Where will our food come from?

1
Where will our food come from?

• A discussion of the need to preserve farmland in
  the Central Valley of California.
• AGST 3000
• Agriculture, Society and the Natural World

2
Overpowering Factor affecting Farmland
Preservation
Population and Urban Growth 58 Counties in
California
3
Central Valley 18 Counties (Shasta Kern )
42,000 square miles 450 miles long (ex.
Boston to Washington) 40-60 miles wide over
5.5 million population (2000)
4
San Joaquin Valley 8 Counties 27,276 square
miles 270 miles long 1- Northern San Joaquin
Valley (San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced) 2-
Southern San Joaquin Valley ( Madera, Tulare,
Kings, Fresno, Kern) Sacramento Valley (2
parts) Sacramento Metro - urban in
character North Sacramento Valley Land and
climate changes growing changes, uniqueness to
valleys and areas
5

• Air quality bases (air region-basin)
• Inversions and air flows
• Sacramento Valley Air Basin
• San Joaquin Air Basin
• Airflow/pollutionwhere?

6
Watersheds (all rivers flow North) 1-Sacrament
o River 2-San Joaquin River 3-Tulare/Kings Wh
ere do they all end up?
7
Common characteristics of the valley region
Agriculture- linkage Diversity 30 employment
8
Remember California is the most productive ag
state ( 1 in production) San Joaquin valley
produces ½ of states total in its 8 counties 6
of 8 counties produce more than a billion
dollars/ year Entire Central Valley produces 2/3
of states production
9
Valley Characteristics Common Themes
10
1 Fast paced population growth California
1950-2000 220 Valley 190.8 Stanislaus 251
.3 Madera 233.1 Merced 201.7 Kern 189.8
Fresno 189.1 San Joaquin 180.7 Kings 176.
8 Tulare 146.6
11
2 Increasing urbanization Bay Area
commuters Prison Construction
12
3 Increasing numbers of diverse
populations Cultural differences Economic
differences 4 Increasing divergence Areas
becoming different Diverging from coastal
areas and the rest of the state 5 Each
county, city, and unincorporated community has a
story to tell
13
Historical Growth in California 1950 1970 CA.
88.57 Valley not growing as fast (only
44) Bay area and coastal areas incredible
growth 1970 2000 CA. 69.8 Valley
103.1 Highest growth in the valley
Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno Madera (prison)
196.5
14
Population Growth 1990 2000 CA.
13.8 Valley 20.5 Madera
39.8 Kings 27.6 Kern 21.4 Stanislaus 2
0.6 Highest shift from North Valley to South
valley
15
(No Transcript)
16

• Population growth consequence of economic
  changeopportunity for a better life
• 70s 2000 characterized by
• Technology advances
• Cold war ending
• Contributed to the expansion of exports
• Valley
• 1 low cost of living
• affordable housing,
• inland movement from coastal areas,
• young families
• 2 higher birth rates
• 3 movement from abroad

17

• Growth effects
• More retail
• Crowded
• Pollution
• More consumer choices
• Faster population growth within cities
• Racially and ethnically changing
• Diversity increased in valley
• Highest in Tulare, Merced, Madera, Fresno,
  Kings

18
Urbanization in valley migration from
coast Future population projections in
comparison 2000 2010 2020 CA.
15.3 31.2 Valley 24.1 51 double in
valley (7 million) by 2040 What will that do to
Agriculture in the Valley? Fresno is 1 Ag
county in USA 3.4 billion
19

• Should we protect our Ag Land?
• Preserve open space
• Pollution/environment
• By policy, farmland should be protected
• ( policy protects land, not farmer)

20
1925
21
California AgricultureUrbanization
Between 1997 and 2002 California lost 8,282 farms
and 1,168,761 acres of farmland.
Census of Agriculture, 2002
22
Central Valley AgricultureUrbanization
6 of the top ten fastest growing counties in
California are in the Central Valley. All 7 San
Joaquin Valley counties made it into the states
top 20.
California Department of Finance 2003
23
Central Valley AgricultureUrbanization
From 1998-2000, the San Joaquin Valley led the
state as a region in conversion of irrigated
farmland to urban land- 8,072 acres (5,610 acres
were prime ag land).
FMMP, 2002
24
Central Valley HousingUnmet Housing Needs

• At the recent rate of construction, the following
  percentage of housing needs will be unmet from
  2000 to 2010

25
Cost of Community Services Studies
1.11
.31
.29
Median cost--per dollar of revenue raised--to
provide public services to different land uses.
American Farmland Trust Saving American
Farmland What Works
26
Bitter Fruit of Sprawl
27
Low Density Versus Higher Density Scenarios
28
How much land is being lost statewide?

