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Re: Farming at Risk Because of Growth

	You've begun an extremely interesting and useful dialog. I hope
you keep me (an octogenarian long involved in rural development/recovery 
issues) on your mailing list(s). --- Jim Draper

At 08:39 PM 10/2/97 -0700, Beth von Gunten wrote:
>MEBUCKNER@wnpb.wvnet.edu (Marian Buckner) wrote:
>
>>	Can you help with answers to any of the following?  I am gathering
>>info for a possible small research project.
>>	This proposed project would research bringing in new rural
>>infrastructure or support services to help make farming continue to be
>>viable.  A few of our agricultural support services have left because
>>not enough of an agricultural base was left for their particular
>>business to be profitable.  Our rural area is very threatened by
>>growth, but still holding its own for the time being.
>>
>>	Here are my questions:
>>1.  Do you know of anyone that has done such a study?  Or anyone
>>researching the area of rural infrastructure and agriculture support
>>businesses or industries?
>>
>>2.  Do you know of books or journal articles that discuss this subject?
>>
>>3.  Do you know of any related experiences in other areas--successful
>>or unsuccessful?
>>
>>4.  Please comment on the following ideas I've received from others:
>>	* Attract a county-based storage facility to our new industrial park
>>(they're looking for high-tech businesses for the most part) that would
>>process grains on the premises (eg, flour mill or oil extracting
>>process).
>>	Question:  What about nuisance aspects (noise, dust, trucks)?  How
>>does one find out how large an agricultural base is needed for such a
>>facility to be profitable?
>>
>>	* Attract farm equipment dealers with a diversified line for both
>>farmers and suburban customers--lawn and garden, snowmobiles).
>>	Question:  Will farm equipment dealers resist this because they want
>>their farm equipment to be primary?
>>
>>	*Create a marketing group that could buy and sell blocks of grain from
>>a number of farmers and lock in on better-priced markets.
>>	Question:  Will farmers buy into this?  They tend to want to be
>>independent and act on their own.
>>
>>5.  Do you have other suggestions for "farmers on the urban edge"?
>>
>>	Thanks!
>>	>Marian Buckner
>________________
>
>Marian,
>
>In March 1996 the Regents of the University of California published a
>study: The Value of Agriculture to Ventura County: An Economic Analysis,
>sponsored by the Ventura County Agricultural Land Trust, the California
>State Coastal Conservancy, and the Univertiy of California Hansen Trust.  I
>believe the work as a whole will be of great use to you in your efforts; I
>know it has been to me in mine.  One chapter in particular, Ventura County
>Agricultural Support Industries, by Michael Moore, Resource Economist,
>addresses your questions quite directly.
>
>I live and work on these issues in Ventura County, just up the coast from
>Los Angeles, our immediate neighbor to the southeast.  Agriculture is still
>the top industry in Ventura County at a billion dollars a year and growing,
>but you can imagine the economic pressure to convert the land to other
>uses.
>
>The study is available from Sheri Klittich, administrator of the Hansen
>Trust, at 669 County Square Drive, Ventura, CA, 93003; phone 805-645-1472.
>I wish you all the best in your efforts.  If there's anything else I can do
>to help, please feel free to be in touch.
>
>
>Beth von Gunten
>Field Representative
>Community Alliance with Family Farmers
>POB 1845
>Ojai, CA  93024
>805-646-1578
><colibri@west.net>
>
>
>
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