“The Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Plan (SCVAP) represents our commitment to recognize and support our working agricultural lands, one of Santa Clara County’s most valuable resources. Working lands have often been overlooked within the shadow of Silicon Valley, yet the SCVAP addresses the vital importance of agriculture in our
region – not only as a critical food source, but also as key to the long-term sustainability and health of Santa Clara County. Key issues such as food security, greenhouse gas reductions, climate resilience and many other ecosystem benefits are reviewed with the goal of developing a comprehensive framework that supports our regional agricultural economy.

The vision of the SCVAP begins with the realization that California, especially Santa Clara County, is rapidly losing one of our valuable assets – our farmland. Not so long ago, the Santa Clara Valley was known as the “Valley of Heart’s Delight” as the Valley was recognized as one of the most productive farming areas in the country. The landscape was renowned for endless rows of blossoming fruit and nut orchards, along with a fruit packing and canning industry that was the largest in the world.

The mission of the SCVAP is to emphasize the need for investment in our working lands for regional resilience. Such on-going investments intend to shift the planning paradigm and develop a regional approach that will preserve working lands and support a vibrant agricultural economy while mitigating climate change. Since 1990, the Santa Clara Valley has lost more than 20,000 acres of our farmland and rangeland to development. The remaining 25,000 acres are under threat of land conversion which leads to food insecurity and the loss of our iconic rural character.

Working lands are the backbone of our rural economy, providing jobs and contributing to our region’s economy. In the context of our changing climate; working lands, woodlands, grasslands can provide “ecosystem services” such as healthy soils and aid in protecting our precious water resources. The SCVAP is designed to be implemented by 2030 and intends to challenge the outdated growth patterns of modern times. A resilient, equitable, and thriving agricultural economy is our goal. With our heritage and our innovations of practices and technologies we can keep our working lands at work.”