San Mateo County crops take hit

Local agricultural production in 2022 was valued at about $92.2 million, down from about $98 million the prior year. That figure does not account for local cannabis production, valued at about $15 million in 2022, because the crop is not federally recognized and therefore can’t be included in the report which is sent to federal agencies, Widdel said.

According to the report, indoor-grown floral and nursery crops had the highest production value at about $55 million, followed by vegetables at $20.6 million, livestock at $6.4 million, forest products at $3.9 million, fruit and nut crops at $2.7 million, field crops at $2 million and livestock products and apiary at $1.3 million.

While the value of floral and nursery crops shrunk from the prior year by about $5 million, the value of livestock products increased by about 12.29% or about $700,000, and the value and fruit and nut crops also increased by about 3.13% or $83,000.

The local industry has shifted a bit in what it offers largely due to issues with suppliers, Widdel said. Crops traditionally grown in the county, like artichokes and Brussels sprouts, are becoming harder to find as supplies opt to sell their starter plants in larger agricultural areas, Widdel said.

Producers have tried to adjust to shifting markets by growing products popularly sought out during the holidays like pumpkins, Widdel said. Others have sold off portions of their land while others have been forced to close down permanently.

And historic rain experienced at the start of the year brought mixed results for farmers who’d previously been grappling with significant and worsening drought conditions, according to Widdel’s report.

“Although the significant increase in rainfall was welcomed after a long period of drought, it led to flooding conditions that caused crop loss and structural damage along the coast,” the report read.

Widdel’s department has been working on ways to support local growers, she said. Through the county’s As Fresh as it Gets Program, local farms and businesses selling locally sourced goods can get a certification that alerts customers to items being from the county.

Supervisor Ray Mueller, whose District 3 comprises most of the county’s farm land, suggested establishing a distribution site or farm co-op on the coast could also help support county producers. The initiative would provide an easier path for local agencies like schools, jails and hospitals to access local agricultural goods, he said, and would cut down on costs for farmers who wouldn’t have to ship all their produce to distribution sites.

“If the county is going to make an investment of land for farmworker housing, setting aside some portion of land for a distribution center may help stabilize the agricultural industry for farmworkers and farmers,” Mueller said. “I think this is a critical piece. RCD is doing work on it, something we’ve been talking about for the last seven months so it’s something I’d like the county to keep an eye on.”

In other business, the board approved a request to establish an agricultural identification program, led by the Agricultural Commission, that would help facilitate access to ranches and other commercial agriculture sites by commercial producers during wildfires and other disaster-related evacuations.

The program was inspired by an emergency response by the County Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures during the CZU lightning complex in 2020. The historic fires caused many to evacuate and the department had to compile a list of verified growers requesting access to their farms and submit that list to Cal Fire for approval. The approved program would formalize that process.