III. Profiles of the Goleta Valley`s Urban Farms

Transcription

III. Profiles of the Goleta Valley’s Urban Farms
T
his section discusses the Goleta Valley’s remaining
farmland by looking briefly at the past, present and
future of each site. The valley has three large remaining
agricultural blocks—South Patterson, Bishop Ranch and
Hollister-San Marcos—identified in the Goleta Community
Plan as suitable for long-term agricultural use. It also has four
smaller farms that are zoned for agriculture: Fairview Gardens,
the Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) site, the Noel
Christmas Tree Farm and the Ellwood Canyon area. Six
additional farms discussed in this section are either zoned for
non-agricultural use or are used primarily as semi-rural estates.
All but one are still agriculturally productive. None are under
Williamson Act protection.
Strawberry fields and proud farmers in Isla Vista, 1950s.
In this section you may notice that some of the most productive farms have a soil classification of “non-prime.” You may wonder how some of the state’s richest
farmland could be called anything but prime.
The US Geological Survey defines prime (“Class I and II”) soils based on such factors as chemical attributes, water capacity, erodibility, permeability, and soil
rooting depth. The California Department of Conservation (DOC) defines prime farmland based on the same criteria, adding historical irrigation and water
availability, past use and other factors to their determination (the DOC classifications are used in this report).
Some of Goleta’s most productive land, however, is considered by one or both of these agencies as non-prime land. Fairview Gardens’ specialty fruits and
vegetables, John Givens’ wide variety of organic produce and the lush and exotic plants and flowers of the South Patterson area are examples of “non-prime” soils
supporting high value crops. The near-perfect growing climate and the skills and practices of our local farmers can transcend a strictly technical soil-type label.
When discussing the agricultural suitability of particular parcels, one of the first things that is usually cited is the soil classification. However, historic crop
production, farming potential and grower skill is often more instructive than the technical soil class.
Goleta Valley Urban Agriculture Newsletter
Profiles of the Goleta Valley’s Urban Farms
Why the “Prime Soils” Designation Tells Only Part of the Story
15
Bishop Ranch
At 287 acres, the area known as Bishop
Ranch is the second largest agricultural
area in urban Goleta. Located between
Highway 101 and Cathedral Oaks Road
between Glen Annie Road and Lake Los Carneros, the ranch is surrounded
on three sides by urban uses including an industrial park, medium-density
housing, and Dos Pueblos High School. To the north, across Cathedral
Oaks Road, the rest of the large ranch of which it is a part continues into
the foothills. Bishop Ranch consists of three parcels with three different
owners. Current agricultural production is limited to avocado and lemon
orchards on the two smaller parcels at the east and west ends of the site.
The center and largest parcel, which once supported extensive orchards
and row crops, is not currently farmed. The owner’s lack of interest in
farming the largest parcel and the shortage of available vacant residential
lands in the Goleta Valley also make it highly susceptible to development
pressure. The ranch has a long history of agricultural use; the site’s soils,
water resources, relationship to larger farming operations, and buffering
from surrounding urban uses make it suitable for long-term agriculture.
In the 1980 Comprehensive Plan, Bishop Ranch was designated for rural
agriculture and placed outside the Urban Rural Boundary Line.
16
Bishop Ranch in full production, July 1948, shown with current parcel boundaries for orientation.
Throughout the 1980s the owners considered development concepts of up
to 1,700 residential units for the site. In 1993, as part of the Goleta
Community Plan, the Board of Supervisors changed the Urban-Rural
Boundary to Cathedral Oaks Road, moving this site into the urban area
while retaining an agricultural designation due to its suitability for farming
and what at that time was a less urgent housing deficit. The Board of
Supervisors also indicated that if or when Bishop Ranch was considered
for development, the site should be considered as a Transfer of
Development Credit (TDC) receiver site, accepting development credits
from more environmentally sensitive, possibly coastal lands, in exchange
for “up-zoning” to residential. The Bishop Ranch is within the City of
Goleta, and its fate will be up to the City’s decision-makers. The proposal
for 1,700 housing units has resurfaced as of publication of this report.
Bishop Ranch
Size
Three parcels, 287 acres
Location
Northwest Goleta, between U.S. 101 and
Cathedral Oaks Rd. (City of Goleta)
Zoning
Agriculture-I, 40-acre minimum parcel size
Ownership
University Exchange Corp. (240 acres); Stow
Land Co. (25 acres); Cardio/Pulmo Medical
Group (22 acres).
Soils
A mix of prime and non-prime soils
Crops
Large center parcel is not currently farmed; lemon
and avocado orchards on smaller end parcels
Interview with Goleta Farmer
Dale Richards
Dale Richards is in charge of farming operations on the Stow Land Company’s 25-acre portion
of the Bishop Ranch, which is farmed together with approximately 660 more acres in the
foothills to the north. Mr. Richards has been in charge since 1991; before that it was farmed by
Garret Van Horne, the last descendent of the Stow family to do so.
Mr. Richards explains that the lemons grown onsite go to a packing house in Ventura, from
where they are eventually distributed by Sunkist Growers, Inc. The avocados go to the highest
paying “independent handler.”
Goleta Farmer
Dale Richards
Stow Land Company
When asked about the possible future of the orchards, Mr.
Richards speculates that it may eventually be developed,
although he’d be happy to keep farming it if not. The owners
have not expressed particular interest in improving or
expanding the orchards, indicating that farming may not be
part of the long-term plans. Either way, Mr. Richards expects
to continue farming for the foreseeable future on the adjacent
rural acreage the company owns.
17
South Patterson
Agricultural Block
The South Patterson Agricultural Block
consists of approximately 610 acres of row
crops, orchards and greenhouses stretching from Hollister Avenue to the
Pacific Ocean and bounded by Highway 217 on the west and Patterson
Avenue on the east. The area shown and discussed in this report goes
beyond the one first identified in the Goleta Community Plan because it
includes a 150-acre adjacent parcel zoned for utilities with a portion of its
land used for farming operations. The Giorgis, one of the county’s long
established farming families, operate a 50-acre lemon orchard on the
northernmost portion of the site. Below and around the orchard, John
Givens grows organic fruits and vegetables that are shipped nationwide on
about 100 acres. The Desales family (Goleta Valley Organics) farms
several acres of row crops along Patterson Avenue that they market mostly
locally. The nurseries and greenhouses flanking Patterson Avenue and on
the southern part of the site support the second largest flower and nursery
industry in the County, including Por La Mar nursery’s 114 acres, a
grower specializing in exotic palms, and several other nursery operations
of varying sizes. On the bluffs to the west, the Gas Company leases about
45 of its 150 acres to a flower grower and to a grower specializing in
asparagus seed.
18
Ornamental palms on a parcel near South Patterson Ave.
South Patterson Agricultural Block
Size
610 acres
Location
South of Hollister Ave, east of Ward Memorial
Blvd (Hwy 217) and west of Maria Ygnacio Creek,
extending to the ocean. (County of Santa Barbara)
Zoning
Agriculture-I, five and 10-acre minimum parcel
size. One parcel is zoned Public Utility but is
partially leased for farming
Ownership
So. Cal. Gas Co. (150 acres), Caird (114 acres);
Giorgi (65 acres); Pozzato (50 acres); Ocean View
Nursery (35 acres); Lowrey (33 acres); Groen Rose
Co. (18 acres); Zylstra (18 acres); and other
agricultural parcels ranging from 2 to 17.5 acres
Soils
Prime and non-prime
Crops
Lemon orchards, row crops, cut and potted plants,
flowers and ornamentals (both greenhouse and
open field)
The area has a long history of development proposals with several parcels
converted to urban development during the 1980s and 90s. In 1986 the 50acre Pozzato parcel, currently in organic row crops, was approved for a
golf course that was never constructed. During the Goleta Community
Plan process, the block’s landowners proposed an unsuccessful specific
plan for hundreds of housing units, a park and a commercial area. Much of
the site is within the airport’s designated approach zone, limiting
residential or commercial development based on the density of people it
could put at risk.
The continuing interest of some owners to develop parts of the South
Patterson Block together with the need for housing will lead to intense
consideration of the future of this agricultural and community resource in
the local planning process. The South Patterson Agricultural Block is
outside of, but adjacent to, the City of Goleta.
Greenhouses on the South Patterson Agricultural Block grow flowers and ornamental
plants. Lettuce grows on open fields in the foreground.
Left: Mr. Desales stands amid rows of his organic lettuce, for sale at Farmer’s Market (right).
