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VIDEO. From the San Mateo County Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) meeting on Monday, October 16th, 2022 at 7:00pm by Zoom.
Agenda Item: Presentation on efforts to establish a food hub for San Mateo County.
Presenters
- Verónica Mazariegos-Anastassiou (Brisa Ranch)
- James Nakahara (Kitchen Table Advisors)
- Kathy Webster (LeftCoast Grassfed)
- Eliza Milio (San Mateo Resource Conservation District)
San Mateo County Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) Meetings ~ 2nd Monday @ 6:00pm
AAC Agendas and Zoom Links
Mission Statement
The purpose of this Committee is to assist in the achievement of the objectives of the Planned Agricultural District Ordinance and the San Mateo County Local Coastal Program.
The Williamson Act
The Williamson Act is a means to restrict the uses of agricultural and open space lands to farming and ranching uses during the length of the contract period. The Williamson Act Program was also envisioned as a way for local governments to integrate the protection of open space and agricultural resources into their overall strategies for planning urban growth patterns.
To this end, three principal objectives were originally outlined.
Protection of Agricultural Resources
Preservation of Open Space Land
Promotion of Efficient Urban Growth Patterns
AAC Members
15 members, consisting of one Agricultural Business, one Conservationist, seven Farmer/Growers, two Public Members and four Non-Voting members (Executive Director, San Mateo County Farm Bureau; Executive Director, National Resource Conservation Service NRCS; County Director, UC Cooperative Extension; and County Agricultural Commissioner).
- Natalie Sare
1st Term
Jun 25, 2019 to Jun 30, 2022Title
MemberRepresenting
Farmer/Grower - John Vars
1st Term
Jan 26, 2021 to Jun 30, 2024Title
MemberRepresenting
Farmer/Grower - Jonathan Winslow
Partial Term
Jan 25, 2022 to Jun 30, 2025Title
MemberRepresenting
Public - James Oku
Partial Term
Jan 25, 2022 to Jun 30, 2025Title
Vice ChairRepresenting
Farmer/Grower - Ryan Casey
Partial Term
Jan 25, 2022 to Jun 30, 2025Title
ChairRepresenting
Farmer/Grower - Peter Marchi
1st Term
Aug 03, 2021 to Jul 01, 2025Title
MemberRepresenting
Farmer/Grower - Daniel Theobald
Partial Term
Jul 11, 2023 to Jun 30, 2026Title
MemberRepresenting
Agricultural Business - Cole Mazariegos-Anastassiou
Partial Term
Jul 11, 2023 to Jun 30, 2026Title
MemberRepresenting
Farmer/Grower - Ray Mueller
1st Term
N/A N/ATitle
SupervisorRepresenting
Board of Supervisors - Jim Howard
No Term
N/A N/ATitle
Non-VotingRepresenting
USDA Natural Resources Conservation - Jess Brown
No Term
N/A N/ATitle
Non-VotingRepresenting
Farm Bureau - Frank McPherson
1st Term
N/A N/ATitle
Non-VotingRepresenting
UC Coop. Extension - Koren Widdel
1st Term
N/A N/ATitle
Non-VotingRepresenting
Agricultural Commissioner
Author: Coastside Buzz
Me
Here is one newish food hub getting under way with no quarter-million-dollar study needed: https://modocharvest.org/food-hub/
At its essence, this is a co-op model. It is being considered and tried mostly by a younger generation of farmers and ranchers in some of the most rural (and, surprisingly, red) agricultural regions of California in an effort to provide economic stability for smaller independent operations with one benefit being more nutritious food for low-income people. The small operations tend to grow more food on less land (including more and better meat per acre employing more intelligent grazing regimes) so there can be long-term environmental benefits.
I have no clue if it would pencil out in our county given the costs to producers here and the corrupted urban mindset of governmental decision-makers, but we have enough small farmers and ranchers to give it a go. A few of these independents can be met at the farmer’s markets in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay.