Ag-Tourism Committee Volunteers for SJ Partnership, working on strategic direction, planning & programs to enhance economic development through ag-tourism County-wide Membership Includes: All Chambers in the CountyStockton Alliance All CVB’s in the CountyPrivate Operators Farm Bureau Lodi Winegrape Commission

Ag-Tourism Opportunity… for SJC General Plan Guiding Principal Statement… Sustaining farm practices to meet demand, without negatively impacting resources, the environment and the future of agriculture. Emphasize “entertainment venues” in County… Agri-tain-ment Economic Development Czar – Lead with our strength… Agriculture – Mechanism to protect & sustain while capturing marketing opportunities – Guide new policy statements & development

Where is Kelowna? This circle has a radius of about 100 miles (165 km)

RANCH MARKETING Gatzke Orchards Caramoomel Carmelis Goat Cheese Kelowna Land & Orchard Okanagan Lavender Farm The Jammery

Acting with a Common Purpose All layers of community, including government, are working together for a common cause Increasing tourism is a common goal Recognizing that Ag Tourism/tourism is an economic engine Recognizing that all sectors are important to each other and they are working as partners Recognizing a need to expand their tourist season to year- round, filling in the should seasons Maintaining the rural character of Kelowna is key to being successful. Switching from a commodity based Ag product to an “experienced-based/education” based product

Ag Tourism Strong community support for agriculture and an understanding of the challenges it faces. Competition for agricultural land: once it’s gone, it can’t be replaced. Seeing a decline in tree fruit planting and an increase in vineyards. Diversity is best and should be encouraged. Farmers recognize they have to both make a living and help maintain the area’s quality of life. How do you save the family farm? Allow them to make a living. (Aim is not riches, but allowing succeeding generations to see a way to keep farming.) Growing demand to know where your food comes from. What better way than to buy directly from the farmer? “Provide an experience for your customers and make sure to send them to your neighbors. They need to understand how much is available to them.” “Agriculture can be profitable if you are inventive. Farms must be allowed to make a living. A fruit stand alone cannot provide a living.”

Lodi Wine Economic Impact - $5 Billion Number of Operating Wineries 75 Number of Grape Growers 750 Vineyard Acreage 100,000 Vineyard Acres Full-time Equivalent Jobs 14,900 Wages Paid $493 million Cases of Wine Produced39.7 million Wine Related Tourism Expenditures $409.5 million Number of Wine Related Visits 2 million Taxes Paid$155 million CA and Local $170 million Federal Charitable Contributions² $35 million

Commodity vs. Value Added Ag Income from an acre of grapes ~ $3500-$5000 – Value to County – property tax only Grapes made into wine - $50,000/acre + – Job creation – processing, construction, sales, etc. – Sales tax at retail 7.75% = $3875/acre – 10,000 acres x $3875/ac = $38,750,000 tax revenues plus thousands of jobs created in production, hospitality, marketing, etc.

SJC Opportunity Proximity to a HUGE market with growing demand – 11+ Million within a 2-hour drive of SJC – TRENDS… 100 Mile Diet, Locavore, Fresh Emphasis, Safety – “Low-Hanging Economic Development Fruit” for SJC Largely Private Investment, little public financed infrastructure New Ag-White Collar job development Value-added products = Sustainable long-term viability of Agriculture Property, Sales & Transient-Occupancy Tax all grow in County & Cities Capture Mobile Market on Wheels, with Master-Planning “Fresh Food Country” a huge supermarket of direct to consumer fresh food varieties with wine, entertainment & agri-tain-ment

Barriers to Change What do we risk? Loss of ag-land minimal from 850,000 acres Ag-Cluster industries not damaged, some enhanced Cultural shift… Ag-Tourism is “farmland preservation” GREATER coordination and tolerance of dissimilar ag- businesses in agricultural zones… a bit of a squeeze! “The Juice is Worth the Squeeze”

Overcoming Risks Capitalize on opportunity with Right Protections Establish an Ag- Tourism Council – A Steering-Advisory group to add market-driven planning ideas and creative thinking for County Ag-Tourism land use, master planning, incenting market-driven development. – Approaches its business with a “tourists’ valued” point of view, balanced by property rights of land owner and agricultural integrity, all under county Supervisors oversight. – In conjunction with County Planning Department, this council develops Policy Statements and guides policy development for ag-tourism. – Council make-up or membership reflects and ensures the values above and others if needed to form the ag-tourism plan for SJC. – This group needs to be able to, Get out of town… Bringing back ideas that will work or can be adapted to work in San Joaquin County.