19
South Patterson Agriculture Block (continued)
Interview with Goleta Farmer Ron Caird
Ron Caird grows ornamental plants on about 77 of his 114 acres in the South
Patterson Agricultural Area. He leases out most of the remaining 37 acres for
organically grown row crops. Por La Mar Nursery, Mr. Caird’s company, specializes
in mini-roses and hydrangeas; spring bulbs such as tulips, hyacinths and daffodils;
and potted ivy topiaries. Most of the production is done in open fields, with
greenhouses occupying roughly a quarter of the acreage. An application to build an
additional roughly 1 million square feet of greenhouses is currently under County
review.
On the benefits of farming in urban Goleta, Mr. Caird explains that he has “put down roots” here, and that
has helped the company build a strong staff. “People are really what make the business work.” Having
housing close by for Por La mar employees is a related benefit of operating in urban Goleta. Another is
the good relationship the business has established with their neighbors. Mr. Caird and his crew work hard
to respect the residents’ privacy and tranquility, even acquiring property next to Jordano’s to consolidate
the truck traffic and keep the neighborhood quieter.
Mr. Caird also extols Goleta’s mild climate, which he considers better even than Carpinteria’s for
growing flowers and ornamentals. (In fact, he says, the horticulture industry in Goleta predates
Carpinteria’s by almost a decade.) With less intense sundowner winds, a moderating breeze off the slough
and generally more stable climatic conditions, Goleta is an ideal place for the business. Goleta has less
fog and a longer day than the San Francisco Bay Area, where most of his competition is.
20
Drawbacks to farming in Goleta are few for Mr. Caird, who owns the land he farms. His most pressing
challenges are generally statewide rather than local issues, including energy prices and a rising minimum
wage, one of the country’s highest.
When asked about the future of farming in the South Patterson area, Mr. Caird answers by pointing out
his company’s major investment in and commitment to the operation and its continued growth, including
plans for more greenhouse space which are currently in process with the County. He plans to keep
farming in the South Patterson area “indefinitely, or until the County or City someday decides they no
longer want agriculture here.” Mr. Caird points out that given the high land values, intensive and high
value crops such as ornamental plants are generally more economically viable than row crops or orchards.
However, he continues, many of Goleta’s agricultural landowners have been here for many years, and as
long as that is the case he doesn’t foresee great changes for our urban farms.
Goleta Farmer
Ron Caird
Por La Mar Nursery
Interview with Goleta Farmer John Givens
John Givens is a local farming success story; he started out in Goleta in 1979 with less
than two acres. In 1990 he began farming in the South Patterson area on land that had
been vacant since its days as a lemon orchard operated by the Bosios, a long-time local
farming family. Mr. Givens remembers clearing tree stumps and piles of junk on what
would later become some of the most commercially thriving agricultural acreage in
urban Goleta. Givens’ crew now farms about 100 acres in the South Patterson area and
40 more about two miles away, just outside of the urban boundary.
Givens Ranch, which employees up to 70 people in high season, produces a variety of
organically grown row crops including lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, squash, carrots and more. About 95
percent of the revenue comes from wholesale shipping, mostly within the U.S., although some goes as far as
Saudi Arabia. The rest of the income is from farmer’s markets, six each week from Hollywood to Goleta.
John expects farmer’s market revenues to nearly double with the opening of two new markets in the Los
Angeles area.
Goleta Farmer
John Givens
Givens Ranch
On the benefits of farming in Goleta, Mr. Givens begins with the climate. Farming in Goleta is convenient
because of its proximity to his biggest market, Southern California. The urban location also makes it easier
for trucks to find the farm and get to and from Highway 101. Although Mr. Givens does not consider his
portion of the South Patterson area the best farmland in Goleta, the sandy soil has the benefit of being
relatively light and easy to work, and his composting program has greatly improved the quality of soil.
On the drawbacks, Mr. Givens first points out that his employees can’t afford to live near the farm; as a result
many commute from Lompoc and other cities. Another uniquely urban problem is occasional conflict with
neighbors, a situation partially eased by the County’s adoption of the Right to Farm Ordinance. As a shipper
competing with farms that average several times larger, Mr. Givens also cites his need to expand; but in
Goleta there’s little land left, and most of the farmable properties are too small to support economies of scale
(as acreage increases, overhead costs per acre decrease). Finally, the land he farms is shrinking, primarily
because of development speculation and possible greenhouse expansion. He has four landlords, and that
leads to a less than secure long-term farming outlook.
