Our Endangered Farmlands
by Velma Gentzsch

Spans of green fields, rolling ranchlands, hillsides covered in vineyards and rows of fruit trees proclaim the rich agricultural heritage of our countryside. Unfortunately, this rural landscape is in danger of being paved over all over the country, especially here in the Bay Area. When farmland is replaced with single-use, low-density sprawling suburbs, habitat and open space are also lost forever.

Poorly planned, sprawling, auto-centered development has many negative consequences that degrade the quality of life for the people in urban areas. As taxpayers move out to the fringe suburbs, city cores crumble. Bay Area residents are familiar with the problems this exodus creates — traffic congestion, lack of affordable housing, and air and water pollution. These problems are a constant reminder that protecting farmland is key to preserving our quality of life.

More than 3.2 million acres of farmland in the United States is being lost each year — an area about five times the size of Yosemite National Park. California alone loses about 300,000 acres per year. Santa Clara County, once covered with orchards, has already lost much of its farmland to development. In 1940 there were 106,000 acres of fruits and nuts harvested in Santa Clara County. In 1998, just 4,500 acres remained.

What farmland the Bay Area has left is very productive. Unfortunately, it is desired for houses as well as crops. Prime farmland is gently sloping and well-drained, often situated along rivers and bodies of water, making it good for development as well as agriculture.

As cities grow, it is precisely our best farmlands that are lost to development. This is especially true in California. The City of Los Angeles and Silicon Valley are built upon the stumps of orange groves and fruit orchards.

Farmlands of our nation's food basket, the Great Central Valley, shrivel as towns such as Bakersfield, Fresno, Merced, Modesto, Stockton, and Redding spawn tract homes, shopping malls, and freeways. Locally, farms near Gilroy and Castroville, which produce most of the garlic and artichokes consumed in the U.S., lie dangerously close to expanding urban centers.

The protection of these farmlands is vital to our future, ensuring that farmers can continue to farm and that open space and livable communities will exist for future generations.

The Committee has long recognized this. In San Mateo County, our strong zoning laws and urban growth boundaries are due in large part to the Committee's work protecting the open space and farmland of the area. In Santa Clara County, we are working hard to protect Coyote Valley, some of the last prime farmland in the South Bay, and ranch lands along the hills to the south.

The battle to protect green space, of which farmland is a vital part, is a battle that the Committee has fought and will continue to fight to ensure that green fields — and our quality of life — are protected for future generations.

Buy local!
There is one thing that you can do right now to help protect farmlands and our future — buy local! For farming to be feasible, farmers need to be supported, not only with law and lobbying, but also in the market. Going to the local farmer's market does more than guarantee that you have quality food; it is an investment in a quality life for years to come. For information on local farmers' markets visit:
www.sfgate.com/eguide/food/farmersmarkets
www.sallys-place.com/food/farmers_markets/sf_mkts.htm
www.seasonalchef.com/nocallistsummer.htm
www.bayinsider.com/restaurants/food/reviews/
farmers_markets_004.html