Farmland Protection a Hot Topic in Silicon Valley Boom
The Santa Clara County Food & Farmlands Resolution, backed by a number of organizations, is calling for the county to address food and farmland challenges and protect remaining farmlands from development.
The resolution, put forth this month and still collecting endorsements, argues that food insecurity and the potential for higher food prices need to play into decisions that could affect existing farmland. In particular, it calls for urban development policies in favor of keeping growth within existing urban areas rather than expanding to farmlands and open space.
This week, retired county planner Don Weden wrote in an opinion piece for the San Jose Mercury News on the need to protect remaining farmland in Santa Clara County. As Silicon Valley has grown, so has demand for space to build, squeezing out farmland, he says. While farmland remains in Coyote Valley and South County, he says, new city boundary expansions may result in a loss of almost 1,000 acres of farmland—the largest in the county in several decades. [SJMN, SCFA]
