A CASE STUDY OF THE URBAN-EDGE A model for collaborative beginning farming integrated with public education and natural resources stewardship PRODUCED BY Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) WITH SUPPORT FROM USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program 2014 A CASE STUDY OF THE URBAN-EDGE A model for collaborative beginning farming integrated with public education and natural resources stewardship PRODUCED BY Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) WITH SUPPORT FROM USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program GRANT # 2011-49400-30641 2014 www.sagecenter.org Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...............................................................................................................1 Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................6 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................7 SAGE PERspeCTIVE.....................................................................................................................18 Getting Started.....................................................................................................................................18 Operations and Management.............................................................................................................20 Farming – the Core Program Area...................................................................................................24 Natural Resource Stewardship – the Farm-Nature Connection................................................30 Public Education and Engagement – Fostering Stewardship.........................................................32 Financial Overview................................................................................................................................42 Assessment and Lessons Learned......................................................................................................42 FARMER PERspeCTIVE.............................................................................................................51 Introduction..........................................................................................................................................51 Profiles of Current AgPark Farmers.................................................................................................52 Transitioning AgPark Farmers..............................................................................................................68 Profiles of Past AgPark Farmers........................................................................................................70 Assessment and Lessons Learned.....................................................................................................77 THE SFPUC LANDOWNER PERspeCTIVE.............................................................80 About the SFPUC.................................................................................................................................80 SFPUC Engagement at the AgPark....................................................................................................81 Assessment ..........................................................................................................................................86 AfTERWORD......................................................................................................................................88 AppeNDIX (Found in Supplemental Appendix Document)...................................................89 SAGE-SFPUC Sunol AgPark Lease w Exhibits incl. Farmer License Agreement, March 2007 Sunol Water Temple Agricultural Park Management Plan, March 2008 Sunol AgPark Farm Policy, October 2014 Update Farming in the Watershed Activities Guide, 2011 Sunol AgPark Education Program, Summary of Accomplishments FY 2012-13 Sunol AgPark Education Program, Summary of Accomplishments FY 2013-14 1 Executive Summary mall-scale beginning farmers face myriad The Purpose of this Case Study Schallenges in establishing viable farm enterprises, especially near metropolitan areas. This case study is designed as an information- They can feel isolated and often struggle to survive sharing tool to help farmers and ranchers, non- in an environment of competitive markets, hard- profit and community organizations, government to-obtain start-up capital, insufficient technical agencies and other entities interested in partici- assistance, rising input costs and increasing pating in, starting, managing, supporting and/or regulation. Proximity to nearby urban areas can hosting urban-edge AgParks. It is also intended bring additional challenges including speculative to inform broader audiences interested in support- land prices well beyond agricultural production ing small scale beginning farming and in revital- value, land-use conflicts and the ‘impermanence izing urban-edge agriculture. syndrome’ of agriculture on the edge. Farming In this case study, Sustainable Agriculture Educa- on the urban edge also has advantages, including tion (SAGE), a nonprofit organization, tells the access to markets and accessibility by urban story of planning, launching and managing the residents who are increasingly eager to connect Sunol Water Temple Agricultural Park (Sunol with the places where their food comes from and AgPark). SAGE distills lessons learned over nearly the people who produce it. a decade of on-the-ground experience at the Sunol The urban-edge Agricultural Park, or AgPark, AgPark and many more years developing the Ag- aims to address some of the challenges of start- Park concept. ing a small farm at the urban edge, while opti- Audiences mizing some of the opportunities of being close to urban areas. Urban-edge Agricultural Parks This book is intended to serve four sets of audi- (AgParks) are an innovative, scalable model ences who have various interests in wanting to that facilitates land access, technical assistance understand the AgPark model. These audiences and shared resources for multiple beginning include: farmers, and also provide fresh food and educa- • Beginning farmers, as well as those who serve tional opportunities for nearby communities. them, who want to assess potential participation in an AgPark, or creation of an AgPark The AgPark concept stems from the nexus of three simple ideas: (1) to thrive, new farmers • Nonprofit, public interest organizations and need support, including technical assistance, other entities, who want to assess potential man- financial support and an engaged public; (2) agement of an AgPark ‘learning hubs’ such as the AgPark can attract • Public and private landowners who want to as- capital investment and facilitate provision of sess potential development of an AgPark on technical assistance, both needed by new farms; their land and (3) the most critical place to engage the • Others, including local community groups, gov- public and to create common ground between ernment agencies, schools, educators and public urban and rural interests is in the interface be- education organizations, members of the local, tween the two, on available land at the urban organic and sustainable food movements, and edge. In short, AgParks are defined as multi- members of the environmental movement, who functional places that integrate collaborative want to assess engagement with and support for sustainable farming, public education and natu- AgParks. ral resource stewardship and that link farm- ers and nearby communities for their mutual benefit. 1 Executive Summary Structure describes the Sunol AgPark, including its current- This book is organized into chapters directed at day scope, its background and history, the key the main audience segments with the goal that partners involved in creating it, especially the the information contained is easy to access. While primary partnership between the SFPUC and organizers and others will likely find the whole of SAGE, underlying physical conditions of the site, the case study illuminating, the following chapters and the vision and goals that the AgPark was es- are written to inform the following specific audi- tablished to fulfill. ences: The chapter then broadens out to describe the Chapter Two: The SAGE Perspective – for orga- background and historical context behind the nizing entities, nonprofit and community orga- AgPark concept and the relationship of AgParks nizations, government agencies, educators, and to other farming models such as incubator farms, food movement and environmental organizers farming collectives and learning hubs. Chapter Two: The SAGE Perspective Chapter Three: The Farmer Perspective – for beginning farmers and ranchers and those who Chapter Two, the SAGE Perspective, covers the serve them nuts and bolts of how SAGE has managed the AgPark from 2006 to the current time, summer Chapter Four: The Landowner Perspective, 2014. The Chapter has seven sections: Getting which in this case is the San Francisco Public Started, which includes the development of the Utilities Commission (SFPUC) – for public and Sunol AgPark Management Plan; Operations and private landowners Management; Farming – the Core Program Area; Funders of this Book Natural Resource Stewardship – the Farm-Nature Connection; Public Education and Engagement – Production