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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.a.1) Consider conceptual endorsement of CoCo Sustainable Farm proposalCentral Contra Costa Sanitary District January 24, 2013 TO: HONORABLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS VIA: CURTIS W. SWANSON, INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER FROM: DANEA GEMM�, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIVISION MANAGER "R"1 SUBJECT: COCO SAN SUSTAINABLE FARM PROPOSAL SUMMARY At the January 14, 2013 Enterprise Committee meeting, the Committee discussed a proposal from Dr. Carolyn Phinney (Attachment 1) to lease the Kiewit parcel to a community organization to develop and operate a demonstration farm. The current proposal includes areas to grow fresh produce to be donated to area school lunch programs and the Contra Costa Food Bank, community gardening plots, storage, and parking. A large portion of the site would be used for growing a "cash crop," such as alfalfa, that would provide the organization with revenue to help cover its expenses. The proponents intend that their project will demonstrate the benefits of recycled water and the need to keep our water clean by decreasing the discharge of toxic chemicals. People also will be taught organic and quasi- organic backyard gardening practices; bio- intensive gardening methods, integrated pest management and other methods of protecting our environment. The proposal also asserts that the farm project would also be an example of more productive use of wastewater treatment plant buffer lands, especially those with the capability of producing recycled water. The Enterprise Committee approved Dr. Phinney's request to bring this proposal to the full Board of Directors' January 24, 2013 meeting rather than as originally scheduled for the February 21, 2013 Board meeting. At the January 24 meeting, the Board should be able to review the results of toxicity tests on the dust vacuumed up from the street surface outside the County Quarry site per the Committee's instructions. The Board could then consider a conceptual endorsement of the proposal, which would give staff direction to continue with planning, budgeting and environmental studies while allowing the proponents to begin their fundraising efforts. BACKGROUND The District uses the 33 -acre Kiewit parcel as buffer land for its adjacent wastewater treatment plant. In the past, the property occasionally has been leased out as grazing land. In 2005, the District approved a clean fill project and leased the property to County Quarry Products LLC (County Quarry) to operate it. That project raised the property about five feet in elevation, to the level of Imhoff Drive, through import and placement of approximately 240,000 cubic yards of dirt from areas throughout the county. The District split the proceeds with County Quarry and received approximately $966,000 for its share since 2008. The clean fill operation is coming to an end, as the property undergoes final soil quality testing, grading, and seeding for erosion control over the next six months. In response to some community inquiries about future use of the property, staff has been working with the former Board Real Estate Committee (now Enterprise Committee) to analyze possible, compatible property development alternatives. The preliminary analysis has included evaluating environmental, health, safety, economic, and regulatory factors and constraints. Staff has specifically evaluated the sustainable farm proposal and no "fatal flaws" have been identified thus far to using the Kiewit property for the proposed agricultural activities. As the site is zoned Heavy Industrial (H -1), an agricultural use of the site will require a Land Use Permit from Contra Costa County. County staff has informally reviewed the initial proposal and has not indicated opposition, though it would be subject to design and operational conditions to ensure compatibility with its heavy industrial use neighbors. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation would be needed before the District and the County could approve a project commitment. Based on the preliminary environmental assessment to date, a Mitigated Negative Declaration likely would be the appropriate CEQA document with the District as Lead Agency. RECOMMENDATION Consider a non - binding, conceptual endorsement of the CoCo San Sustainable Farm proposal and direct staff to work with the proponents to further develop the project's description and budget; determine potential costs to the District; prepare the appropriate CEQA documentation and an application for an agricultural Land Use Permit, which would allow the Board to give final consideration to the proposal at a future date. Attachment 1: CoCo San Sustainable Farm Proposal and Budget ATTACHMENT 1 July 31, 2012 CoCo San Sustainable Farm Founder, Executive Director Carolyn Phinney, Ph.D. 62 Scenic Drive, Orinda, CA 94563 -3412 Cell: (925) 788 -7374 Fax: (925) 253 -9500 CarolynPhinney@comcast.net Horticulturist, Farm Operations Manager Bethallyn Black, M.A. 1205 Lindell Drive Walnut Creek, CA Cell: 925 - 899 -8030 BethallynB@gmail..com On Facebook: CoCo San Sustainable Farm OVERVIEW We would like to collaborate with Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (CCCSD) to support CCCSD's mission and values by creating an urban sustainable farm on up to 33 acres of land known as the Keiwit Property. We will provide fresh produce to schools and the CoCo Food bank. We will use recycled water which is currently discharged into Suisun Bay. Recycled water is very high in nitrogen, so fertilizer costs are also greatly reduced. Eventually, we may be able to receive carbon credits