Farming at the Edge of San Jose Is Alive and Well
By Sibella Kraus, Founder and President of SAGE
This is a series of reports from the Coyote Valley VIP Bus Tour held Sept. 5, 2017
Agriculture in the Coyote Valley isn’t a separate land use or isolated activity. It’s an activity that is integrated with the water and natural resource values, as well as cultural values, of this contested, urban-edge valley.
There are four things that are important to remember about agriculture in Coyote Valley:
- Agriculture in the Coyote Valley is very much alive and well.
- There is a large demand for land in the valley by agricultural operations of many production types and sizes.
- Significant investments in infrastructure, farmer support, and farmland preservation are needed in order to keep agriculture vital.
- Uncertainty in terms of future land use combined with land priced for development is largely holding back investment in agriculture.
For centuries, Coyote Valley has been a prime agricultural area well suited for many kinds of production: grain and forage crops, orchard and row crops, and nursery products. It was once part of the “The Valley of the Heart’s Delight”, renowned for springtime blossoming of its vast orchard plantings. The attributes that contributed to the productivity of the Coyote Valley over time — fertile, level farmland, a sufficient water supply, benign climate, and proximity to urban markets — continue to make its agriculture thrive.
What do you find here?
In 2016 the Santa Clara County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office estimated the county’s agricultural value at $308 million dollars. Coyote Valley represented 30% of that — producing $88 million dollars’ worth of crops. Here are a few:
Peppers One of the most profitable crops in Coyote Valley are peppers, which are grown by larger growers and marketed on the national market.
Mushrooms Monterey Mushrooms in Coyote Valley employs approximately 400 people and it is one of the 10 largest mushroom production facilities in North America. Mushroom compost is an important byproduct for soil fertility and studies have shown that adding compost to rangeland can increase carbon sequestration and water retention.
Cherries One of the largest cherry plantings in the Santa Clara County is in Coyote Valley — about 260 acres.
Walnuts Over 250 acres of walnut orchards have been planted over the past five years. The productive life of a walnut tree is 30 or more years, with bearing years starting after five to eight years. The owners of these orchards, are in effect saying, ‘Yes, agriculture is here to stay in Coyote Valley.’
Nursery Crops The long-standing tradition of nursery crop production continues and though acreage is relatively small, this sector still accounts for the majority of economic activity for the Valley’s agriculture.
Agriculture and climate change
California has set a goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 — that’s only twelve years from now. Achieving this goal will be challenging, but agriculture can help, especially urban-edge agriculture that prevents sprawl.
Studies have shown that an acre of urbanized land produces, on average, 70 times more emissions than an acre of agricultural land. Protecting Coyote Valley from development forestalls this increase in emissions while at the same time offering potential mitigation for low-emission infill development. Keeping the valley in productive agriculture also provides opportunities for implementation of agriculture practices that help to sequester carbon. And strengthening a tradition of local food production contributes to long-term community resilience.
Take action to preserve these actively farmed lands at Protect Coyote Valley.
For more information about agriculture in Coyote Valley, SAGE, Sustainable Agriculture Education, is a non-profit organization that revitalizes agricultural places near cities and fosters vital food systems that connect urban and rural communities. It produced a study called, Sustaining Agriculture and Conservation in the Coyote Valley.
About Protect Coyote Valley
The Protect Coyote Valley campaign is led by the Committee for Green Foothills and supported by Greenbelt Alliance, Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, SAGE — Sustainable Agriculture Education, and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. It aims to preserve Coyote Valley, San Jose as open space that offers flood-buffering wetlands, an essential wildlife habitat and migratory area, active farmlands, and a place for people to connect with nature.
To pledge your support to protect this remarkable place, go to Protect Coyote Valley.
About Protect Coyote Valley
The Protect Coyote Valley campaign is led by the Committee for Green Foothills and supported by Greenbelt Alliance, Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, and SAGE — Sustainable Agriculture Education. It aims to preserve Coyote Valley, San Jose as open space that offers flood-buffering wetlands, an essential wildlife habitat and migratory area, and active farmlands.
Visit our blog to read more on how we’re protecting Coyote Valley!
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Sibella Kraus is founder and president of SAGE.
