Rachel Elkins, County Director and Pomology Farm Advisor, UCCE Lake County and Kelly Cox, Administrative Officer, County of Lake

1
UCCE and County GovernmentCollaboration Leads
to AgriculturalEconomic Development Benefits
(1999-2005)
Rachel Elkins, County Director and Pomology Farm
Advisor, UCCE Lake County and Kelly Cox,
Administrative Officer, County of Lake
Collaborators Lake County Board of Supervisors,
Lake County Business Outreach Response Team,
Lake County Cattlemens Association, Community
Development Services, Lake County Farm Bureau,
Lake County Farmers and Neighbors Planning
Committee, Lake County Farmers Finest, Lake
County Marketing Economic Development Program,
Lake County Chapter California Women for
Agriculture, Lake County Winegrape Commission, UC
Agricultural Issues Center, UC California
Communities Program , UC Center for Cooperatives,
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA
Risk Management Agency, West Lake Resource
Conservation District

STRATEGY 1 Strengthen Lake County
Agricultural Land Use Policy
2004 Update Californias Lake County Farm
Trails Backroads, Shopping Tours brochure
STRATEGY 2 Implement an Agricultural
Economic Development Program
There is a struggle to maintain viable
agricultural lands in Lake County
2002 Conduct Pre-Feasibility Study of a Lake
County Marketing Cooperative
1999 Strengthen Local Right-to-Farm Ordinance

• Increasingly difficult for farmers to finance
  land and
• operation
• More competition with imports
• More wholesale and retail consolidation
• Rising costs of inputs
• Increasing regulations
• Increasing urban flight in-migration
• Escalating land values
• Increasing conversion of land to non-farm uses
  
• Increasing conflict with non-farming neighbors
• Increasing fragmentation of land
• Permanent loss of land

Funding from the Lake County Marketing Program.
Funding from UC California Communities Program
for Intern Matt Wacker. (Collaborator UC
Extension Specialist Al Sokolow)

• Includes
• History
• Map
• Listings
• Events
• Activities
• Tours
• Recipes

Funding from UC Center for Cooperatives for
Intern Andy Lucas (Collaborator Shermain
Hardesty)

• Affirms the value of agricultural activities
• Primarily an educational tool
• Helps prevent small complaints from growing
  into major lawsuits.
• Useful for county officials dealing with
  complaints.

• Determine whether a local marketing cooperative
• would be feasible or valuable
• Satisfy the expressed need for alternative and
  increased marketing avenues by individuals and
  pre-existing organized groups
• Assist in developing and enhancing services for
  agriculture in financing, marketing, and
  alternative crops

2003/2004 Develop and Present2004 Solutions for
Todays Farmers Conference
WHY do we care?
Role in local economy Orderly development of new
economic sectors Community values, unique
identity, sense of place, tradition Protects
environmental values, provides open
space Maintain opportunity for future generations
Funding from CCP for Intern DArcy Dornan.
Additional funding from Lake County Board of
Supervisors and local grower entities. Funds for
mailings and publicity were contributed by UC
Agricultural Issues Center USDA RMA.
2005 Available online http//www.lakecountyag.co
m
Provided resources and ideas
2001 Develop Present Community Forum on
Agricultural Conservation Easements

• A 1.5 day conference
• 2 plenary sessions with 8 speakers
• and 9 workshops with 34 panelists.
• Lake County farm and food products
• Over 125 attendees
• Inspiration for further collaborative
• solutions
• Resources available online

UCCE Responds to the Problem
Funding from CCP for lntern Nancy-Clair Laird
(Collaborator UC Extension Specialist Al
Sokolow)

• Experiences from other counties Marin Ag Land
  Trust, Sonoma County Land Trust, Sonoma Open
  Space District
• Local panel Grower, Appraiser Lender,
  County Community Development, Realtor
• Over 70 attendees
• Resulted in development of the Lake County
  Agricultural Easement Program (ACE)
• managed by West Lake RCD

By Developing Collaborations for Mutually
Beneficial Solutions

• Develop strengthen partnerships
• Engage local planning committees
• Find expert technical assistance
• Develop funding sources
• Integrate strategies for solutions
• Develop and maintain delivery systems
• Develop and use measurement tools
• Share successes!

Kelly Cox, Lake County Administrative Officer,
answers the questionsHow Are Agricultural
Marketing Issues and Needs Being Addressed?.

• Topics included
• crop diversification
• organic farming
• agri-tourism
  
• marketing strategies

2005 Expand Lake County Ag Tourism Program
Funding from Lake County Marketing Program.
Widespread expansion of ag-tourism focused on
Lake County Farmers Finest (farmers and
supporters) organization.
4-H Youth volunteers performed community service
assisting with food service.
Samples of local products
Surveying resources developed for the conference.