for CCCSD. We would certainly be sequestering carbon and reducing the carbon footprint of farm -to -table by distributing locally. This proposed project will be educational and will involve a public information campaign and training of the public. The public will have many opportunities to participate and learn about the applied science of recycled water and what they can do to keep our water and environment clean by decreasing the discharge of toxic chemicals. People will be taught organic and quasi- organic backyard gardening practices; bio- intensive gardening methods, integrated pest management and other methods of protecting our environment. We believe we can not only teach people, but also motivate people to change their behavior, because of their emotional investment in the farm and in feeding school children and those in need. We propose to have 1 -2 acres of a public garden section of this farm, where various groups can have their own plot of land to grow and learn from our experts. Some of this public garden will be built to be accessible, with tall garden boxes that can be more easily gardened by those with physical limitations. We propose to have demonstration gardens, showing various contrasting methods and techniques. Our goal is to put a free salad bar in every school in the CCCSD district. We also will provide fresh, locally grown, produce to the CoCo Food Bank, who has a massive distribution system already in place for those in need. Hence, utilizing another existing entity will all but eliminate our food distribution costs. We would like to have a farm stand on the property, bringing further attention to this project. Our goal is to work with local schools of all grades, including colleges, to bring our public information campaign into the classroom and provide a living laboratory where students can have hands -on experiences that bring home the issues of applied science we will be demonstrating. We will reach out to the local community to involve and teach the public. Every sanitary district maintains a land buffer and produces agricultural grade recycled water much of which is wasted. This proposed project will be a model for sanitary districts all over the world for working in partnerships with local citizens to increase local food security, while decreasing the carbon footprint of this food because distribution is local, not trucked hundreds or thousands of miles. Most sanitary districts have a food bank or equivalent local distribution source, as well. This will function as a pilot project that will enable CCCSD to create a carefully documented model for sanitary districts to replicate. CCCSD has already received awards for its leadership and we believe this innovative project will bring CCCSD more recognition and influence in its industry. The major costs of production of food -- land, water, fertilizer, food distribution, environmental would be greatly reduced. This is project is replicable to increase food security, and educate and motivate people to change their behavior to protect their water supply and environment. We believe the proposed project has a strong nexus with CCCSD's mission, values, and objectives of promoting pollution prevention, providing recycled water and promoting community outreach and relations. Because of these and other potential benefits to CCCSD, we hope that CCCSD will contribute the land and recycled water and other in -kind services where CCCSD has specific expertise, such as providing assistance with obtaining a land use permit (the project site is zoned Heavy Industrial, which allows agricultural uses with a county land use permit). The project site also provides a wonderful opportunity for CCCSD to install informational kiosks and provide educational materials to the public to further advance its mission and educate the community on the importance of pollution prevention and the value of water recycling. PROBLEMS BEING ADDRESSED Educating and Changing Behavior to Protect the Environment. One of CCCSD's core values is to create a more healthy and safe environment. CCCSD has an existing program to educate the community about toxins entering the water supply. The CCCSD Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility has been successful at gathering some of the toxins that would otherwise have been thrown in the trash or have found their way into the water system. However, only a small percentage of the community knows about the CCCSD Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, and even fewer people bring their toxic waste to the center. Most of it still ends up where it should not. Any increased visibility for this program would benefit CCCSD's primary mission. Likewise, CCCSD seeks to reduce pesticide use in the home and garden. However, most members of the community are not educated in organic gardening practices and alternatives to pesticide use in the home. Increasing community education and interest in reducing pesticide use is part of the mission of CCCSD. CCCSD has made efforts to inform the public about the waste water cycle, integrated pest management, disposal of hazardous waste, and other environmental issues. Reaching the public, primarily with written materials, is difficult and costly and of undetermined impact. Those who do read the materials often forget what they have read and /or do not change their behavior. Most of us have come to believe that saving water, reducing pollution, eating healthier foods, and getting more exercise are critical goals. Like many of the goals that we wish to achieve (environmental, financial, personal), we do not do all that we could do to reach these. It is a challenge to change our behavior. Behavioral change requires a high degree of