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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
These funds support efforts across the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program and Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program.
Among the grantees in this round of funding is Lake County Tribal Health and its Food as Medicine Program.
The program will receive $480,440 through the Produce Prescription, which awarded $5.2 million to 11 awardees.
The USDA said these projects will demonstrate and evaluate the impact of fresh fruit and vegetable prescriptions.
The goals of the Produce Prescription Program are to increase purchase and consumption of fruits and vegetables, reduce individual and household food insecurity, and reduce healthcare use and associated costs.
Tribal Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment about its project.
“Healthy, safe, and affordable food is essential for a strong start for children and a healthy life for all of us,” said Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small. “Through these investments, the Biden Harris Administration is investing in healthy food options for people no matter where they live and supporting stronger local and regional food systems.”
The investment provides funding to 20 CFPCGP projects , which bring together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system and fosters understanding of national food security trends and how they might work together to improve local food systems.
This investment is expected to catalyze small production agriculture, increase food access in low-income communities, increase community engagement in planning for food security solutions, and bridge gaps in local foods systems.
Named in honor of the former USDA Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (1997 to 2001) Gus Schumacher, GusNIP grant programs include Nutrition Incentives and Produce Prescriptions. By bringing together stakeholders from various parts of the food and healthcare systems, GusNIP projects help foster understanding to improve the health and nutrition of participating households, facilitate growth in underrepresented communities and geographies, and aggregate data to identify and improve best practices on a broad scale.
Fourteen awardees are receiving GusNIP Nutrition Incentive funding totaling $36.3 million. These projects increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by providing incentives at the point of purchase among income-eligible households participating in the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Nutrition Assistance Program Block Grants. The awards include Pilot Projects, Standard Projects and Largescale Projects.
These investments answer the call to the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities, which is an extension of the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health that aims to end hunger and increase healthy eating.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
“As we launch this new service year with the nation’s largest service corps, we reaffirm that service to others is the highest form of civic duty. These paid opportunities embody the best of California’s values — a commitment to each other, mutual understanding, and the belief that when we lift others, we all rise together,” Newsom said.
California leads the way in national service
In 2025, California Service Corps programs will be over 10,000 members strong and will help communities by:
• Tutoring and mentoring K-12 students.
• Supporting communities experiencing and recovering from disasters.
• Combating food insecurity and connecting vulnerable people to resources and services.
• Taking climate action — planting trees, preventing wildfires, and installing solar panels.
California Service Corps programs include:
• #CaliforniansForAll College Corps.
• Youth Service Corps.
• California Climate Action Corps.
• AmeriCorps California.
“Service members have stepped up to bridge divides and help their communities by serving in the California Service Corps,” said California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday. “These members are the state’s future leaders, and we need their energy and enthusiasm to address our greatest challenges.”
California Service Corps members gain skills and experience while effecting positive change in their communities. Members receive living stipends, and many can receive up to $10,000 toward higher education after completing their service to be used for college, trade school or to pay back student loans.
To learn more about applying to the California Climate Action Corps, Youth Service Corps and AmeriCorps California, visit www.CAServiceCorps.com.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The free, two-hour Start Smart class helps newly licensed teens navigate the risks of driving while highlighting the essential role of guardian involvement in traffic safety.
Led by an experienced CHP public information officer, the class covers topics such as crash prevention, safe driving habits, consequences of risky behavior, guardian responsibilities, and legal liabilities.
The program requires a guardian’s participation because it recognizes their influence on teen driving habits.
Through Start Smart, guardians learn how to support their teens, enforce safe driving practices, and understand the laws affecting young drivers.
“The Start Smart program allows us to take proactive steps in protecting our youngest drivers by equipping them and their parents or guardians with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the road safely,” said CHP Commissioner Duryee. “Educating new drivers on responsible habits today will help prevent tragedies tomorrow, and we’re proud to be able to offer a program that prioritizes the safety and well-being of our communities.”
To register to attend an upcoming Start Smart class, contact your local CHP office. More information about Start Smart and California’s provisional driver licensing law is available on the free CHP Start Smart App.
Available for download in the Apple app store or Google Play, this app provides users with access to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ California Driver’s Handbook and a trip logger to track driving time as teens prepare to obtain their driver's license.
Additional information about the Start Smart program and the mobile app can be found on the CHP’s website.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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- Written by: LINGZI CHEN
The vibrant orange of the pumpkin patch pops against the backdrop of tall, green corn stalks, with whimsical pink pig rides flying across the scene — colors that capture the essence of fall and fun.
