The San Benito AFA, fresh off its adoption of its Constitution in June, 2006 has started work on two projects designed to support the preservation of agriculture and the environment in the County.



The first project is to encourage the San Benito County Board of Supervisors to create and Agricultural Advisory Board to the Planning Department to get input from the agricultural and environmental community on the impacts of development decisions. This effort was spurred on by the challenges faced by local growers to create a processing plant for grass-fed beef in the County—a key to the survival of small, alternative beef producers.



The second project is to create a “San Benito Grown” brand and identity for San Benito agricultural products. Local branding has been shown to increase the demand for and prices received on locally-grown food. This higher farm income encourages farmers to stay on the land and keeps production close to consumers—both critical long-term strategies for agriculture in the County.



The San Benito AFA was launched in November 2005 by farmers, ranchers, and community leaders interested in coming together to find solutions to the twin challenges of preserving agriculture and improving the environment in the County. The county which is located south of Santa Clara County and West of Monterey County is home of Pinnacles National Monument and some of the best bottom and grazing land in Northern California.