knowledge and understanding of what we are trying to achieve; and also the clear intention and the motivation to carry out our plans for change. When we are engaged in a project that inspires us and we feel is important, especially one that is a lot of fun and builds community relationships, it focuses our attention and motivates us to learn and use what we learn to change our behavior. The proposed project will have a huge emotional impact on people in communities served by CCCSD, because we are proposing to reduce hunger and change the nutritional poverty of children and those in need by feeding them fresh, locally grown, produce in schools. We will receive a great deal of free publicity from the press. Elected leaders also will help us publicize the farm, because it will help their constituents. We will also use social media such as Facebook, and will create beautiful mailers to be sent out by email, which will reach those serviced by CCCSD, at very low cost. Volunteers from innumerable agencies will come to work on the farm, as will students, and this will reinforce with hands -on- learning and applied science teaching, the information contained in campaigns that will be disseminated. All of this which will provide opportunities for the learning needed to precede behavioral change. Hunger, Food Insecurity and Nutritional Poverty. One of CCCSD's core values is to build community relationships. The proposed project would greatly increase CCCSD's visibility and connection to the community. Millions of children lack access to affordable fruits and vegetables. Diets of most children fail to meet the USDA's daily nutrition guidelines. Obesity has become a national epidemic with approximately one third of children being overweight or obese, in part due to diet. School lunches have become the topic of much criticism, as these usually consist of low cost, low nutrition options, because fresh fruits and vegetables are too expensive to provide. It is not only children, but also adults who suffer from poor nutrition, in part due to the cost of fresh produce. The impact is greatest on the poor, who have the fewest resources to supplement their diets with healthy, fresh produce. The Contra Costa Food Bank (hereafter "Food Bank ") services approximately 150,000 people per year in Contra Costa and Solano Counties. They service schools, homeless shelters, crisis centers, free kitchens, etc. Approximately 70% of the children in the Mt. Diablo school district have subsidized lunches, because their families are in financial need. The Food Bank gets random supplies of produce from farmers who have excess production. However, the Food Bank does not have a predictable supply of produce. Furthermore, the produce they do get often is the least perishable, starchy vegetables (carrots, potatoes) and not the green leafy vegetables that are needed for good nutrition. And the further produce travels, the greater the loss of nutritional value. There is little doubt that there is a great need to provide a steady supply of local fresh fruit and vegetables to more vulnerable members of the community. The cost of water is one of the major costs in the production of produce. Obviously, the cost of land is another major cost in production. Lastly, transportation costs drive up the cost of fresh produce. The Food Bank often pays for shipping for the produce it receives. There are many children in the school districts within the CCCSD district that come from homes with food insecurity and receive federal subsidies for food at schools. School lunch programs can not afford to substitute a salad or fresh fruit, which costs about $1 per student, for a slice of pizza which only costs about 35 cents. Nutritional poverty in food served thus exists both at home and school. Providing locally grown fresh produce will increase community health. School lunches also contribute to obesity in children — because they serve cheap calories loaded with refined carbohydrates and fatty protein. By growing produce locally and using the existing distribution system of the Food Bank, we can greatly reduce the cost of fresh produce and provide this to our children and those who otherwise can not afford this produce. Plneapples Cherries contain Grapes help digest cyanidin an improve the food and antioxident rb nitric oxide build strong , hat Protects evels in the bones. the body oodstream tram cancer c h red uc es cells. blood c lots. The aminoacid The Benefits The tryptophan natural found in of oil in bananas oranges keeps your reduc. es Fruit skin looking young depression. and fresh. Drinking lemon- The water can arginine The pectin in help in water - apples can cure melons rid y1. lower your bad bad the body of cholesterol by 16 %. breath. ex( ess amonia and help heal wounds. Typical Environmental Costs of Producing and Distributing Fresh Produce. Some of the usual environmental costs of producing and distributing food are: 1) utilization of massive amounts of water with increasing water shortages; 2) discharge of toxic chemicals used for pest control and fertilizers in typical large, monoculture food production; 3) pollution from fossil fuels used in transportation from farms to consumers; and 4) pollution and destruction of soil and plant health from the use of fossil fuel based fertilizers and pesticides. The current food production and distribution system results in produce being expensive and highly polluting. This food cycle produces food injustice and insecurity, nutritional poverty, urban food deserts while increasing environmental damage. This project addresses these problems by: 1) utilizing agricultural grade recycled water produced from high quality secondary treated wastewater that is currently being