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Coastside Farmers Apply for a $250k USDA Grant to Explore “Food Hub” Business Model, Cooperative Marketing, Transportation, Cold Storage and Processing

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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, 2022
    Title
    Member
    Representing
    Farmer/Grower
  • John Vars
    1st Term
    Jan 26, 2021 to Jun 30, 2024
    Title
    Member
    Representing
    Farmer/Grower
  • Jonathan Winslow
    Partial Term
    Jan 25, 2022 to Jun 30, 2025
    Title
    Member
    Representing
    Public
  • James Oku
    Partial Term
    Jan 25, 2022 to Jun 30, 2025
    Title
    Vice Chair
    Representing
    Farmer/Grower
  • Ryan Casey
    Partial Term
    Jan 25, 2022 to Jun 30, 2025
    Title
    Chair
    Representing
    Farmer/Grower
  • Peter Marchi
    1st Term
    Aug 03, 2021 to Jul 01, 2025
    Title
    Member
    Representing
    Farmer/Grower
  • Daniel Theobald
    Partial Term
    Jul 11, 2023 to Jun 30, 2026
    Title
    Member
    Representing
    Agricultural Business
  • Cole Mazariegos-Anastassiou
    Partial Term
    Jul 11, 2023 to Jun 30, 2026
    Title
    Member
    Representing
    Farmer/Grower
  • Ray Mueller
    1st Term
    N/A N/A
    Title
    Supervisor
    Representing
    Board of Supervisors
  • Jim Howard
    No Term
    N/A N/A
    Title
    Non-Voting
    Representing
    USDA Natural Resources Conservation
  • Jess Brown
    No Term
    N/A N/A
    Title
    Non-Voting
    Representing
    Farm Bureau
  • Frank McPherson
    1st Term
    N/A N/A
    Title
    Non-Voting
    Representing
    UC Coop. Extension
  • Koren Widdel
    1st Term
    N/A N/A
    Title
    Non-Voting
    Representing
    Agricultural Commissioner

 

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2 thoughts on “Coastside Farmers Apply for a $250k USDA Grant to Explore “Food Hub” Business Model, Cooperative Marketing, Transportation, Cold Storage and Processing”

  2. 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.

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