposing kids to a different world that’s literally in their back yard,” said Shiloh Winders, a teacher at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma. “I like that it shows the huge variety of jobs in agriculture that are truly viable options for these students. It is a very welcoming environment where students are more willing to come out of their shells and participate, ask questions, and take risks that they wouldn’t in the classroom.”
Mike credits his 35 year Aikido practice with keeping him steady. “A 6th degree Black Belt has learned something about handling difficult situations.” Two years ago, he suffered traumatic brain injury which left him with a spastic condition in one leg. Asked if the accident influenced his decision to ‘leap
for the Earth’, he ruefully said though it was harder for him to actually leap, the accident did add impetus to listen to that bird on his second shoulder encouraging him to save and steward this horticultural treasure.
In honor of our program anniversary last fall, we launched a second year FARMS Advanced that complements and builds upon our existing programming. A cohort of qualified alumni from year one were able to take
a deeper dive into researching local agricultural challenges with a focus on career and college access planning. We built upon leadership skills learned in year one and worked one-on-one with our staff and local industry partners to research, develop and present their findings at a year-end event.
Mike is on the grounds six days a week, performing a multitude of tasks with enthusiasm despite the hitch in his step. He welcomes new visitors, new ideas and new donors, to enjoy & support this gem of a forest garden.
For more information on Sonoma County FARMS Leadership programming or the TEAM Conservation education field trip program for elementary students - in partnership with Gold Ridge RCD - please visit us at: sonomarcd. org or contact Christine Kuehn, Education and Communications Manager directly at ckuehn@sonomarcd.org.
Hidden Forest Nursery 3970 Azalea Lane, Sebastopol OPEN Thurs - Sun 9-5 pm | 707-823-6832 | info@sonomahort.com
30 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 9/19
to urban, suburban and rural youth at working farms, agri- businesses and universities. A state-wide program facilitated by the Center for Land-Based Learning (CLBL), our graduates join approximately 300 other students in California that complete the program