John Givens is a frank realist when it comes to speculating on the future of the South Patterson area;
although he would be happy to continue farming it, he believes development may be inevitable. St.
Athanasius Church has cancelled several acres of his lease on their parcel in preparation for development,
and another landlord has plans to build greenhouses on ground he leases. On the future of Goleta’s urban
farms: “It’s too late. The best land in Goleta, from Hollister to just north of Calle Real, is already paved
over. The only reason that the South Patterson area is still farmed is because of the airport approach hazard,
the flood plain and the soggy ground. And lots of the farmable pieces that are left elsewhere in Goleta are
too small to be farmed economically.”
21
Hollister-San Marcos
Agricultural Area
The Hollister-San Marcos agricultural area
consists of approximately 51 acres, all of
prime soils. Three agricultural businesses lease or own land in this
collection of six agriculturally-zoned parcels: San Marcos Growers
wholesale nursery, Lane Family Farms, whose operation includes a
roadside produce stand on Hollister Avenue, and an orchid nursery and
orchard.
As discussed in Section I, the Hollister-San Marcos area was a larger
block of farmland that is slowly shrinking. The most recent loss was 12
acres converted from agricultural zoning to residential which now houses
the 52-unit Sungate project built in the late 1980’s. Vista del Sol, another
52-unit housing development, was proposed but never built on the 11-acre
northwest field. Several years later, as part of the 1993 Goleta Community
Plan, the County rezoned the largest parcel (27 acres) from residential to
agriculture to match the other parcels. The Hollister-San Marcos area is
located outside of the new City of Goleta boundaries.
22
Hollister-San Marcos Agricultural Area
Size
6 parcels, 51 acres
Location
South of US Hwy 101 and North of Hollister
Ave, between Patterson Avenue and Turnpike
Road (County of Santa Barbara)
Zoning
Agriculture-I, five-acre minimum parcel size
Ownership
Hodges (32 acres); Lane (11.5 acres);
McCloskey (7 acres)
Soils
Prime soils
Crops
Row crops, orchards and nurseries.
Interview with Goleta Farmer
Randy Baldwin
Randy Baldwin is the general manager of San Marcos Growers, a wholesale
nursery located on 20 acres of the Hollister-San Marcos area. San Marcos Growers
raises a wide range of ornamental plants, from sub-aquatic to large trees with over
1,500 different plants in production on fifteen acres of fields, and three of
greenhouses and shade structures. San Marcos Growers has been in business at the
site since 1979; previous crops included walnuts, citrus and avocados.
About fifty percent of San Marcos Growers’ product is sold through other
wholesale and retail nurseries. The other half is sold to landscape architects and
their contractors. Of those, the biggest accounts are large companies, including
Disneyland and Disneyworld, that do their own landscaping. San Marcos Growers employs 47 people and
brings in gross revenues of about $3 million per year.
Mr. Baldwin cites climate as the number one benefit of farming in Goleta. He points out, however, that
although not everybody knows it there are temperature extremes: in the 1860s the temperature broke 130°,
and frost is not uncommon. When the land was purchased it was also affordable, a benefit at the time.
Goleta Farmer
Randy Baldwin,
San Marcos Growers
As residential development encroaches, Mr. Baldwin explains, growers have to be more sensitive about
perceived risks from pesticides and complaints from neighbors. San Marcos Growers is located near a
school, requiring extra caution and sensitivity. Accordingly, they use integrated pest management, which
leads to less chemical use, and exercise extra caution with chemicals, which are never applied during
school hours. They have also worked with developers to inform new tenants of the realities of living near
active agriculture. When neighbors do have concerns, he and his crew respond quickly. Time clock bells
have been modified and other steps are taken to dampen noise and lights in the early morning when work
starts.
On the future of his operation, Mr. Baldwin guesses that the nursery will be around for years to come, but
that within a couple of decades it may end up as a candidate for development. He would like to keep
farming it as long as possible, and also appreciates the benefit of the open space to the community. He
would prefer that Goleta retain some farmland and open space and avoid being converted entirely to
development like he has seen in Palmdale and Lancaster, or even west Goleta. At the same time, Mr.
