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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 7 - Written Communications July 3, 2018 City of Chula Vista City Council 276 Fourth Avenue Chula Vista, CA 91910 City of Chula Vista Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones - Support Dear Chula Vista City Councilmembers, The San Diego Food System Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of 40 Voting Members and 100 groups in network consisting of nonprofits, businesses, and community members. We are committed to developing and maintaining an equitable, healthy, and sustainable food system in San Diego County. Our efforts are currently focused on the local adoption of AB551: Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones Act, which we believe supports the community’s ability to thrive in an improved food system focused on the environment, economy, equity, and education. AB551 is a California bill passed in 2014 which aims to increase land access for urban agriculture through the use of vacant, privately-owned land. The San Diego Food System Alliance recently co-sponsored AB465, the 10 year extension of Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones, in partnership with SPUR, PANNA, and Sacramento Urban Ag Alliance. The law was passed by the Governor this September. We are thrilled that the State of California recognizes the value of a policy to encourage urban agriculture in our communities. We urge the City Council to support City of Chula Vista to follow in the footsteps of other cities including San Francisco, Sacramento, and now San Diego by establishing an Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone. Urban agriculture provides numerous benefits not only to those growing food, but also to the counties, cities, and neighborhoods in which it happens. City gardening and farming offers public benefits such as vibrant green spaces and recreation, education about fresh food and the effort it takes to produce it, ecological benefits for the city, sites that help build community, and a source of local economic development (UC ANR, 2013). The San Diego Food System Alliance is ready to help you implement this request in any way we can and member organizations are available to help local communities realize as many of the enumerated benefits as possible. Sincerely, Elly Brown Alliance Director San Diego Food System Alliance ADDRESS 1475 Caminito Solidago La Jolla, CA 92037 CONTACT Elly Brown Alliance Director elly@sdfsa.org T: 919-328-0046 sdfsa.org Fiscally sponsored by Leah’s Pantry Tax ID: 20-5512442 July 6, 2018 City of Chula Vista City Council 276 Fourth Avenue Chula Vista, CA 91910 Re: City of Chula Vista Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones - Support Dear Chula Vista City Councilmembers, I am a Ph.D. researcher at the University of California, San Diego in the Department of Anthropology and the UC San Diego Global Food Initiative Student Ambassador working under the direction of Dr. Keith Pezzoli, Director of the UC San Diego Bioregional Center for Sustainability Science, Planning and Design. My research deals with the social, political, and economic dimensions of urban agriculture in the San Diego-Tijuana metropolitan region. The UC San Diego Bioregional Center supports urban agriculture as a way to define new means for co-producing food, science literacy, and food security at a neighborhood scale. Furthermore, the University of California Global Food Initiative dedicates part of its efforts toward analyzing and evaluating urban agriculture in low-income and underserved neighborhoods to examine its potential to reduce food disparities and increase food security. Because of our dedication to understanding and encouraging the positive impact that urban agriculture can have, we are also part of the San Diego Food System Alliance Urban Agriculture Working Group. The Working Group is focused on promoting the local adoption of AB551: Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones Act, which we believe supports the community’s ability to thrive in an improved food system focused on the environment, economy, equity, and education. AB551 is a California bill passed in 2014 that aims to increase land access for urban agriculture through the use of vacant, privately-owned land. We urge the City Council to support the City of Chula Vista to follow in the footsteps of other cities including San Francisco, Sacramento, and now San Diego by establishing an Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone. Urban agriculture provides numerous benefits not only to those growing food, but also to the counties, cities, and neighborhoods in which it happens. City gardening and farming offers public benefits such as vibrant green spaces and recreation, education about fresh food and the effort it takes to produce it, ecological benefits for the city, sites that help build community, and a source of local economic development (UC ANR, 2013). We intend to work within San Diego Food System Alliance’s Urban Agriculture Working Group to help you implement this request in any way we can. The Working Group member organizations are available to help local communities realize as many of the enumerated benefits as possible. Sincerely, Belinda Ramirez Ph.D. Candidate UC San Diego Department of Anthropology UC San Diego Bioregional Center for Sustainability Science, Planning and Design UC Global Food Initiative C Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County 11769 Waterhill Rd., Lakeside, CA 92040 Phone: (619) 562-0096 Fax: (619) 562-4799 Website: www.rcdsandiego.org Conserving Our Natural Resources City of Chula Vista City Council 276 Fourth Avenue Chula Vista, CA 91910 July 3, 2018 City of Chula Vista Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones - Support Dear Chula Vista City Councilmembers, I am writing from the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County. We work across the county to protect, conserve, and restore natural resources through information, education, and technical assistance. Our programs include managing the largest community garden in San Diego County and supporting farmers and growers to adopt land management practices that build soil health. We support urban agriculture and believe it can make food growing and healthy produce more accessible to more local residents, as well as turn vacant lots into attractive and productive spaces. We are part of the San Diego Food System Alliance Urban Agriculture Working Group. The Working Group is focused on promoting the local adoption of AB551: Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones Act, which we believe supports the community’s ability to thrive in an improved food system focused on the environment, economy, equity, and education. AB551 is a California bill passed in 2014 which aims to increase land access for urban agriculture through the use of vacant, privately -owned land. We urge the City Council to support City of Chula Vista to follow in the footsteps of other cities including San Francisco, Sacramento, and now San Diego by establishing an Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone. Urban agriculture provides numerous benefits not only to those growing food, but also to the counties, cities, and neighborhoods in which it happens. City gardening and farming offers public benefits such as vibrant green spaces and recreation, education about fresh food and the effort it takes to produce it, ecological benefits for the city, sites that help build community, and a source of local economic development (UC ANR, 2013). Our organization intends to work within San Diego Food System Alliance’s Urban Agriculture Working Group to help you implement this request in any way we can. The Working Group member organizations are available to help local communities realize as many of the enumerated benefits as possible. Sincerely, Sheryl Landrum Executive Director, Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County