HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06242014 - C.49RECOMMENDATION(S):
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Conservation and Development Director, or designee to apply for and accept grant
funding from the Delta Protection Commission in the amount of $49,500 to fund an economic analysis and strategy
to maintain and enhance the viability of the agricultural economy within Contra Costa County for the Primary and
Secondary Zones of the Legal Delta for the period June 24, 2014 through December 31, 2014, as recommended by
Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No impact on the General Fund. 100% grant funding agreement with the Delta Protection Commission in the amount
of $49,500, there may be in-lieu mapping services provided by the Department of Conservation and Development in
support of this project.
BACKGROUND:
As the Board of Supervisors representative to the Delta Protection Commission, it has been brought to my attention
that the Commission has made available to Contra Costa County potential grant funding in the amount of $49,500.00
that can be used toward an economic analysis of the agricultural economy of Contra Costa County within the Primary
and Secondary Zones of the
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD
COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 06/24/2014 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYES 5 NOES ____
ABSENT ____ ABSTAIN ____
RECUSE ____
Contact: LEA CASTLEBERRY,
925-252-4500
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the
minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: June 24, 2014
David J. Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: Chris Heck, Deputy
cc: Patrick Roche, Tomi Riley
C. 49
To:Board of Supervisors
From:Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Date:June 24, 2014
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:Authorize Department of Conservation and Development to enter into grant funding agreement with the Delta
Protection Commission
BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)
Legal Delta. The grant funding through the Delta Protection Commission, however, must be encumbered by June
30, 2014.
A meeting was convened on June 10, 2014 with staff from the Delta Protection Commission, Brentwood
Agricultural Land Trust, District III, and the County Department of Conservation and Development to discuss this
grant funding opportunity. They reviewed a draft proposal and scope of work for a project to analyze and to
develop strategies aimed at improving the viability of agriculture for the portion of Contra Costa County that is
within the Primary and Secondary Zones of the Legal Delta (see attachment).
Approximately one-third of the County’s land area designated for agricultural use lies within the Primary and
Secondary Zones. Because of its geographic coverage, this project has the potential to define future actions
necessary to preserve and promote agriculture not only within the Primary and Secondary Zones of the Legal
Delta, but for all Contra Costa County. It provides a unique opportunity to closely examine the state of the
County’s agricultural economy, something which has not been done in decades.
Due to the pending June 30th deadline, I am recommending the Board of Supervisors authorize the Conservation
and Development Director to enter into an agreement with the Delta Protection Commission to secure this unique
grant funding opportunity.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The grant funding opportunity would be lost if the Board of Supervisors does not grant authorization for the
Department of Conservation and Development to enter into an agreement with the Delta Protection Commission.
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
None.
ATTACHMENTS
Funding Agreement
CC County Scope of Work
Page 1 of 5
Scope of Work
Contra Costa Food System Analysis and Economic Strategy
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The purpose of this project is to provide an economic analysis and strategy to maintain and enhance the
viability of the agricultural economy in the Contra Costa County primary and secondary zones of the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, contributing to the overall viability, health and sustainability of Contra
Costa County agriculture, specifically by seeking to leverage the economic development potential of
agriculture in Contra Costa County.
The Scope of Work will (i) assess Contra Costa County’s existing agriculture, food and beverage sector,
(ii) analyze of the total economic impact of the sector, (iii) identify opportunities to increase the
economic value, jobs and social benefit of the sector and (iv) identify barriers to developing Contra
Costa’s agriculture, food and beverage sector. The results will be showcased at the Contra Costa
Agricultural Economic Development Summit in January 2015.
A project would provide the basis for future work that would (i) identify the policy reforms, investment
and additional resources necessary to support the development of Contra Costa’s agriculture, food and
beverage sector, (ii) assess partnerships for building a local food system and (iii) create an action plan
for expanding the economic value, job creation potential and community benefit of the sector.
BACKGROUND
Delta Protection Commission.
The Delta Protection Commission prepared an Economic Sustainability Plan for the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta in 2012 (ESP). The ESP used a variety of data sources and modeling and projected
moderate changes in cropping patterns and shifts to production of higher value crops, including “truck”
crops (also known as specialty crops) over time.