Baldwin recognizes that as the demand for housing grows, filling in the urban spaces has to be weighed
against extending development into the Gaviota Coast and rural foothills.
23
Interview with Goleta Farmer John Lane
John Lane farms about 20 acres of the Hollister-San Marcos area. The Lane family
started farming in Goleta in 1868, making them one of the area’s longest established
farming families. Mr. Lane has farmed almost every urban agricultural parcel in Goleta
at one time or another, working up to 200 acres at one time. He first farmed in the San
Marcos/Hollister area in 1975, when he replaced the walnut grove with row crops. He
returned again in 1997 to take over from Peter Risley, under whom the farm stand on
Hollister Avenue gained a loyal customer base. Mr. Lane farms about 25 additional
acres in the Goleta area, including three (known seasonally as the pumpkin patch) on
Walnut off of Hollister, where they operate a second produce stand. The Lanes employ
about 12 people between the fields and the produce stands, some of them seasonal or
part-time.
Lane Family Farms specializes in a wide variety of organically grown row crops including sweet corn,
strawberries, tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, pumpkins and other winter and summer squash, and lettuce.
The produce is sold locally through the two farm stands, farmer’s markets and a handful of local produce
stores. Some is occasionally sold to a local or regional distributor.
On the benefits of farming in urban Goleta, John Lane puts having the market and consumers so close to the
farm at the top of the list. Being able to sell directly to the consumer instead of going through a distributor or
shipper is a great advantage.
24
Mr. Lane explains that one of the drawbacks is that land in Goleta is too
expensive for the average farmer to buy, so most have to lease. The uncertainty
of farming land that is leased and/or has development pressure is a
disadvantage; a farmer never knows how long they’ll be on a particular piece
of ground. He considers himself lucky to have a lease at the Hollister-San Marcos San Marcos/
area because the owners have not expressed an immediate interest in
development. Another challenge is the price of metered water for farmers that
don’t have wells, even when drip irrigation is used. More of Goleta’s open
land could be farmed even now (and Mr. Lane says that he would be the first in
line to farm it) if it wasn’t for the often prohibitive cost of establishing a water
meter*.
John Lane says that he would like to keep farming in Goleta, and hopes that
some farmland will remain. However, “farming has not stopped a
development in Goleta yet.”
[* The Goleta Water District’s base charge to establish a one-inch agricultural water meter is $45,623; base cost for a twoinch meter is over $300,000. Water bills vary; one small farm in Goleta reports monthly water costs that vary seasonally
from a couple of hundred to over a thousand dollars.]
Goleta Farmer
John Lane
Lane Family Farms
Fairview Gardens
Fairview Gardens’ fertile 12 acres, now
completely surrounded by roads and
houses, was founded in 1895 and may be
the oldest organic farm in southern
California. While development has engulfed surrounding farms and open
space, Fairview Gardens has fought to remain. The mid-1980s saw the
loss of 20 acres of orchards and row crops to tract houses on the two
parcels to the north, and until 1993 the farm itself was zoned for housing.
In addition to resisting development pressures, the farm’s manager had to
defend against complaints about rooster calls, tractor dust and compost.
Some of the complaints were handled through obtaining permits.
Eventually, however, the complaints were stopped through education; one
of the principle reasons for Fairview’s perseverance has been a readiness
to bring their urban neighbors onto the farm and educate them about the
farm and its benefits. Many of those who complained became supporters
and now depend on the farm for fresh produce. Fairview Gardens offers
the area’s only Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, where
people pay a lump sum at the beginning of the prime growing season for a
“share” of the farm’s produce, which they receive weekly from spring
through late fall in the form of assorted, just-picked seasonal food. In 1997
the owner sold the land to the nonprofit Center for Urban Agriculture after
negotiating an agricultural conservation easement.
Fairview Gardens
Size
12 acres, 1 parcel
Location
North Fairview Ave one block south of Cathedral
Oaks Road. (City of Goleta)
Zoning
Ownership
Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview
Gardens.
Soils
Non-Prime
Crops
A wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including
orchards and row crops; onsite produce stand.
Fairview Gardens, looking north. The Goleta Public Library is in the lower left
(southwest) corner of the farm. The produce stand is visible at the top left, at the
corner of North Fairview and Stow Canyon Road.
our of Goleta’s remaining farms sit outside the three major
agricultural blocks. Until recently, all four were highly
productive. Today, two are proposed for development.
