Jan 2008: Ag Worker Health Access, A Comprehensive Local Solution (Ventura 6)
Ventura AFA Paper 6, Ag Worker Health Access
After three years of unraveling and discussing many complicated and multi-dimensional issues in health care, the Ventura AFA Health Care Committee has formulated a comprehensive plan to improve farm worker health and facilitate farm worker access to health insurance at a local level. This report shares the AFA Health Care Committee’s vision for a farm worker health care system, discusses the challenges of farm worker health insurance and obstacles to health care access, and suggests strategies by which the entire community can work together to improve the health of farm workers through the formation of a Ventura County Ag Health Collaborative.
Mar 2007: Vision for Agriculture in Yolo County (Yolo 3)
Yolo County AFA Vision for Agriculture in the County, March 2007
This document summarizes almost a year’s worth of work developing a simple, but compelling vision for the future of agriculture in Yolo County. A broad vision statement is coupled with policy recommendations that would put agriculture in the County on a positive path for generations to come.
Nov 2006: Recommendations on Ag Land Conservation Easement (Yolo 2)
Yolo County AFA Recommendations on Ag Land Conservation Easement Ordinance, Nov, 2006
In the Fall of 2006, the Yolo AFA developed a detailed set of recommendations for the County of Yolo on how to create Ag Land Conservation Easements that would support the long-term viability of agriculture in the County. This letter to County Planning staff captures those recommendations.
Oct 2006: Ag Land Mitigation Principles (Yolo 1)
Yolo County AFA Ag Land Mitigation Principles
Mitigation for loss of habitat or agricultural land can be a boon or a burden for a sustainable agricultural community. The Yolo AFA spent nine months developing these principles to best guide mitigation programs in the County. Their thinking and work can be applied wherever mitigation programs are in place or are being designed.
Mar 2006: Report to the Community on Stewardship Summit (Ventura 5)
Report 5 Summit (2.2 MB)
Report 5 Summit Printable (148 KB)
The Ventura AFA’s Stewardship Summit held in March of 2006 attracted hundreds of community members to explore the community’s role and responsibility for stewarding land. Choices made by local consumers and local government have everything to do with the future of agriculture in the County.
This report is available in two formats. The complete report, including all the appendices and presentations from the summit is a 2.2 MB PDF file, a smaller version of just the text of the report, suitable for printing is also available.
Feb 2006: Updated Land Use Principles to Achieve Sustainable Ag (Ventura 3.1)
Updated Land Use Principles, Paper 3.1 (pdf)
Follow-up to Land Use Principles to Achieve Agricultural Sustainability in Ventura County
This paper, published in February 2006 reflects almost two years of dialogue within Ventura County. The Land Use Committee of the AFA worked with city and county planners and policy makers to review and discuss the land use principles first proposed in the 2003 Issue Paper 3. The goal was to ascertain current adherence to the principles and to clarify what further action and specific policies are needed in order to ensure land use policy supports continued existence of agriculture.
Feb 2005: Farm Worker Housing Task Force 2004 Annual Report
Farm Worker Housing Task Force 2004 (pdf)
Published in February 2005, this report documents the Ventura AFA’s progress in successfully stimulating the development of housing for farm workers in Ventura County. This task force is an unprecedented community effort to house those who are the backbone of California agriculture. The AFA hopes other communities around the state will be inspired to do the same.
Jan 2005: A Community of Good Stewards (Ventura 4)
A Community of Good Stewards: Building Sustainable Agriculture in Ventura County (pdf)
Published in January 2005 by the Ventura AFA and the product of almost two years of dialogue, this document offers a new agricultural ethic for Ventura County, one based on shared responsibility for the challenge of creating a sustainable food systems. This document proposes principles and practices for farmers, consumers, and policy makers as they grapple with the challenge of maintaining and enhancing agriculture in perpetuity.
Sep 2003: Land Use Principles to Achieve Sustainable Ag (Ventura 3)
Land Use Principles to Achieve Sustainable Agriculture in Ventura County (pdf)
Published in September 2003 by the Ventura AFA, this document articulates principles of land use that the AFA believes will support the survival of agriculture in the county. It acts as the basis for on-going discussion with city and county planners to ascertain whether these principles are being followed.
Jun 2002: Farm Worker Housing: A Crisis (Ventura 2)
Farm Worker Housing: A Crisis Calling for Community Action (pdf)
Published in June 2002 by the Ventura AFA, this document is the foundation of an on-going campaign to build homes for farm workers. The campaign has been sustained since that time and gains momentum with community banks, foundations, and individuals funding the advocacy work.
Feb 2002: Farming Near Schools: A Community Based Approach (Ventura 1)
Farming Near Schools: A Community Based Approach to Protecting Children (pdf)
When the Ventura AFA began, the environmental community’s primary concern was pesticide use. In 2000, the AFA’s first year, a pesticide drift incident occurred at Mound School, near the AFA meeting site.
The Mound School incident lead to creation of the first committee of the AFA and the writing and publication of the first AFA issue paper in February 2002. Issue Paper No.1 presents the community consensus position, and recommends local policy, systems, and actions to protect the community from accidents associated with pesticide use near schools. The concrete recommendation that emerged was that stakeholders share responsibility in the effort to protect children from potential harm. This was the AFA’s first completed consensus position on a policy issue. Its development was simultaneous with the creation of AB 947, a state law governing how pesticides must be used near schools. The authors of this paper also consulted with state legislators and officials to craft the new law.
Teaming Up For Safety
The Ventura AFA Pesticide Committee in conjunction with the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner and Office of Education developed this document to inform farmers and school administrators of practical actions that will protect children.