Consumer demand for locally grown food is increasing, particularly in the metropolitan regions
surrounding the Delta. Individual households, restaurants, grocery stores, fresh produce distributors,
and institutions such as schools and hospitals are all seeking locally grown food. Growers, consumers
and policy makers also are focusing on the many public benefits of local agriculture, including the public
health benefits of increasing access to locally grown produce in underserved communities, the economic
development and job creation potential of the agricultural sector, the climate protection, open space
and recreational benefits of urban-edge agricultural land and the sense of history and place that farming
and ranches provides to the Delta.
Contra Costa County.
Contra Costa County is a Bay Area county with the remarkable potential to build a local food system.
The county is geographically divided between productive farmland of Brentwood in the east and the
dense urban populations of central Contra Costa and Richmond. However, while Contra Costa farmers
Page 2 of 5
grow a remarkable diversity and volume of fruits and vegetables, many of urban communities in Contra
Costa County do not have adequate access to fresh fruits and vegetables and are facing a public health
crisis of childhood obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
While Contra Costa County has all of the components of a local food system, it lacks a local food system
that can provide source-identified local food directly to urban communities. Contra Costa agriculture
lacks adequate agricultural infrastructure, packing and processing facilities. Consequently, food grown
in Contra Costa leaves the county for the distribution, processing and manufacturing that adds value to
agricultural products. A local food system could provide all Contra Costa County’s urban residents with
fresh, healthy food, build our agricultural economy, create jobs and keep food dollars in our
communities.
Contra Costa County is a Delta county that is well positioned to build a more vibrant agricultural economy.
The County has:
Proximity to Bay Area markets.
Significant specialty crop production – row crops, orchards, nuts and wine grapes.
Undeveloped processing opportunities to take advantage of wine grapes, cannery tomatoes and
orchard crops.
Fifty-percent of the Delta’s agricultural tourism.
Land use certainty that is resulting in increased investment in land and farming operations.
Engaged county and city officials.
Multi-generational farming families with children returning to the family farming operations after
college.
Active grassroots support for local agriculture.
RESEARCH APPROACH
The analysis will build upon the research and recommendations developed for the ESP, the financial
feasibility tools and business models developed by the Sacramento Regional Agricultural Infrastructure
Project, part of the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS) managed by the Sacramento Area Council of
Governments (SACOG) with funding support from the California Department of Food and Agriculture and
the California Strategic Growth Council. It will also incorporate existing research about Contra Costa
County, successful best practices models being documented supported by key entities such as the National
Good Foods Network and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This project will augment the ESP data
with a focus on Contra Costa County, capture new market trends and opportunities, and identify strategies
to expand market opportunities for agricultural producers, food and beverage processors, distributors and
manufacturers and agricultural tourism businesses in Contra Costa County.
The project will take a holistic approach, engaging stakeholders across sectors at local, county, regional,
state and federal levels, including representatives from: agriculture, economic development, health, food
security and hunger issues, planning, public works, education, finance, real estate, tourism, environmental,
business, government, non-profit, civic and philanthropic sectors and institutions. The project will benefit
by the research already completed and the ongoing collaboration of Contra Costa County, the City of
Page 3 of 5
Brentwood, the Contra Costa Food System Alliance, EC2 and the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust. The
January 2015 Agricultural Economic Development Summit will provide an opportunity to rollout the
findings of the study.
Overview. June 2014 through December 2014. The analysis will assess:
1. Contra Costa County’s existing agriculture, food and beverage sector, including current agricultural
production, available manufacturing facilities, existing aggregation and distribution networks.
2. Food consumption within the County (demand) by food group and demand for locally grown
foods by customer types such as institutions, restaurants, food banks, etc., and the current
primary distributors of fresh produce.
3. Total economic impact of Contra Costa agriculture, including distribution, value-added processing
and manufacturing and agricultural tourism.
4. Opportunities to increase the economic value and jobs of Contra Costa agriculture, including
Source-identified aggregation, distribution and branding to take advantage of proximity to Bay
Area markets and to tie-in with agricultural tourism.