discarded to Suisun Bay where it flows to the San Francisco Bay and cannot be reused; O�MrIRI.k IN�Jx tcnr5nrr , 2) teaching and demonstrating organic and bio- intensive gardening practices and integrated pest management and information about the waste water cycle, so that citizens will change their behavior and reduce the discharge of toxins into their gardens and sewers; 3) teaching organic gardening methods that people can use to grow produce in their own backyards and teaching people to buy locally produced food, thereby reducing transportation, pollution. See hftp://food-hub.org/files/resources/Food�/�20miles.pdf r. ^�� +� = ®c mmm.. m��. n:, o ¢smmsnar+.uim._,crmeir.wfsOm..m .j. nn+cwm..we a L iv 2 Food miles: How far your food travels has serious consequences for your health and the climate u 4) growing fresh produce locally using organic methods, water that is being lost into the bay, and an existing distribution network, thereby vastly reducing the carbon footprint of farm -to- table for this produce and increasing food security and nutrition for CCCSD's customers and beyond; and 5) building community relationships that inspire people to get involved, learn, and change their behavior. UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION OF THIS PROJECT This project is unique in that it is a model for the use of under - utilized existing resources to address at least five critical problems: 1) Discharge of toxic chemicals petroleum -based fertilizers prescription drugs and Problematic household items into the environment and waste water system occurs every day because people are not educated and /or not motivated to change their behavior. We believe the school salad bar program will cause great visibility for this farm and psychological investment. This will cause people to pay attention and learn and will motivate many of them to change their behavior in their daily lives — a goal otherwise nearly impossible to achieve. The public will have greater awareness of methods of pollution prevention, including the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility and proper recycling /disposal of pharmaceuticals and other toxic products, keeping these out of the ground water. As they learn about sustainable growing methods (approximately organic without certification) and reclaimed water, they will learn about what poisons our ground water and will be more motivated to change their behavior. 2) Students often feel alienated from their classroom learning, because it has no tangible connection to their lives and their classes don't seem to help them get jobs. This living classroom will help students learn important areas of science and will provide knowledge and training related to jobs in horticulture, urban agriculture, hydrology, soil science, meteorology, environmental science /engineering, and other areas of applied science. This farm is particularly important given the increasing need to train people to produce urban agriculture to sustainably feed the burgeoning human population of our planet. 3) The shortage of water on much of the planet and recent drought across the country has caused a shortage of food production. The most unique aspect of our project is the collaboration with CCCSD, which is right in the middle of a densely populated urban area, utilizing an existing land buffer and diverting otherwise wasted recycled water, which is high in nitrogen. Discharging this water on land and using it for agriculture not only grows food, but also further cleans and filters the water and boosts the ground water for the two streams that boundary this farm. 4) The effects of global warming and the cost of the typical food production and distribution system has caused produce to be expensive creating hunger and nutritional poverty for many who can not afford fresh produce. This project will eventually provide up to 30 acres of fresh produce at an astonishingly low cost. This produce will be provided to local schools, where most students have food subsidies and to the food bank, which serves approximately 150,000 people per year. With nationwide drought, these numbers will only increase. This farm is so large that it can change food security in the district. 5) There is usually a huge carbon footprint of growing food in rural areas and then transporting it to feed people in cities. This is a model for growing large quantities of food in the middle of an urban area, using nitrogen -rich water. Furthermore, planting this farm with trees and alfalfa and vegetables will help sequester carbon. CCCSD has a goal of protecting the environment and this project will help the district have a large impact on the local environment. WE ARE NOT ALONE We are blessed by being in California where many groups are trying to solve problems related to urban farming, food justice and sustainable living from whom we can learn. We will draw upon the wisdom of such community farms a: Alemany Farm in San Francisco, Deep Seeded Community Farm in Arcata, EarthWorks Community Farm in South EI- Monte, Full - Circle Community Farm in Sunnyvale, Live Power Community Farm in Mendocino County, Pie Ranch in Pescadero, Shakefort Community Farm in Humboldt County, and The Veggielution Community Farm in San Jose. (I saved one screen from Veggielution's wonderful slide show below. httl2: / /www.flickr.com/ photos/ veggielution /sets/72157625593749908/show/ We will work with the Mount Diablo Bee Keepers Association to have bees doing the hard work of pollinating our farm. We have contacted the Contra Costa County Food Bank and they will distribute our produce to schools and appropriate social service agencies. We do not need to create a food distribution system, which vastly reduces the cost