A History of Stewardship and Partnership
Land and First Peoples
Mendocino County has a rich and complex past. For thousands of years, Pomo, Yuki, Cahto, Wailaki, and other Indigenous peoples actively stewarded the land, living in deep reciprocity with the forests, mountains, rivers, and ocean. This long history of active tending shaped the natural resources that thrive here today.
Settlement and Resource Development
Following the arrival of explorers and settlers, the county's economy diversified. The region's history is tied to timber, ranching, and fishing. Today, the area is also renowned for those who established the ideal climate for growing wine grapes, fruit, and olives, leading to Mendocino County being known as America’s Greenest Wine Region (TM).
The Cooperative Extension Partnership
The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in Mendocino County was established to bring the land-grant university's research directly to the local community. Our programs operate through a unique, long-standing partnership between the County of Mendocino, the UC system, support from the USDA, and other private funds. This cooperative model allows us to use educational programs and practically-applied research to sustain a vital future for the county.
(Portions of this history are based on information from Visit Mendocino County.)