The Coyote Valley is mostly comprised of agricultural lands. Why is this agricultural land so important? What does it mean for the greater South Bay Area community, and its food systems? Does the Coyote Valley project shed any light onto the future of agricultural lands in the United States as a whole?
SAGE has worked extensively in preserving regional agriculture and supporting networks of local food systems. The Discover Coyote Valley project has emerged from a multi-partner collaboration aimed at sustaining and conserving the agricultural lands of the Coyote Valley.
Sibella Kraus, President of SAGE, writes about the need for urban-rural linkages and networks of regional agriculture in the two articles below. Read about why we need local agriculture to support our cities, and how the Coyote Valley exemplifies an important, and increasingly necessary, agricultural resource.
Dig In: A Call For Re-Investment In Metro-Region Agriculture
“In the Coyote Valley, just minutes from San Jose, we are working to create a regionally significant, permanently protected agricultural and conservation resource area on prime urban-edge farmland which, until recently, was slated for development.”
Read the entire article in The Huffington Posts’ Food for Thought Series.
Investing in our ‘AgGems’ for Regional Vitality
In another article, written after Kraus was awarded the Natural Resource Defense Council’s (NRDC) 2014 Growing Green Award for Regional Food Leader, the need for urban-edge agriculture is again emphasized, outlining how Coyote Valley represents an ‘Agricultural Gem’:
[T]he Bay Area’s working landscapes could be permanently protected. And the clean air, water and foodsheds that we all rely upon could be safeguarded. In the Coyote Valley, this translates to a need for bold, strategic private and public investment in farmland preservation, agricultural infrastructure and natural conservation… the Bay Area would gain an urban-edge agricultural and ecological resource area — and an ag gem — that would be a game changer for the region and a model for metro-regions around the country.
Read the article and watch a short clip outlining Sibella’s work on The Huffington Post’s Blog.
Why do you think the Coyote Valley is important? Where do you see the future of ‘urban edge’ agriculture going? How else can we work to support our local food systems, which in turn support both urban and rural communities alike? Comment below to share your thoughts!
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