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VIDEO. From the Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) meeting on Monday, July 10th, 2023 at 6:00pm, as a hybrid meeting.

 

San Mateo County Supervisor’s appointments to the Agricultural Advisory Committee, each for an initial partial term ending September 30th, 2026:

 

A) Cole Mazariegos-Anastassiou, representing Farmer/Grower (Brisa Ranch in Pescadero); and

“Brisa Ranch is a small, organic farm in beautiful Pescadero, California (just 45 minutes from the San Francisco Bay Area). Run and worked by three friends, Brisa Ranch is a diversified value-driven farm.”

 

B) Daniel Theobald, representing Agricultural Business (Twisted Fields in San Gregorio)

“We are a 127-acre research farm on the California coast dedicated to the advancement of automation in agriculture to allow humanity to farm sustainably—as nature intended—while still meeting the demands of modern agriculture. We do not use pesticides, GMOs, or other artificial agents on our crops.”

 

BACKGROUND:

The Agricultural Advisory Committee actively assists in the preservation of agriculture throughout San Mateo County through advice and recommendation to the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.

 

DISCUSSION:

Cole Mazariegos-Anastassiou is being recommended to serve representing Farmer/Grower, a seat formerly held by Louis Figone who no longer serves on the commission.

Daniel Theobald is being recommended to represent Agricultural Business, a seat formerly held by Lauren Silberman.

 

Cole Mazariegos-Anastassiou is a resident of Pescadero and the owner-operator of Brisa Ranch, a 20-acre diversified farm founded in 2018. He is a founder of the first chapter in California of the National Young Farmers Coalition, a nationwide organization that organizes and advocates for the voices of young and emerging farmers. He was recognized in 2021 by the California Alliance of Family Farmers as “New Farmer of the Year.” He has volunteered at the Peninsula Human Society and SPCA, Puppy Pound Rescue, Puente, and Pescadero High School. He is being appointed representing Farmer/Grower.

 

Daniel Theobald is a resident of San Gregorio and is the founder of Twisted Fields, a 127-acre research farm meant to study and address major challenges in agriculture, including developing ethical automation, agricultural sustainability, and resource stewardship. He previously founded Mass Robotics, a global nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of robotics for the good of all people. He is being appointed representing Agricultural Business.

 

 

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Watch on Pacifica Coast TV (PCTV).

Comments and questions by email.

 

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.

 

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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).