Increase Opportunities

» Create community-based markets and infrastructure to diversify revenue

» Diversify revenue for working farms, ranches, and forests

» Develop support services and institutions to support diversification

Sierra Nevada agriculture cannot compete with traditional commodity crops on a cost basis. The climate, soils, topography, and water access, coupled with transportation costs and relatively small local markets, make competing in traditional commodity crops unfeasible.

However, there are successful agricultural ventures in the Sierra Nevada. A number of farmers and entrepreneurs have found financially viable ways to keep land in agriculture, and some of those individuals are leading the development of new products and business sectors.

When an entity is unable to compete on a cost basis, there are generally two alternative ways to build a successful business venture: create a niche or value-added product or develop direct-to-market channels.

Value-added agriculture refers to additional cleaning, packaging, processing, or distributing done by the farmer to achieve higher returns for the crop. “Value-added” can also refer to unique and innovative products grown by the farmer such as organic products, which can improve farmer’s production and profitability. It can also help to develop market clusters, which expand market niches for these products. Groups of producers working in the same sector can lead to regional recognition for a product type. Napa Valley Vintners are an excellent example. These market developments support an increase in jobs and improve local economic growth.

Examples of unique and value-added products in the Sierra Nevada include disease-free garlic seeds in Inyo County grown for domestic and international producers; organic free-range chicken raised in Mariposa County; and unique wine grape varietals in Fresno, Calaveras, Amador, El Dorado and Nevada counties as well as in Genoa, Nevada.

Many counties in the Sierra Nevada are seeking ways to enhance the agricultural sector through related agricultural tourism. Agritourism allows farmers to create another farm-related revenue channel that often works in tandem with traditional farming operations to increase the enterprise’s financial viability. Agritourism includes:

* Local Farm Sales: U-pick operations, roadside stands and farmer’s markets
* Outdoor Recreation: Fishing, hunting, wildlife study, horseback riding, and cattle driving
* Entertainment: Harvest festivals, hay rides, barnyard dances, corn mazes, and petting zoos
* Hospitality Services: Guided wine tours, farms stays, restaurants, and spas
* Educational Experiences: Cooking classes, wine tasting, and industry exhibitions

Unfortunately, agriculturalists face a number of obstacles when contemplating some of these options. For example, local zoning ordinances and other land use restrictions can impede a farmer’s ability to establish agritourism opportunities. In addition, liability and insurance costs, large initial capital outlays, and the need to change mindset from a farming focus to a hospitality focus, can keep farmers from pursuing such options. Farmland protection and promotion acts, like the Williamson Act, can also restrict a farm business’s ability to achieve sustainability using agritourism and value-added practices.

To maintain agriculture in the Sierra Nevada, local governments must implement land use policies as well as other creative, agricultural promotional activities that permit, even encourage, farmers to enhance farming operations through value-added activities.