Supporting Farmers with Market Research: SALC 2.0 Open House

08/22/24

SALC 2.0 is a collaborative grant project between San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) and the County of San Diego’s (County) Planning & Development Services. The project aims to support existing and emerging farmers through timely market research and, in doing so, curb the premature conversion of agricultural lands. The project will also produce a strategic plan to inform local agencies’ decision-making to further aid, preserve, and maximize the vital contributions – economic, environmental, and public health benefits – that small-scale farms offer the region.

A critical component of the project is to gather input from producers and inform stakeholders when findings are available. As part of the outreach for the market analysis, an in-person workshop was held on July 24th, 2024, from 4:30-7:30pm at the San Diego County Farm Bureau (420 S Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025). The workshop aimed to collect market data from producers and gather input regarding key costs that affect local producers of the project’s four focal crops: avocados, strawberries, tomatoes, and lemons. Additionally, the workshop sought to inform local producers about the preliminary results of the market analysis and how they can participate in future phases of the project.

The workshop was an open house format, allowing attendees to drop in at their convenience. Twenty-one people attended the workshop along with County and LAFCO staff. Attendees included local producers of avocados, dragon fruit, strawberries, wine grapes, nursery crops, and olives. Also in attendance were prospective producers, local officials, and representatives from non-profit groups including the San Diego County Farm Bureau. The workshop featured five stations covering the following topics:
 
  • SALC 1.0 Project Background
  • SALC 2.0 Project Overview
  • Preliminary Market Analysis Findings
  • Gap Analysis Data Collection
  • Producer Input
Picture of LAFCO staff speaking with a local producer

Throughout the workshop, participants were encouraged to share their perspectives through direct engagement with staff (verbal testimonies), completing LAFCO’s Farm Operation Questionnaire, or by completing the activity at the Producer Input station. County and LAFCO staff took notes of all the input provided by attendees, and also took notes of interactions throughout the workshop. The key concerns heard from attendees included cost of water, foreign competition, and low profit margins. 

Local producers, specifically avocado producers, continually stressed the challenges with the cost of water, water availability, and water quality. Foreign competition, especially from Mexico, further impact local producers. Avocado producers discussed the importance that consumers be made aware of the benefits of purchasing locally grown avocados.

In addition to these key concerns, attendees provided feedback on other topics. Attendees with smaller farms were interested in what crops were financially viable for small farms and expressed the need for more resources to support them. Prospective producers expressed interest in agricultural liaison to facilitate communication between producers and regulatory agencies as well as assist farmers in receiving any grants and resources available to them.

SALC 2.0 Logo

Attendees of the workshop were encouraged to sign up to the SALC 2.0 email list to stay informed of future workshops and project updates. If you would like to be added to the email list, please contact us at AgConservation@sdcounty.ca.gov. Additional workshops are planned throughout the project and following the release of written reports for the gap analysis, strategic plan, and final report. To directly engage producers and gather feedback on potential solutions, the County will host working group meetings during the strategic planning phase. 

 

If you missed the workshop, you can review the content in both English and Spanish. A Community Input Summary will be available on the project website in early September.