25
Besides growing and marketing organic produce, Fairview Gardens
teaches people from the community and visitors from all over the world
about urban agriculture. Visitors to the produce stand are encouraged to
tour the farm and see where and how the food is grown. The farm
manager, Michael Ableman, is the author of two books on agriculture and
lectures all over the world.
A Conservation Success
Of over 1,000 acres of urban farmland in Goleta, most of which is
agriculturally zoned, only Fairview Gardens’ 12 acres are
permanently ensured to remain in agriculture. Fairview Gardens
is protected by an agriculture conservation easement, a legal
agreement between the farm’s owner and the Land Trust for Santa
Barbara County. Under the terms of the easement Fairview
Gardens will remain a working farm and educational facility in
perpetuity. Fairview Gardens is somewhat unique because the
farm became a non-profit center to promote urban agriculture after
the easement was recorded. In contrast, most agricultural
conservation easements are sold or donated by the landowner, who
then retains ownership and continues to farm (and live on or rent
out) the land as they see fit, profiting from the produce and also
benefiting from tax credits and/or reduced taxes, in some cases, as
a result of the development restrictions.
26
“Some people have asked why preserving this tiny farm is so important. There is farmland everywhere, they say. But this effort is not just about
this little farm. Fairview Gardens is emblematic of what has happened all over this country. Small farms are disappearing at a staggering rate:
forty-six acres of prime farmland are being converted to non-agricultural use each hour. I felt that if we could preserve this land in one of the most
expensive real estate markets in the world, then our example could be used anywhere.”
-Michael Ableman, from his book On Good Land
The 17-acre MTD site (so called because it
is owned by the Metropolitan Transit
District) is directly south of the new Forte
Ranch condominium and estate housing
development, between the new condominiums and Highway 101. The
owners before MTD could see the site from their house in Hope Ranch,
and bought it in the 1960s to keep it from development. When MTD
bought the site in the late 1980s, they planned to build a bus maintenance
and storage facility there. The property was rezoned for agriculture in the
1993 Goleta Community Plan, while the 33 acres of orchards that now
make up Forte Ranch were rezoned to residential uses. The MTD site was
originally part of a walnut and lemon orchard, which was later replaced by
row crops. In the 1980s the farm went to Gypsophila flowers. These were
the main crop when local farmer Steve Musick took over the operation.
MTD is in the early stages of planning a long term lease to a developer to
build 400 – 600 apartments, putting the site’s agricultural future in doubt.
The MTD parcel remains outside of the City of Goleta boundaries.
MTD
Size
3 parcels, 17 acres
Location
US Hwy 101 and Turnpike Rd (County of Santa
Barbara)
Zoning
Ownership
Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District
Soils
Non-prime
Crops
Currently not farmed
MTD
The Forte Ranch Development, directly north of the MTD site in eastern Goleta, replaces
foothill avocado orchards, November 2001.
27
Profile of Goleta Farmer Steve Musick
Steve Musick has farmed several sites in the Goleta Valley over the last two decades, including
the MTD site and the Bradley Ranch at Ellwood Canyon. During the seven years Mr. Musick
farmed the MTD site he grew tomatoes, watermelons, garlic, peppers, figs, cut flowers and
other crops. In 1991, he started raising organically grown salad mix and spinach, producing as much as
2,000 pounds per acre each week. Weekly revenues from salad alone were over $3,000 per acre.
Mr. Musick says that “Goleta has the best climate and soils in the world for farming. It never rains in the
summer (unless I’m harvesting garlic!). And your market is all around you.” Pressed to name the
drawbacks, Musick said “the climate is so good for year-round growing, you can never get a rest.” Now
the development pressures are the biggest challenge. “Landowners have exchanged the challenge and
opportunity of marketing food to a large market base of neighbors for speculation on development and
paving over the rich farmland.”
Mr. Musick’s vision for the MTD site is a unique form of “mixed-use:” housing and farming on the same
site, each complimenting and supporting the other. “What has driven land use in Goleta for the last two
centuries is manipulation by the rich and powerful. In that same time what has changed is tremendous
interest in fresh food from the surrounding population. This population needs to exercise their democratic
right to force the decision-makers to recognize the incredible heritage and agricultural value of ‘The
Good Land.’”