• 1992 199785,200 acresPrime farmland
• Increase from the previous 5 year period15
• 500,000 acres of total farmland lost from 1988 to
  1998
• Could lose a million more by 2040
• Conversion of prime farmland is 30 faster than
  non-prime farmland

29
Statewide Farmland Loss...

• AFT classifies the Central California Valley as
  the most threatened farmland in the country
• Urbanization could consume or indirectly affect
  over 3.6 million acres of irrigated land, more
  than half of the 6.7 million irrigated acres in
  the 11 counties that comprise the Central Valley
  floor (AFT survey)
• Land converted to urban uses was 87,000 acres
  over a two year period 96-98.
• 22 of all land converted to urbanization is
  prime farmland

30
Regional Picture

• Regionally 10-11 of all prime farmland lost to
  urbanization in Valley
• Converted to urban use! (1996-98)
• Point is
• Land is being developed at ever increasing
  rates---significant of prime farmland is being
  destroyed

31
State mapping project

• designed to map Californias Land
• -- Used to determine
• 1 how much Ag land is lost
• 2- what type of Ag land is being lost,
• quality of soil, access to water

32
Farmland Mapping

• Assessment of farmland loss is for urban or other
  uses
• 48 (half) of all state land is mapped
• 98 of farmland is mapped
• Have to break down there are differences
• 1. Quality of soil for growing
• 2. Access to water (can land be irrigated?)
• 3. Topography (ex. Flat or sloped)

33
Water access for irrigation very important in
classifying land.

• Irrigation best of best ( most useful )
• 1.5 million irrigated acres in California 62
  (941,000) is in the Valley

34
Six categories of land

• 1. Prime Farm land
• most productive soil (highest quality) linked to
  higher yields and irrigation
• precious commodity
• 2. Farmland of statewide importance
• also irrigated land
• Soil of slightly lesser quality
• 3. Unique Farmland
• irrigated or non-irrigated
• soil less productive

35
Six categories of land continued

• 4. Farmland of local importance
• each county can determine or have power to
  designate
• board of supervisors can protect
• 5. Grazing land
• livestock grazing
• non-irrigated-poorest soil quality
• 6. Urban
• built up land
• was farmland and now is used for
  residential/commercial

36
Prime Farmland

• Best land is prime farmland
• 50 of whole state 4.3 million acres is prime
  farmland
• Out of 8.5 to 9 million acres of total farmland
• In San Joaquin Valley 49 of this prime
  farmland is in our 8 counties. (2.1 mil)

37
Farmland catagories

• 1- Prime farmland- 4.3 million
• 2- Farmland of statewide Importance 2 million
• 3- Unique 1 million
• ½ of all 1,2,3 land is in our SJ Valley 8
  counties!
• Why?...Soil, Water, Climate

38
As you recall

• CA. Valley is losing thousands of acres of prime
  farmland.
• Same trend in Stanislaus County
• Look at all the subdivisions
• Commercial development
• Retail
• Patterns of growth pose a threat in the Central
  Valley.
• Potential for urban/rural conflict
• Controlled growth?
• County must approve new cities, growth boundaries
  and annexations

39
Zone of conflict is urban edge

• For ExampleN. Modesto- McHenry
• car dealer alley
• ¼ community residential
• ¼ transportationroads
• ¼ jurisdiction to point of saleretail sales
• ¼ Ag land now or ???

40
Interest statewide to protect prime farmland..

• What are the options?
• 1. Use regulatory powers of gov. (police power)
  to conserve land available (Green belts,
  environmental sensitive areas, Ag buffer zones)
• 2. Use of special regional agencies that have
  control over boundaries of communities to protect
  farmland (Planning Commission).

41
More options?

• 3. Use tax incentives for landowners and local
  govs. to conserve local land (Williamson Act)
• 4. Use of innovative non-government tools to
  preserve land (transfer of developers
  rights/purchase of conservation easements).
• Farmland Trust
• 5. Linking of ag conservation to local economic
  development clusters promotes better economic
  value (business)

42
Even more options?

• 6. develop new ways of planning urban areas
  smart growth into less prime land (General
  Plan)
• 7. Sustain environment, encourage greater public
  involvement(initiatives on the ballot, Ag buffer
  zones, Green belts)
• best prime farmland is on boundaries of cities.
• It lands on the edge - zone of conflict
• keeps pushing the line (who?)

43
Local Zoning

• Divides jurisdiction into parts (zones)
• Establishes what is permitted, prohibited,
  permitted with permits
• What happens if you change zoning (rezoning)
  controversial with property rights

44
How to zone to protect ag?

• Set up special Ag buffer zones (typically in
  counties) ie. Turlock, Merced, Ceres
• Set minimum parcel size, not to go below a
  certain acreage (1, 5, 10, 20, 40)
• Minimum parcel sizes have increased over the
  years to restrict rural development and farmland
  conversion

45
Reading Assignments

• Nicolai V. Kuminoff, Alvin D. Sokolow and Daniel
  A. Sumner Farmland Conversion Perceptions and
  Realities . University of California
  Agricultural Issues Center Davis, CA
  Agricultural Issues Center Issues Brief
  number 16 http//www.farmlandinfo.org/documents/2
  9671/Brief_16.pdf
• Staley, Samuel R. The Vanishing Farmland Myth
  and the Smart-Growth Agenda. Reason Public
  Policy Institute, January 2000.
• http//www.rppi.org/urban/pb12.pdf

46
Journal

• After reading the articles from the web and
  considering our conversation in class answer the
  following
• In your opinion, do you think we should be
  concerned about the loss of agriculture land and
  why?
• In your opinion, what are the most promising
  options or tools to deal with this issue and why?
• Do you think that it is a viable alternative to
  allow our food source to be outside the United
  States and why?
• What is your general opinion concerning the class
  discussion on this issue?