Growing Jobs in Fresno
by Dawn Koop, Community Builder Fellow
Community Builder Fellow Toulu Thao planted
the seeds of economic opportunity in Fresno,
California this spring. Drawing from his engineering background, Toulu
helped facilitate a highly innovative use of a 40 acre plot of prime Fresno
farmland.
Located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Fresno is the
heart of Californias San Joaquin Valley the most productive
farming region in the world. Although the region generates nearly $3.5 billion
in annual agriculture revenue, it is also the fastest growing region in
California and unprecedented real estate development is slowly turning farmland
into Fresnos most vulnerable agricultural resource.
This spring, American Farmland Trust (http://www.farmland.org), a national non-profit that works to stop the loss of
United States farmland, purchased a 40-acre plot of prime Fresno farmland
that had been slated for development. When American Farmland Trust announced
this purchase, Tolou persuaded the organization to resell much of the tract
to low-income Fresno farmers. Through this transfer and deeding, American
Farmland Trust can ensure the preservation of this tract indefinitely for
farming while also providing economic opportunity to farmers who, through
the traditional market, might not ever get this chance.
Toulus role went well beyond his power of persuasion. He worked
with officials at the US Department of Agriculture and other partner organizations
to secure support that would make this concept a successful reality.
As a result, the US Department of Agriculture is helping the farmers
purchase the land through the first time farming loan program and is providing
other capital resources. The Natural Resources Conservation Service is connecting
farmers with information on farm management and soil conservation. The University
of California Cooperative Extension Program is offering a Small Farm advisor
who will provide technical assistance on crop production and marketing.
American Farmland Trust is selling the property at a significant discount.
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"The impact of this project is significant," says Greg Kirkpatrick,
Field Representative for American Farmland Trust. "Were going
to be creating commercially successful small farmers in Fresno County. Were
going to take tenants on small plots of land and turn them into owners of
20-40 acre parcels. Land acquisition, capital acquisition, technical assistance,
and marketing are what develops a successful farming operation; you need
all these components."
"This is both a mini-step and a giant step," says Toulu. "If
this concept is sold to the community and other non-profits, it can make
a tremendous difference in preserving farmland for the community and for
the people who need the land as a vocation to support their family."
This project, dubbed "Growing Jobs" was nominated for a Housing
and Urban Development 1999 Best Practice Award in recognition of its innovation, effective leveraging
of resources, and collaboration with other agencies. |