Working farms and ranch lands are iconic elements of Santa Barbara County’s landscape. Residents and visitors alike marvel at the beauty and productivity of the County’s vineyards, orchards, rangeland, and croplands. But these lands produce so much more than food and fiber. They help recharge groundwater, protect from floods, provide habitat for native plants and animals, provide connection to historic culture, help drive a thriving tourist industry, provide important recreation opportunities, and assure adequate food supplies in times of need.
Yet the future of working lands has never been more uncertain. Population pressures from growing cities and communities create an almost insatiable demand for land for development. This drives up the value of working lands, often pushing them to the tipping point where it is uneconomical to continue to farm and ranch. Social pressures on farms and ranches in the form of increased regulations and expectations from large commodity crop buyers can raise the cost of operation to the point where smaller farmers can no longer compete, and pressure to sell increases. Uncertain or declining water supplies can make farming and ranching increasingly challenging in some parts of the County. Understanding these and the many other pressures on the economic viability of working lands is a critical step to finding ways to support farmers and ranchers in their desire to continue working the land. One new and promising approach is to find ways for farmers and ranchers to be rewarded for the multiple benefits they provide, several examples of which are highlighted throughout the report.
Check out the Agricultural and Ranch Lands portal on the Blueprint’s Atlas here.