28
Steve Musick discing on the MTD site, 1995. The
tractor in the background is working on installation
of the Forte Ranch condos.
Ellwood Canyon
Size
33 acres in 5 parcels
Location
Far northwest Goleta between the urban
boundary line and Cathedral Oaks Road. (City
of Goleta)
Ownership
Bradley Family (27 acres), Beard (4.5 acres)
Miller (1.5 acres)
Zoning
Agriculture-I, 10-acre minimum parcel size
Soils
Prime
Crops
Primarily cut and potted flowers, some orchards
The 26.5-acre Bradley Ranch is the largest
property in this 32-acre cluster of
agriculturally-zoned parcels at the far
western edge of urban Goleta. The attractive
valley-bottom farm stands in sharp contrast to the housing developments
that border it on two sides. Currently two producers work on the Bradley
property: Lance Birk grows a range of cut flowers on five field acres, and
Robert Wood uses one acre to grow potted Canna lilies, both outdoors and,
in winter, in the greenhouse. The remaining acreage is partly uncultivated
and partly in remnant orchards and natural vegetation. The next-largest
parcel (Beard) supports roughly three acres of remnant orchards and a
single-family house. All parcels are within the new City of Goleta.
Ellwood Canyon
Canna Lilly
29
Noel Christmas
Tree Farm
Like most of the sites discussed here,
the 26-acre Christmas Tree Farm was
recently part of a larger agricultural
block that has been gradually chipped away at by development. Before
Christmas Trees became the main crop, the site was a lemon and an
avocado orchard. During the Goleta Community Plan process, the owner,
Larry Cavaletto, elected to keep agricultural zoning on the farm to allow
onsite sales of Christmas trees directly to the public. Around the same
time, Sunrise Village was developed nearby and the Cathedral Pointe
residences were built further up the street.
In December 2001 the County received the owners’ proposal for a rezone
that would allow for at least 85 housing units of mixed types on the site’s
prime soils. The Christmas Tree Farm is outside of the City of Goleta
boundaries.
30
Leyland Cypress
Noel Christmas Tree Farm
Size
3 parcels, 26 acres
Location
South of Cathedral Oaks Road, on west side
of Patterson Avenue (County of Santa
Barbara)
Zoning
Ownership
Cavaletto Family LP
Soils
Prime soils
Crops
Christmas Trees
Carrigan and Tosta
Size
Location
Zoning
Ownership
Crops
8 acres
Just south of Cathedral Oaks Road
and east of Patterson Avenue
(County of Santa Barbara)
1-E-1
Carrigan (2 acres), Tosta (6 acres)
The smaller parcel is primarily
macadamia nuts; the larger is
primarily cherimoyas and
avocados.
Roman Catholic Archbishops
Size
Location
Zoning
Ownership
Crops
9 acres
Calle Real at Calaveras Avenue
(City of Goleta)
C-1 and Dr-4.6 (commercial and
residential)
Roman Catholic Archbishops
Row crops
These nine acres of prime soils are leased by John
Lane of Lane Family Farms who grows a variety of
row crops there.
Profile of Goleta Farmer
Anthony Tosta
Tony Tosta farms six acres
near Patterson Avenue and
Cathedral Oaks Road. He remembers
hunting doves in the neighborhood when
farms and open space surrounded his place
instead of houses. As people have moved in,
Mr. Tosta has had to make a few changes,
such as putting up fencing around the
orchard. The property has the potential to
become one-acre residential lots under its
current zoning designation.
Mr. Tosta acknowledges the challenges
posed by farming in an urban area. In his
experience, the newer the neighbors, the less
likely that they will understand what it means
to live around agriculture. He recognizes the
challenges the future holds for small farmers
in Goleta. Nevertheless, Mr. Tosta intends to
keep the agricultural heritage alive on his
farm as long as possible. He sells his
cherimoyas to small retailers, contract
harvesters, individuals and occasionally to
distributors.
“I intend to be up here until I die. I intend to
keep growing whatever I can and selling it as
long as possible. It’s tradition. My father
and his uncles started farming in Los Alamos
in 1915, dry farming beans. Before that they
farmed in the old country. Ten, maybe fifteen
generations of farming all ended up on this
farm. I’m not planning to go anywhere.”
ll but one of the following six small farms are
agriculturally productive, though only one is
zoned specifically for agriculture. Some of
them are used primarily as semi-rural estates but also
retain some agricultural use.
