It is farmers and ranchers, not Newsom, Biden, Greta Thunberg or John Kerry that are going to protect our environment. The aforementioned are scam artists or politicians, literally they have no skin in the game. Those who work the Earth do.
“One of the problems we have with respect to the County versus Vandenberg, the forest, and the Coastal Commission, is the fact that they are not exactly ag friendly in their own unique ways. Moreover, the biggest mistake these government entities make is to treat agriculture as a monolith. For example, the needs of row crop farmers are entirely different from those of greenhouse growers and cattle ranchers, and so are the values to our economy and the benefits of each of these ag sectors.
Our ag community could help solve a lot of our area’s problems if government entities were more ag friendly. For instance, allowing extensive grazing in the forest and on Vandenberg would reduce the threat of fires in our region.
Preventing human and pet recreational access to our row crop areas would cut down on life-threatening impacts to our food supply, e.g., salmonella.
Sadly, the scammers and politicians do not use science to set policy. And that is the problem.
Farmers and Ranchers Could Solve A Lot of Our Problems
by Andy Caldwell, SB Current, 12/3/23 https://www.sbcurrent.com/p/farmers-and-ranchers-could-solve?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2074654&post_id=139250153&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=x9o3&utm_medium=email
For decades, Santa Barbara County has impeded the ability of landowners to achieve the highest and most productive uses of their land by way of overly wrought zoning restrictions and conditions of approval that were impossible to comply with. All of this was done on purpose because the goal of the County is not to allow people to make productive and profitable use of their property. Instead, the goal is to prevent growth, development, and the ubiquitous prohibition of what is referenced as “urban sprawl”.
Compounding this problem is the fact that nearly 50% of our county is owned by the federal government in the form of the Los Padres Forest and Vandenberg Space Force Base. In both cases, private development is prohibited in these areas. Another significant government impediment to private development is the notorious California Coastal Commission. While the CCC doesn’t own any property, they exist to severely curtail development on the most valuable properties in our region: the coast.
Another impediment to urban growth is one that I cherish, agriculture. Farmers and ranchers are the one positive bulwark against finding ourselves living in an urban jungle. To keep our area semi-rural, we need to consider the needs of our farmers and ranchers.
One of the problems we have with respect to the County versus Vandenberg, the forest, and the Coastal Commission, is the fact that they are not exactly ag friendly in their own unique ways. Moreover, the biggest mistake these government entities make is to treat agriculture as a monolith. For example, the needs of row crop farmers are entirely different from those of greenhouse growers and cattle ranchers, and so are the values to our economy and the benefits of each of these ag sectors.
Our ag community could help solve a lot of our area’s problems if government entities were more ag friendly. For instance, allowing extensive grazing in the forest and on Vandenberg would reduce the threat of fires in our region.
Preventing human and pet recreational access to our row crop areas would cut down on life-threatening impacts to our food supply, e.g., salmonella.
Allowing farmers and ranchers to clear creeks and ditches of overgrown brush would accomplish two very important purposes. It would reduce the threat of flooding and infrastructure damage; brush reduces the water-carrying capacity of these conveyances. And, when brush eventually gets dislodged by storm water, it can clog culverts thereby damaging roads and bridges. Moreover, overgrown brush can attract wildlife adjacent to farm fields and this intrusion also invites the opportunity for food contaminants to be introduced to our food supply.
Threatening the ability of our farmers to make a living by restricting their ability to plant and protect their plants against pests and diseases, along with their need for vertical integration, e.g., building coolers and greenhouses, forces farmers to change what they can grow. That is, inevitably, impediments such as these, force farmers to switch from growing row crops to growing a row of houses.
The County of Santa Barbara is holding hearings on what is known as the County Ag Enterprise Ordinance which seeks to allow some additional, ancillary uses to supplement income for ag properties. Hopefully, they will keep in mind that land uses that will help a rancher stay in business could certainly put a row crop farmer out of business. That is, there is plenty of room for ranchers to host camping, weddings, hunting, hiking, and biking trails, etc., on their properties because the cows can be accommodated. However, inviting any of these uses near row crop farming operations invites the devastating threats of lawsuits arising from food poisoning and/or deaths created by foisting incompatible uses in areas that should be off limits to human, pet, and wildlife activities and access.
