support center in Fallbrook, “where members of the ag community could easily access information in a convenient location.” The MRCD board would also like to offer a processing kitchen in it, she said, “for those who need access to a commercial kitchen to develop another crop product, like jam, etc., especially when the fruit is in quarantine here and can’t be transported out of the area.” What’s amazing about MRCD is that its annual budget is $1.5 million, yet it only receives a tax base of $23,000. “It is a special district, Mission Resource Conservation District technicians use pressure gauges and more to non-regulatory, not conduct free landscape water audits. connected to any funds from the Why were conservation districts formed? State of California,” According to MRCD, “In the 1930s Dust Bowl Era, federal explained Mitchell. government recognized erosion as a number one priority “We apply for grants if this country were to continue with agricultural production and locate funding for that would feed the nation.” Conservation districts were projects.” Sometimes it formed to increase and/or provide leadership and provide takes a while to secure assistance at the local level to landowners, farmers, and the needed funding, but ranchers. Today, 80 percent of California land is in a resource conservation district. MRCD is persistent and, as a result, successful.
“It’s challenging when we recognize the need for a program and have to wait for funding source to come along; we’d like to be able to establish it as soon as we see the need, to get the program off the ground,” she said. While some programs are funded by the San Diego County Water Authority, MRCD has to be diligent and creative in finding funding solutions. A statistic to be proud of, MRCD’s statewide cost benefit shows 10 to 1. “We try to maximize the funds we receive; we take pride in doing projects in an economical way; that comes from our agricultural roots,” said Mitchell. Customers of both Fallbrook Public Utility District and Rainbow Municipal Water District are welcome to request assistance from MCRD. “We have nothing to sell; we just provide education and support,” said Mitchell. In addition to helping individual property owners, MRCD focuses on keeping area riverbed habitats healthy and regularly battles an invasive plant called Arundo donax. The intrusive plant looks like bamboo with an
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