Shaping the Community Stewardship Ethic
ABOUT
The Green Valley Agricultural Conservancy (Conservancy) is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate and perpetuate the tradition of the working landscapes that have characterized this part of Solano County for well over 150 years.
The Conservancy’s approach is to promote sustainable food and agriculture systems as a means of creating a synergy between the agricultural lands, the built and natural environments, community health and natural resource stewardship.
Founded in May of 2010, the Conservancy provides mechanisms to assure the long-term preservation and management of the open lands in Green Valley. The Conservancy will help to manage and monitor the ±1,500 acres of productive agricultural land, pastures, and natural areas.
1
Protecting our
Agricultural Legacy
The Conservancy assists and oversees the farms in Green Valley so that a comprehensive approach of supporting agricultural and growing food for the local community and regional foodshed is accomplished.
primary roles
2
Building
Community
The Conservancy provides educational and interpretive opportunities and the social glue for the evolving community.
3
Establishing a
stewardship ethic
The Conservancy oversees the management, stewardship, enhancement, restoration and conservation easements for conservation lands including oak woodlands, riparian areas, pastures, rangelands, and agricultural lands.
"For many of us today hunting and gathering and growing our own food is by and large a form of play... So though a hunter-gatherer food chain still exists here and there to one degree or another, it seems to me its chief value for us at this point is not so much economic or practical as it is didactic. Like other important forms of play, it promises to teach us something about who we are beneath the crust of our civilized, practical, grown-up lives.”
- Michael Pollan, Omnivore’s Dilemma
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"For many of us today hunting and gathering and growing our own food is by and large a form of play... So though a hunter-gatherer food chain still exists here and there to one degree or another, it seems to me its chief value for us at this point is not so much economic or practical as it is didactic. Like other important forms of play, it promises to teach us something about who we are beneath the crust of our civilized, practical, grown-up lives.”
- Michael Pollan, Omnivore’s Dilemma
The GVAC mission
The Heart of the Neighborhood
The mission shall be to protect the natural diversity, agricultural vitality and rural character of Green Valley by overseeing the preservation, monitoring and management of the natural and agricultural lands and by fostering an appreciation and understanding of the environment, the connection to regional food systems, and a healthy lifestyle.
Ten numbers you should know about Middle Green Valley…
1
Farm Stand for buying
local produce
1,905
75%
465
The total acreage of the Middle Green Valley Specific
Plan Area
Plan area permanently set aside for agriculture, grazing lands and open space.
Potential acreage to be put into agricultural production
225
Meetings with stakeholders, county, state & federal reps to develop the plan.
200
Acres currently planted in vineyard production (2010)
5
Miles of creeks that
will be restored
150+
11
12
Years that agriculture
has been a part of
Green Valley
Miles of new trails
Citizens Advisory Committee meetings held in 2008-2009
Connecting Community
AGRICULTURE & CONSERVATION
Connectivity is a hallmark of the Middle Green Valley community and a key goal of the Conservancy. The agriculture lands, the Green Valley Farm Stand and agriculture-related services will be physically integrated with the new community and conservation areas in a way that respects what is best shared such as views and scenic trails, and what is best buffered, such as the inevitable noise and dust of farming operations and run-off into creeks. The Middle Green Valley agricultural lands will be connected culturally to the farmers in the surrounding agricultural areas for the purposes of collaborating on regional branding and opportunities for developing distribution and processing infrastructure. More broadly, the Conservancy will increase awareness within the Middle Green Valley community about the greater Bay Area foodshed and the benefits of locally grown food.
To accomplish this vision, the Conservancy will oversee the management of the Open Lands to ensure appropriate stewardship and conservation.
With the fulfillment of the Plan will come the emergence of the Green Valley Farm Stand. As the rest of the beautiful scenery along Green Valley Road will remain unchanged, the Farm Stand will be the only evidence of physical change along this main stretch of road, and will serve as a symbol and reminder of the rural and neighborly community that we retain in Middle Green Valley.
The Green Valley Farm Stand will be one of the first tangible results of the evolving neighborhood. It will celebrate and further the area’s agricultural traditions. It will help to satisfy burgeoning local and regional demand for fresh local food and strengthen the connections to local farmers and regional farmlands, providing the Farm with long-term financial stability will address the key challenge that has undermined urban-edge farming economies. Development fees will fund the initial planning and construction of key infrastructure for the farm and transfer tax assessments will provide a safety margin for ongoing operations.
News & Events
Check out "Something to Save," a documentary about the Middle Green Valley Specific Plan process.
Good Magazine, April 18, 2010: Agriculture is the New Golf: Rethinking Suburban Communities
GVAC EVENTS
A heartfelt thank you...
From the Totally Local Farmers' Market to Friday Nights at the Farm, thank you to ALL who've sponsored, participated, supported, ate, drank and danced with us through the years! What a treat to be part of such a beautiful community.
Please stay tuned for news of upcoming GVAC events in Middle Green Valley!!
Board of Directors
Sarah Mason Lindemann: President
Anthony Russo: Vice President & Treasurer
Claire Boyd
Dennis DeDomenico
Doug Stonebreaker
Carolyn West
The Conservancy offers a strategic and powerful land conservation tool that promises a more certain future by providing a governing structure to manage the growing community, protect working agriculture and help shape the community character and stewardship ethic. The Conservancy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Conservancy is also committed to implementing the Land Trust Standards and Practices, as established by the national Land Trust Alliance.
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