31
Philip
Size
Location
6.5 acres
Stow Canyon Road near Carlo Drive
(City of Goleta)
10-R-1 (residential)
Zoning
Philip
Ownership
Avocados
Crops
This small orchard is located just east of Stow Grove County Park, adjacent to San Pedro Creek. It touches the inside
northern edge of the new City boundaries.
Herold
10 acres
Size
Northeast of North Fairview and Cathedral Oaks Road (City of Goleta)
Location
1-E-1 (residential)
Zoning
Herold
Ownership
Avocados
Crops
Located inside the northern boundary of the new City of Goleta, this collection of parcels with varying acreages of
orchard trees rises gently into the beginnings of the foothills.
Nuñez and Giordano
16 acres
Size
Southwest of San Antonio Creek Road and Highway 154 (County of Santa Barbara)
Location
Agriculture-I
Zoning
Nuñez and Giordano
Ownership
Not farmed
Crops
This collection of parcels on the northeastern edge of the unincorporated area’s urban boundary is zoned for
agriculture but not currently farmed.
32
Rancho Tecolote
13 acres
Size
On the bluffs east of More Mesa (County of Santa Barbara)
Location
2.5-EX-1 (residential)
Zoning
Pelissero
Ownership
Avocados and lemons
Crops
This coastal farm, located between Hope Ranch and More Mesa, is planted in equal areas of avocados and lemons.
It is farmed by the owner and one employee.
Recommended Reading
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
County of Santa Barbara Comprehensive Plan Agricultural Element
County of Santa Barbara Goleta Community Plan, Chapter II.f.
County of Santa Barbara Right-to-Farm Ordinance Brochure
Santa Barbara County 2030: Our Open Space, County of Santa Barbara
Status of Agriculture, County of Santa Barbara
Conservation Options: A Landowner's Guide from Land Trust Alliance
On Good Land: Autobiography of an Urban Farm, Michael Ableman
For More Information
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Planning and Development, Abe Leider, 568-2000
Agricultural Commissioner's Office, William Gillette, 681-5600
City of Goleta, 961-7500
Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market, 962-5354
Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens
598 N. Fairview Avenue, 967-7369, www.fairviewgardens.org
Goleta Valley Land Trust, 964-4905
Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, 966-4520
Land Trust Alliance, www.lta.org
Staff Acknowledgments
Dianne Meester, Assistant Director
Daniel Gira, Deputy Director (former)
Susana Montana, Deputy Director
Lisa Plowman, Supervising Planner
Abe Leider, Project Manager
Matt Murdock, Planner
Jot Splenda, Planner
Abigail Thom, Public Information Assistant
Elise Dale, Consultant
Mark Bright, Mapping Section Chief
Kevin Spencer, Mapping Technician
Kirsten Zecher, Mapping Technician
Special Thanks
Michael Ableman, Fairview Gardens
Randy Baldwin, San Marcos Growers
Ronald Caird, Por la Mar Nursery
Robin Cederlof, Goleta Valley Historical Society
David Chang, Agricultural Commissioner's Office
Peter Desales, Goleta Valley Organics
Jim Fox, Southern California Gas Company
William Gillette, Agricultural Commissioner
John Givens, Givens Farms
Felix Gomez, Ag Land Services
Maria Grijalva, Agricultural Commissioner's Office
John Lane, Lane Farms
Matthew Logan, Fairview Gardens
Steve Musick
Dale Richards, Stow Ranch
Stephanie Stark, Agricultural Commissioner's Office
Anthony Tosta
33

III. Profiles of the Goleta Valley`s Urban Farms

Transcription

Similar documents

G52 - Project Clean Water

20th Annual Lemon Festival in Goleta

City of Goleta - County of Santa Barbara

GVAA APRIL Newsletter 2015

2693 Summerchase Lane Sec. A Lot 14 of Aldwyck 8.41 Acres

178 John Aselford Driveway, Kanata K2W 1A8 Property Feature Sheet

59 Acres Westlock Brochure 28.04.2016

Freedom Business Park - Powell`s Point, NC

Brochure