Appendix F: Working Lands Planning and Analysis Report
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TAB1 AppendixTAB2 F TAB3 Midpen Staff TAB4 TAB5 Appendix F: Working Lands Appendix F: Working Planning and Analysis Report TAB6 Open Space Preserve Space Open Coal Creek Coal Creek TAB7 Appendix F-1: Agriculture in the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District: Existing Conditions, Trends, Constraints and Opportunities Prepared for: Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos, CA 94022 June 2013 Prepared by: Sibella Kraus Brett Melone SAGE (Sustainable Agriculture Education) 2150 Allston Way, Suite 320 Berkeley, CA 94704 Appendix F: Working Lands Planning and Analysis Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ........................................................................................... 1 Summary of Findings ............................................................................................................ 1 Summary of Findings by Issue Area ............................................................................................ 3 Part 1. Agricultural Resources and Trends ................................................................ 5 1.1 Historical Agricultural Land Use ........................................................................................ 5 1.2 Agricultural Land Resources and Trends .............................................................................. 6 1.3 Summary of Findings on Land Use Regulation ........................................................................ 9 1.4 Demographics ............................................................................................................. 10 Part 2. Agricultural Land Use and Trends by Sector.................................................... 15 2.1 Section Overview ........................................................................................................ 15 2.2 Grazing .................................................................................................................... 15 2.3 Crop Production .......................................................................................................... 20 2.4 Nursery and Horticulture ............................................................................................... 25 2.5 Vineyards .................................................................................................................. 27 2.6 Urban Agriculture and Agricultural Education ....................................................................... 28 Part 3. District-wide Issues, Initiatives and Next Steps for Analysis ................................. 30 3.1 Key Findings by Topic ................................................................................................... 30 Part 4. Appendices ........................................................................................... 34 Appendix A ....................................................................................................................... 34 Appendix B ....................................................................................................................... 35 Appendix C ....................................................................................................................... 36 Appendix D ....................................................................................................................... 37 Appendix F-1: Agriculture in the MROSD: Existing Conditions Appendix F: Working Lands Planning and Analysis Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Clara County; some farmland also natural land as a result of fallowing. The purpose of this memo is to document the existing conditions and to identify the trends, Agricultural Land Use Regulations constraints and opportunities for agriculture San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and the within the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Coastal Commission have enacted significant land District. The memo is organized into three main use regulations that protect farmland and sections: (1) Agricultural Resources and Trends, established various policies supportive of (2) Agricultural Land Use, Economics and Trends agriculture. These include the San Mateo by Sector, and (3) District-wide Issues and Trends. County’s Planned Agricultural District, which The memo was informed by review of existing limits subdivision and most non-agricultural uses plans and studies, analysis of existing data, and on prime farmland and most grazing land; the interviews with various agricultural experts. Local Coastal Program, a plan approved by the Summary of Findings California Coastal Commission that limits urban development and also establishes policies for Historical Agricultural Land Use agriculture and ecosystem management; the The agricultural lands within the District have a District’s Coastside Protection Program, which history of producing farm products for the greater includes a goal of preserving coastal agricultural Bay Area and beyond for centuries. Notable land; and various policies in the San Mateo and historical production areas include the southern Santa Clara County general plans. These are bayside valley lands – part of the Valley of the important and necessary measures for protecting Heart’s Delight – renowned for its orchards; wine farmland that also reflect strong political and grape production in the bayside foothills; nursery community support. Their focus is to protect crops first in the baylands and now concentrated grazing and agriculture land, which helps sustain around Half Moon Bay; grazing on hillside and agriculture; however, they are not otherwise coastal grasslands; and vegetable crops along the actively involved in enhancing the economic coastal bluffs. viability of agriculture. Demographics Agricultural Land Resources and Trends In 2010, there were 54,484 acres of agricultural The total number of farms and ranches land within the District’s boundaries (15 % of all reported in San Mateo County by the USDA 1 land) including: 2,199 acres of Prime Farmland, 2007 Ag Census was 329 . However, 145 acres of Farmland of Statewide Importance, anecdotal reports by interviewees suggest that 3,006 acres of Unique Farmland, and 733 acres of the farming population is on the decline with 2 Farmland of Local Importance, and 8,765 acres of the total number in 2013 well under 200 . Grazing Lands. In the MROSD area of Santa Clara County, During the last 20 years, there has been a net there are approximately 20 operators, the 3 reduction of 5,013 acres of Farmland in San majority of whom are wine grape growers. Mateo and Santa Clara Counties within the Trends in the demographics of San Mateo District geographic boundaries, which represents a County farms and ranches largely track trends 45% loss of farmland overall and a 21% loss of Prime Farmland. There was a net gain of 2,958 of Grazing Land, most of which was a result of 1 2007 Census of Agriculture conversion from farmland. Farmland became 2 Crowder, Fred and Corshen, Bob. Personal grazing lands primarily on the coastside, and was Communication. April/May 2013. 3 Santa Clara County Agriculture Commissioner’s converted to urban land uses primarily in Santa Office data Appendix F-1: Agriculture in the MROSD: Existing Conditions 1 Appendix F: Working Lands Planning and Analysis Report across the nation: an average age of farmers values. Diversification of crops will be critical being close to 60 years old, a preponderance to future viability of industry. of small farms (with revenues of less than Fruit production (mainly berries and wine $10,000 per year), and a minority of farmers grapes) represents only around 10 percent of that claim farming as their primary income. overall crop production value. However, over The nursery sector has provided a significant the past decade, fruit production value has number of agricultural jobs in the past, but increased by 73 percent and fruit acreage by employment in that sector has declined 131 percent. dramatically in the past several years. Constraints include regulatory burden on Grazing Sector farmers, insufficient and uncertain water supply and lack of infrastructure. A high percentage (46%) of grazing lands in the District boundaries are owned and/or Succession of row crop operations is a key controlled either by the District itself or by challenge for future viability. While there other public agencies and private land trusts. appears to be some influx of new farmers, Some ranchers express concern that their they are undertaking small diversified viability is in the hands of the District and operations rather than taking over the larger, other public landowners for whom conventional operations. In order for larger maintaining and enhancing agricultural properties of crop acreage to be maintained, economic viability is not a top priority. new operators must be supported. There is more demand than supply for grazing Nursery Crops and Horticulture lands. The nursery crop sector has the key role Additional constraints include lack of in San Mateo County’s agricultural processing facilities, fragmentation of grazing economy, both through direct sales and lands, and increasing conflicts between also likely through indirect agri-tourism wildlife and livestock. impacts, and represents a considerable Given both the growing market demand for percentage (23%) of the land use of crop ecologically and humanely produced animal land. products and the recognition on the part of The sector is a significant contributor, land owners that grazing is an effective land and likely the largest, to agricultural