Agriculture Sustainability & “Greenbelts”

Agriculture defines Lodi in more ways than one. Agriculture encircles Lodi physically defining its border; and is currently the economic engine of the community as it has been for over 100 years. Agriculture is Lodi’s leading industry in terms of expansion, and growth. In addition Lodi agriculture is creating a tourism opportunity and, as a result, new and widening revenue streams for the community. The City of Lodi needs to be actively supporting agriculture in new and creative ways. It is critical to the City of Lodi and the community at large that agriculture maintains its profitability. Agricultures ability to remain profitable, through market change will determine whether it will flourish and continue to contribute to a strong Lodi economy.

Agriculture is a dynamic industry, always changing and as of late, heavily impacted by the supply, demand, innovation and pricing partly driven by a world market. If that weren’t enough, looking forward, the local risk & opportunity environments for water supply, salt-water intrusion, air quality, increasing environmental regulations, labor issues and rising cost factors make the future a challenging time for Lodi agriculturalists.

The question is how much should Lodi do to support an industry that is largely outside of its city limits? What is legal? What is prudent? What actions would be a good investment for Lodi’s future well-being? What actions and or influence are advisable for the city in respect to property rights of agricultural land owners?

Agriculture can be the goose that lays the golden egg for Lodi’s future revenue streams in terms of sales tax, TOT and property values. We recommend the City’s consultants study the contribution increases created in similar city’s revenue streams such as; St. Helena, Napa, Calistoga, Yountville, and Sonoma.
This could be a guide to elected officials as to the level of support given to agriculture.

Because of the added interest in the Mokelumne as a National Parks Water Trail, Lodi should express its interest in maintaining the values the river adds to the
community and to the land owners on the north shore of the river. Lodi should have a say as to what the north bank of the river could develop into or will look
like. Language could express the attitude of keeping the land in agriculture as it is today. Large homes currently enjoy the river’s natural state and one church abuts up to the riparian area. While Lodi may never want the land to the north of the river to change, it most certainly would not want others to make those decisions without a voice in the matter.

In a similar manner, consideration might be given to including Micke Grove in the Lodi Area of Interest. The park is largely surrounded by ag lands and contributes to the tourism interest well. Although not in the city’s control, LAFCO must give consideration to Lodi’s designs for surrounding agriculture activities and ag-tourism related businesses. Language in the plan could speak to these usages and activities. We recommend policy statements be clear on the purpose, use and activities within Lodi’s “Economic” Area of Interest. This will add direction for the future; demonstrate a link between urban economic needs and their dependency on sustaining ag. These will expand the nature of the General Plan but complete its wholeness tying urban to ag through “Areas of Interest.”

We believe the Lodi City Council should begin a deeper relationship with the Agricultural Community. The best way to begin would be to join in the rewriting of a “Customized” AL-5 and endorse the AL-5 Zoning proposal under consideration by the County. A “customized” AL-5 zoning does several things for Lodi’s benefit:

• It accomplishes a community separator leaving some 80% of the land encircling Lodi in agriculture.

• It can include parameters allowing for the development of boutique and small wineries, Bed & Breakfasts, and other Ag-Tourism related businesses. It can also be exclusionary to types of businesses so as to have a harmonious “rural look and feel.”

• It also can be strengthened with right-to-farm ordinances for those farming and living in this agriculturally zoned area.

• It allows for the appreciation of land value for the land owner through the sale of a portion of their land, plus the ability to operate a new tourism-related business.

• By an “early endorsement” of the land owner developed AL-5 plan, the City could repair damaged relationships between the city and the farming community.

• To ensure proper development in the AL-5 zoned area, appeal to the citizens of North San Joaquin County to urge their elected officials to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding that would eliminate additional development in the AL-5 zoned parcels. The two cities, Lodi and Stockton, along with the County, should develop the agreement, for a specified time period, only changed or cancelled by a vote of the people to maintain the integrity of the AL-5 zoned land. The expiration or renewal of AL-5 agreement would coincide with the life of the three governmental entities general plans.
• AL-5 is land-owner developed, any plan without them, their buy-in and support is not possible.

In summary, working “with” the land-owner-farmers will be the only way any real and lasting partnership with agriculture can happen. Lodi does not need to control the land in question (ag land surrounding Lodi) but it does need to be a big part of the solution to help sustain it…and Lodi needs to do so right away.