The Central Valley of California leads the country in agricultural productivity and is a national treasure because of its unique combination of prime soils, long growing seasons, and technologically advanced irrigation systems and farming practices. Milk, grapes, almonds and poultry are the top commodities produced in Merced, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, and Sacramento counties. Agricultural production in these counties results in over 5 billion dollars of gross agricultural value, leading to over 20 billion dollars of economic activity annually. About one-third of the Central Valley’s income and employment is tied to agriculture.
Competition for land resulting from urban expansion and an unprecedented population explosion threatens this agricultural productivity and the California economy. In Sacramento County alone, over 6,000 acres are lost to urban development annually.
This trend represents an irreversible loss of our most precious resource, production farmland. Wetlands, fisheries and forest are being restored at increasing rates. Farmland, once it has been developed, can never be restored. The Central Valley Farmland Trust works with landowners and other conservation partners to find ways to conserve farmland forever.