For eight years, That Ranch has come alive every weekend from mid-September to late October.
It features a nonprofit pumpkin patch, where proceeds go to the National FFA Organization chapter at Kelseyville High, known as the Kelseyville FFA, and a for-profit corn maze paired with family-friendly activities celebrating agricultural traditions and community bonds.
Throughout the week, the ranch also hosts various events, from mocktail parties to art sessions, spooky Halloween nights to relaxed family outings.
The name That Ranch is a play on owner Tanya Hat’s name, combining the “T” from Tanya with her last name.
When asked how many pumpkins were grown each year, Hat laughed.
“I really have never measured the amount. I just keep growing!” she told Lake County News, standing beside her pumpkins on a sunny Tuesday morning in October.
Later, Hat’s husband, Michael Hat said over the phone that he estimated it to be about 30,000 pumpkins last year grown from the 14 acres of land; and it’s a little less than that this year.
Tanya Hat admitted she's not one for numbers — her passion lies in creating and visualizing.
That Ranch grows more than100 varieties of pumpkins, she said. The entrance is decorated with pumpkins in all sizes and colors — yellow, orange, blue and white, evoking the magical atmosphere of a fairytale garden.
On one of the benches, mini pumpkins were placed on a large chess board as the chess pieces and would draw children to play as if it were a real game.
“The design, the detail here blows me away,” said Marilyn Holdenried, a longtime Kelseyville resident who, along with husband Myron, grows winegrapes and pears. She was admiring how Hat curated and rearranged pumpkins and other elements every night.
For Hat, That Ranch is more than just six weeks in the fall. Along with her small team of two full-time staff, Hat starts preparing the fields as early as April — laying drip lines and planning the layout. Planting begins in summer, and within 90 to 120 days, 30,000 pumpkins and towering corn stalks emerge.
“It’s really magic within a short period of time, yeah?” Hat said. “So within literally four months, this appears.”
High schoolers, pumpkins and the corn maze
The pumpkin sales station is managed by students from Kelseyville High School as part of their Supervised Agriculture Education program.
This year, 70 students applied and 32 were selected to work. They take morning and afternoon shifts on weekends, interacting with visitors, managing booths, and overseeing ranch activities.
At the end of every season, Tanya Hat writes a check to Kelseyville FFA, reflecting the pumpkin sales.
“First year we did it, I think it was like $2,000, then $4,000, then $6,000,” Hat said, recalling the growth in sales over the years
In 2022, sales reached $30,000, and in 2023, they hit $40,000 — all of which went to Kelseyville FFA, said Hat.
“Pumpkin sales have sent our students all over California, along with trips to Washington DC and soon the National FFA Convention at the end of the month,” said a message posted on Kelseyville FFA’s Facebook page on Sep. 25.
“It’s huge,” Hat said of the partnership between That Ranch and the school through the school FFA advisor Donelle McCallister. “I couldn’t do what I do without Donnell and her kids.”
For the students, this opportunity gives them real-world experience in interacting with the community and handling business.
“We’re growing up in a few years; we’re going to be out in the world,” said Jose Mejia, a sophomore at Kelseyville High who worked as the pumpkin cashier last Sunday. “But this is like a little, tiny baby step, dipping our toes into those waters.”
Besides all the fun and joy, Hat did not forget to set up a voter registration booth on site embraced by pumpkins with voter registration forms and other information brochures.
“We have to encourage people to get registered to vote, to go vote and believe in the process of voting.”
This year the corn maze was carved out in an election-themed design — an elephant and a donkey representing the two political parties, with “WE THE PEOPLE” at the top and “LAKE COUNTY 2024” the bottom
The message is: “We, the people, vote,” Hat said.
What if you get lost in the maze?
“We’ll find you next Thursday,” Hat said with a grin.
After a drizzly Saturday, the land where pumpkins and corn grow was still a bit muddy. But under clear skies and warm sunshine the next day on Oct. 14, families and friends gathered as children played and explored the curated wonderland.
Pumpkins were picked and loaded into wheelbarrows by visitors while high schoolers stayed busy, working as cashiers or making popcorn and hotdogs.
Sunflowers stood tall, guarding the trails around the corn maze. In the pizza garden, tomatoes and peppers quietly thrived under the care of the students. Sprinklers worked diligently, watering the soil and occasionally giving passersby an unexpected shower. Children dashed into the sea of bubbles blown from the foam daddy machine.
As Hat put it, “It’s just a playground of fun.”
Email Lingzi Chen at
