Sustaining an Agricultural Region: Capay Valley Grown

View the project final report

Commodities

Practices

• Education and Training: decision support system, display, extension, farmer to farmer, networking
• Farm Business Management: cooperatives, marketing management, market study
• Sustainable Communities: new business opportunities, partnerships, public participation, sustainability measures

The Capay Valley boasts rich soils, abundant biological diversity and a viable agricultural economy. Less than two hours from the San Francisco Bay Area and hosting the Cache Creek Casino Resort, the valley is under tremendous pressure to develop. Rising land prices and shifting land uses, coupled with depressed commodity prices, threaten to destabilize the region’s agriculture. To counter the threat, 23 farmers and ranchers, with the aid of a local nonprofit, Capay Valley Vision, have joined forces under the “Capay Valley Grown” label to create a shared identity and develop collaborative marketing approaches. The idea is to recognize and reward Capay Valley producers using sustainable practices and encourage wider adoption of such practices. Employing newly created brochures, newsletters, grower cards, point-of-purchase information and the like, they’ll target, markets, consumers, Capay Valley Grown producers and other producers in the Western region.