[Scpg] Goleta May Cut Fairview Gardens a Break on $47, 000 in Fees Owed to City

Wed Apr 4 09:07:41 PDT 2012

Update on Fairview Gardens as they move forward after being becoming 
part of the New City of Goleta after being in the county since it's 
beings , Urban Cities can be so short sighted to food production 
especially new cities they are not focused on food they need a overhaul 
of their crazy zoning regulations
they need a local food Action Initiative like Seatlle
wes

Local Food Action Initiative Seattle Washington passed by City Council  
Resolution 31019
http://www.seattle.gov/council/conlin/food_initiative.htm

The Local Food Action Initiative is a series of actions meant to promote 
local and regional food sustainability and security. The intent is to 
improve our local food system and in doing so, advance the City of 
Seattle's interrelated goals of race and social justice, environmental 
sustainability, economic development, and emergency preparedness.

The initiative is detailed in Resolution 31019. The resolution was 
passed by the Seattle City Council in April 2008.

Goleta May Cut Fairview Gardens a Break on $47,000 in Fees Owed to City
http://www.noozhawk.com/article/040312_goleta_may_cut_fairview_gardens_break/
Councilman Roger Aceves suggests a donation as a sign of support for the 
nonprofit, and so 'we'd be done with it'

The produce stand at Fairview Gardens in Goleta sold about $320,000 
worth of goods per year before 2010, but with fewer hours and other 
issues, that revenue dropped to $50,000 per year. (Lara Cooper / 
Noozhawk file photo)
By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @magnoli | Published on 04.03.2012

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

*
Fairview Gardens may get a reprieve on the $47,000 it owes the City of 
Goleta for unpaid permit-processing fees, after City Councilman Roger 
Aceves on Tuesday suggested donating a portion of the money to the 
nonprofit as a sign of support.*

http://www.noozhawk.com/article/040312_goleta_may_cut_fairview_gardens_break/

City staff members said at Tuesday's City Council meeting that the farm 
has made a good-faith effort in the past few years to improve its 
business practices, appease neighbors upset with farmworker housing 
conditions and noisy poultry operations, and push for making more money 
and more crop yields.

The debt issue will come back to the council at a September meeting, 
where members indicated they are willing to consider donating a portion 
of the debt to Fairview Gardens, especially since the nonprofit group 
hasn't asked for grant money or other city funding.

It's costing the city money to have the issue come back before the 
council every few months, and the donation would show commitment to 
Fairview Gardens and "we'd be done with it," Aceves said.

Debt to the city came from permit work regarding permanent on-site 
housing for farm workers, and two current cases of permits for selling 
off-site produce and hosting special events associated with the farm.

New leadership for the Center for Urban Agriculture, which runs Fairview 
Gardens, has pushed for a produce stand remodel and completely revamping 
its patterns for planting crops. As a token of the group's willingness 
to do everything it can to get back on track, Executive Director Mark 
Tollefson brought a $500 check to Tuesday's council meeting as a first 
installment.

The produce stand sold about $320,000 worth of goods per year before 
2010, but with fewer hours and other issues, that revenue dropped to 
$50,000 per year --- something the farm hopes to fix with its current 
construction project.

The project, due to be completed by May, will make it more secure and 
eliminate a portion that affected sight lines along North Fairview 
Avenue and Stow Canyon Road.

Without the sight-line issues that have bothered neighbors, the produce 
stand should have better market appeal, even though it will be slightly 
smaller after construction, Kolwitz said.

The farm also has revamped its entire model of pairing soils and crops 
together to get higher crop and revenue yields, and the spring plantings 
and summer harvest should provide a better idea of the fiscal future, 
according to city senior planner Scott Kolwitz.

The orchards are all gone, save a row of apricot trees --- "mostly 
because I really love apricots," Tollefson admited --- but the other 
crop yields have nearly doubled from two years ago.

Only 50 to 60 percent of lettuce heads formerly were suitable to sell, 
which had a lot to do with soil fertility, but now 90 to 95 percent of 
produce makes it to sale, Tollefson said.

Farm finances went from losing $2,000 monthly to breaking even in just 
six months, board president Douglas Steigerwald said.

"We broke even, which sounds mediocre but remember, we were losing money 
every month (for the first eight months of 2011) and now are into the 
black and making money every month," he said.

The board of directors --- whose committees discuss agriculture, finance 
and fundraising --- has four new members and helps oversee the farm's 
participation in farmers markets and education programs.

This year, the organization made $15,000 in both January and February 
from farmers markets alone.

The education programs --- the reason the Center for Urban Agriculture 
is a nonprofit, Steigerwald noted --- don't just cater to young people 
and summer camps anymore. Community programs and classes for adults and 
professionals range from gardening and beekeeping to permaculture design.

Steigerwald also told the council that the organization might not pursue 
building permanent on-site housing for farm workers, which has been a 
source of tension with neighbors in the past. The board hasn't agreed on 
a different use, he said, but thinks the idea of workforce housing may 
not be sustainable.

--- Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at 
gmagnoli at noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, 
@NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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