Market-driven changes in growing patterns, including more organic and permanent crops that
will produce higher agricultural and food sector revenues.
Value-added processing and food and beverage manufacturing that take advantage of Contra
Costa’s processing tomatoes, wine grapes, orchard crops.
Agricultural/eco-tourism.
Export markets.
5. Identify barriers to increasing the economic value and community benefit of the Contra Costa
agriculture, food and beverage sector.
TASKS, DELIVERABLES AND BUDGET
1. Information Development. Identify key information needs and availability; form and identify
process for coordination with the Project Advisory Team; refine timeline; and identify reporting
process. The Advisory Team will include representatives from key county offices, agriculture,
and health interests, among others.
Deliverables: Advisory Team roster and coordination process; Timeline for deliverables,
Identification of information resource materials.
Budget: $3,000
2. Research, Interviews and Convenings with Key Stakeholders. Review existing research and
reports; identify data gaps and areas of needed updates. Specific activities will include:
- Update crop production data in collaboration with the County Agricultural Commissioner,
Cooperative Extension, the Farm Bureau, the California Department of Conservation, and the
newly released 2012 USDA Census of Agriculture, and analyze changes in patterns, revenues,
etc.
- Identify levels of food consumption by food group for the County, using USDA databases.
Page 4 of 5
- Identify and interview major food distribution/supplier companies of fresh produce and
major institutional consumers, including an illustrative grouping of schools, hospitals,
retail/grocery stores, restaurants, county facilities, the food bank, tourism and hospitality
services, distribution companies and so forth.
- Identify other key stakeholders and conduct key informant interviews. Coordinate with the
County Agricultural Commissioner, Contra Costa County, the City of Brentwood and the
Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust to convene gatherings with growers to discuss current
activities in markets, interests, barriers and projects. Outreach to local jurisdictions, local
economic development representatives, non-profits, and relevant state and federal
agencies.
Deliverable:
Summary of Key Findings Report, which will describe key aspects of:
(i) the Contra Costa County’s existing agriculture, food and beverage sector, including
trends, value-added processing, distribution, and agricultural tourism;
(ii) food consumption patterns;
(iii) opportunities to develop the economic value of Contra Costa agriculture, including
building source-identified local markets, encouraging high-value cropping patterns,
increasing aggregation, distribution, processing and manufacturing and developing
agricultural tourism and
(iv) barriers to increasing the economic value, job creation potential and community
benefit of the Contra Costa agriculture, food and beverage sector.
Budget: $20,000.
3. Agricultural Infrastructure Facilities/Sites Inventory/Assessment.
- Prepare an inventory of existing facilities and sites suitable for agricultural infrastructure
facilities, working with local realtors, economic development agencies, city and county
planning departments, the Contra Costa County Farm Bureau, and others.
- Assess existing and excess capacity for aggregation, distribution and processing, and identify
comparative real estate costs.
- Conduct field visits to sites and facilities with food engineering experts to assess suitability
for use and/or building retrofits.
- Identify other proposed agricultural infrastructure projects.
Deliverable: Site and Facility Assessment Report, including Inventory.
Budget: $12,000
4. Project Management/Final Report. This task involves ongoing coordination with the Delta
Protection Commission and the project Advisory Team, and project administration, including
reporting. There will be a monthly meeting with the Advisory Team to review and discuss
findings, information and strategy development. This will also include participation in meetings
with Commission staff and presentations as necessary. The Final Report will describe the (i)
Page 5 of 5
assessment of Contra Costa County’s agriculture, food and beverage sector, and the Delta
portion specifically; (ii) analysis of the total economic impacts of the sector; (iii) opportunities
and barriers to increasing the economic value, jobs, and social benefit of the sector.
Deliverable: Draft and Final Reports. The Final Report will incorporate revisions. This task will
include a presentation to present the findings and recommendations and gather final feedback.
Budget: $10,000
$45,000 direct costs
10% administrative costs: $4,500
TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET $49,500
Inclusive of all travel, communications, materials, and project administration.
SCHEDULE/TIMELINE: June 2014 through December 2014