The Santa Clara County Open Space Authority and the nonprofit Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE) are teaming up to save portions of the 7,500-acre Coyote Valley from development and foster increased agricultural use for current farmers and a new generation of growers and ranchers, according to a press release from the OSA.
The revitalized effort to preserve the valley just north of Morgan Hill as open space, and for recreational and agricultural uses, was bolstered by the OSA’s purchase in 2010 of a 348-acre swath of the valley’s western edge for preservation efforts, the press release said. The OSA is currently in the process of developing a recreational and agricultural use plan for that preserve.
And this preservation is a stark contrast from the outlook of Coyote Valley’s future just five years ago, when it looked like the entire valley was destined to be plowed under and paved over for more housing and commercial projects, according to OSA staff. The Great Recession was the “ironic hero” in the valley’s future, as the City of San Jose’s plan to bring technology campuses and medium-density housing to Coyote Valley were shattered by the housing and credit market crash.
Now all development plans in Coyote Valley’s “urban reserve” are on hold until after 2040 due to revisions to the City of San Jose’s General Plan, the OSA press release said.
Earlier this year, the OSA has approved a management plan for the 348-acre Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve to support the land’s rural and agricultural traditions. The plan includes conservation and stewardship, and development of multi-use trails for equestrian, hiking and cycling users.
The partnership with SAGE was a “natural fit,” OSA staff said. Founded in 2001, SAGE develops urban-edge agricultural parks and agricultural resource areas that support local food systems. Last September, SAGE won a $252,000 grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to help revitalize “specialty crop agriculture” in the Coyote Valley.
“The Open Space Authority is excited to work with SAGE to help revitalize the rich agricultural heritage of the Coyote Valley and contribute to local community health,” said OSA General Manager Andrea Mackenzie. “The Coyote Valley helps maintain the region’s clean air and fresh drinking water, offers families great outdoor recreation opportunities, and, through this partnership, will support local production of healthy crops such as fruits and vegetables for local consumption.”
Activities anticipated from the use of SAGE’s grant funds include workshops and technical assistance for current and new growers in the Coyote Valley who want to increase production of specialty crops and the adoption of sustainable farming practices, according to OSA staff.
SAGE hopes to create a 40-acre demonstration and education farm in the Coyote preserve that will showcase natural resource conservation practices, trial new crops and eventually offer small plots for start-up farmers. The long-term vision is to create a permanent agricultural resource area that will help support livelihoods for farmers.
“We want to see family farmers making a better living and we think growing for local markets and using more sustainable practices can help them do so,” explained Sibella Kraus, President of SAGE. “We also want to support people who want to start farming – young people, immigrants and scaling-up urban gardeners – and help them succeed.”
During the first three years, the OSA and SAGE will work to leverage the grant funding to raise more public and philanthropic funding to be invested in farmland protection and a new type of diversified, sustainable agriculture in the Coyote Valley, OSA staff said.
