Please join us at our next monthly meeting:
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Place: Global Exchange: 2017 Mission Street @ 16th Street, San Francisco
Please bring a favorite dish to share if you can - Treats from your garden are always especially appreciated.
And come with us afterwards for a drink and great discussions at a local watering hole!
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Place: Global Exchange: 2017 Mission Street @ 16th Street, San Francisco
Please bring a favorite dish to share if you can - Treats from your garden are always especially appreciated.
And come with us afterwards for a drink and great discussions at a local watering hole!
Advocacy
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News
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Resources
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The Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones Act (AB 551) Becomes Law
Governor Brown announced that he had signed the bill on September 28. The law will officially go into effect on January 1, 2014 (as is the case with most laws passed this session). Read more on our advocacy page.
Urban Agriculture Strategic Plan Released
On April 19th, the City Administrator submitted the strategic plan and evaluation for the new urban agriculture program to the Board of Supervisors. The plan recommends that the new program be housed within the Recreation and Parks Department, with one full-time staff person serving as coordinator. More details on our advocacy page.
Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones Act Progresses!
On Wednesday, April 17, the Assembly Agriculture Committee voted unanimously in support of AB 551 – the Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones Act (introduced by Assembly Member Phil Ting)! There was no opposition voiced against the bill and numerous committee members spoke up in favor.
The next step for the bill is the Local Government Committee – which will take it up next Wednesday, April 24 at 1:30 PM. If you or anyone you know are still considering submitting a letter, they are still helpful! Letters from people in or near any of the following cities would be especially great: Arroyo Grande, San Rafael, Salinas, Gardena, Menlo Park, Lake Elsinore, South San Francisco, and Escondido. Revised instructions for submitting letters can be downloaded here as well as a sample support letter. The most recent version of the legislation is available here, and more information can be found on the AB 551 advocacy page. Update - Help Us Jump Start The UA Program!
After all of the work that countless individuals and organizations have put into creating an Urban Agriculture Program to support our needs, the process seems to have stalled in the City Administrator's Office. The report and strategic plan were supposed to be released at the end of 2012, but they have not surfaced and there has been no updated timeline. That's why it's time for us to raise our voices and jump start the process. You can help in two ways:
1. Write a letter to the Mayor and City Administrator by Apr 1st. Click here for a template letter and instructions to help you out. The more voices the better, so letters from both individuals and organizations are important. Use this opportunity to share why strong city support for urban ag is so important to you. 2. Spread the word! Please circulate this far and wide and encourage people to write letters. Gardeners, foodies, social activists, and farmers all have a stake in creating a well supported urban agriculture community. The program is already almost 3 months behind schedule, so the sooner we get them moving again the better! Click here for more information. Participate in the SFUAA SurveyThe survey that was mentioned at the last meeting is live! The questionnaire shouldn't take more than 10 min to complete and the answers will help guide the SFUAA in 2013 as well as help us find ways to make this organization work better for all of you. The survey can be found here. We encourage all those who are aware of the SFUAA to fill it out (whether you are a member or not).
California Homemade Food Act Signed Into LawCongratulations to everyone who worked to pass this legislation, making it easier for small-scale food producers to sell food made in their home kitchens. The law will go into effect in January, and the full bill can be downloaded here. For more information, and a summary of the bill, click here.
Urban Agriculture Legislation Passes Unanimously!Congratulations, everyone! Many thanks to all who turned out at the Land Use hearing and the 50+ people who sent in letters advocating for this much needed program in San Francisco. The SFUAA is only as strong as its members and this victory lends more evidence that when we speak in a unified voice we can actually affect change in our city. Also many thanks to Supervisor David Chiu and his staff for being the champions on the city side. We surely couldn't have done it without them.
As the strategic plan for the for the program is created over the next few months the SFUAA will continue to monitor, report back, and advise the city to help it become as useful and successful as it has the potential to be. Stay tuned for future updates! |
Current Announcements
Here is what is new and newsworthy at SFUAA. For a complete list of our announcements click here.
Urban Agriculture Event Calendar
SFUAA's new Urban Agriculture Event Calendar is up and running. Check it out here. If you or your organization has an event you would like added to the calendar, please email us at info@sfuaa.org.
SFUAA's Guide to Starting a Garden or Urban Farm
It is here! SFUAA has created its own guide to Starting a Garden or Urban Farm in San Francisco. The guide answers questions on finding land, permits, water hookups, selling what you grow and more. You can find a copy of the guide here.
