we all need to have access to land to grow our food, we all eat food
Agricultural is an integral part of Goleta's heritage and future. Having the opportunity to buy locally grown foods is a win situation for all. Besides the health benefits of fresh product, not shipped long distances nor packed in plastics, locally grown creates fields of opportunities for farmers, education for our children, preservation of open space and abundance of tastier choices.
According to the American Farmland Trust, we lose two acres of farmland to development every minute of every day. In a time of dwindling resources and climate change, shortening the distance that food travels from the field to the plate is a matter of local, regional, and national security. As long as we are dependent on long distance supply lines for our daily bread, the stark reality is that we are neither safe nor free.
All the research into nutrition has yield the conclusion that our food supply is being stripped down to less than the essential components necessary for our health. Coupled with this is a our growing dependence on oil, both foreign and domestic. This is all framed by the growing problem of Climate Change that our generation must face down together. By keeping these farms open, it's a stand in the right direction.
With the water shortages facing the state, large agricultural areas in the interior will no longer be producing food. We need these lands for food production locally.
Why is this issue important to YOU? I live in Goleta and appreciate it's rural density that reflects it's heritage.
Please do not cave into the developer's interests and preserve the agricultural resources and lifestyle for our children's children.
If I could be afforded the opportunity to have any of these areas (e.g. Christmas Tree Farm, Patterson), I would GUARANTEE it would remain farmland. Organic farming, serving our community - residents, schools, etc.
Because all things natural, beautiful, and useful are being lost. Open spaces need to be protected. We have enough buildings, residences, stores, malls, parking lots.
Local sustainable farming is the backbone of this country. Being able to purchase local farmed goods is quite possibly one of the MOST important issues in my life right now.
I firmly believe that local agriculture is important for the sustainability of our area & needs to be supported & protected.
We need land for food.
Yes! I was born and grew up in SB. My mother was born there as well. I know things will always change but my memories of driving through farmland and orchards to go from SB to Goleta are indelible. It is some of the best farmland anywhere. As economies change in some ways back to a more local base, especially as the cost of transporting food around the world becomes prohibitable, local agriculture may not be just a desire for the bucolic landscape but actually necessary for survivial. Also, if we want our population to be diverse and culturally meaningful, knowing those who grow your food contributes much to the stability and cohesiveness of a community, and helps us remember the more elemental forces of life.
Having local produce available is vital to this community. It is practical, because it saves the expense of having to ship food from farther away, and guarantees we have a fresh, local food supply. Let's keep agriculture in Goleta.
As a consumer I have a commitment to buying as much locally produced organic food as possible for my family. I grew up in Goleta, surrounded by lemon, avocado, and walnut orchards, and believe that agriculture is essential to the culture of the south coast, that it is part of who we are here.
As a home gardener and supporter of organic farming I believe preserving local farmland is critical to protecting our food supply.
and even bigger than us, is the idea of creating a sustainable future for our children and future generations. please help us by saving small farms!
I live in Ventura County which like Santa Barbara County is rapidly being paved over. If Santa Barbara doesn't make a stand on issues like this it is missing out on an opportunity which will never present itself again as it rushes towards being like everywhere else in Southern California and most of the US. I urge you to preserve all remaining farmland in the region. Let developers focus on those areas which today lie derelict and rundown. Santa Barbara doesn't need to become the LA of the north with more strip malls, track houses, and luxury mansions.
We need to retain as much farmland and other green space as possible so we can be as independent of large commercial food sources as we can be. Having areas of farmland in the county leads to a healthier climate, gives us more open space, retards population growth and generally provides a more healthy and habitable community.
I am an organic grower and a locavore
This issue is important to me because I feel it is time for us to come together to help each other and perserving the Goleta Farmland is a way for us to work together in a healthy and cooperative way.
It is important for all in the community that we not lose our connection to agriculture. Our children need these resources in our midst as an extension of their educational experience.
I live in the neighborhood and love having an organic farm so close. We all need to support organic farmers and especially magical places like Fairview Farms.
Our family eats organic local food to lesson our footprint on the earth and to keep ourselves healthy. We support our local farmers and appreciate the produce that they make available for us to eat year round.