of bringing this produce from farm to table. We will work with educational institutions including the University of California, Davis Agricultural Department; Diablo Valley Community College, Contra Costa Community College, John F. Kennedy University and other local schools to integrate curriculum with hands -on experience. Our horticulturist and our Advisory Board Members are connected to these institutions. The Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County program was run by our horticulturist for over 13 years. Linda Mayo a long -term school board member and Steve Hoeft, a school Father's Club member and local schools activist will be on our Advisory Board. Innumerable volunteers from local agencies and groups undoubtedly will come help us farm. Tina Neuhausel, Director of Sustainable Contra Costa wants to support us and be one of our partners. Chef and restaurant owner and food activist Cindy Gershen is heavily involved in working with a local high school to change the food they serve. Cindy is a supporter of this project and will help us design our salad bar program. State Senator Mark De'Saulnier, Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, and Orinda City Councilwoman Amy Worth have offered support and we believe most local political leaders undoubtedly will be helping us achieve our very worthy goals. FOCUS AND IMPLEMENTATION IN THE FIRST FEW YEARS The primary purposes are to provide environmental education to the public, while growing Produce for schools and the food bank using organic methods. We will establish our community garden area and teaching program at the farm. We will work with local schools, colleges, and universities integrating course -work with applied learning on the farm, incorporating environmental training relevant to this project. Early in this project, we would like work with CCCSD to create educational videos and distribute these to schools and on social media such as Facebook, as well as showing these videos at the farm. We believe that public interest in the farm will be great and this will motivate people to learn about recycled water and to change their behavior to keep waste water cleaner. This should also raise interest in keeping ground water cleaner, as well. Here's an example of a similar educational video. http: / /www. youtube.com /watch ?v = QT7FYQBbcRE &feature= related This should also raise interest in protecting our ground water and environment in general. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. There are many videos online that can be used while we work to create videos specific to CCCSD. Here is a video about drinking water and one about meteorology by NASA that can be promoted by the farm, as we teach organic farming methods and integrated pest management. http: / /www.youtube.com /watch ?v = QT7FYQBbcRE &feature= related http: / /www.youtube.com /watch ?feature= fvwp &v -0 cOZzZfC8c &NR -1 We believe that the CoCo San Sustainable Farm will generate so much interest and emotional investment, because it will be feeding our children and people in need, that it will increase motivation to learn about water in general — their waste water, protecting fresh water, as well as other relevant environmental issues and applied science. Most importantly, this investment will motivate people to change their behavior or so that they better protect their environment. And we all know that behavioral change is the gold medal sought by all those trying to protect the environment. Establishing relationships with the local community is critical to our success. We will closely collaborate with existing institutions that serve those in need, including schools, food bank, crisis centers, homeless shelters, and other service institutions. Our crops will go to the Contra Costa Food Bank and be distributed by them to schools and other agencies that serve those in need. We will work with local schools and Dr. Phinney has already talked to California's Supervisor of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson's Chief of Staff Craig Cheslog. Mr. Cheslog has offered to link with the food service personnel in local schools to develop the salad bar program and will help us in other ways. We will build connections with local non - profits and businesses, who may provide volunteers and /or financial or other support. To obtain volunteers, we will work with local service organizations such as girl scouts and boy scouts, Rotary Club, and school clubs, as well as environmental groups like Sustainable Contra Costa and agricultural groups like the Martinez Grange, Future Farmers of America, 4H, the Resource Conservation District and the University of California Master Gardeners. We need to build the farm's place in our community. MEASURABLE AND TIME - SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES In the first few years on the farm, we will: 1) build our soil character; 2) build our physical infrastructure; 3) plant our first crops; 4) develop our teaching programs; and 5) build community relationships. In temporal order, our first objective to get the farm up and running must be address the soil character and bringing fertility and correct PH back to the currently degraded soil. The Kiewit Property is currently being used for a "clean fill' project. Fill is being imported from all over the county and beyond and hence is widely varying. Fortunately, our horticulturist teaches soils science and will help us cope with the patchwork of soils types we will encounter. As you can see from the photo above, only a small fraction of that fill is topsoil. Most of the topsoil has been segregated and piled up to one side and is being trucked away leaving the ground as hard pack after the tractor mixes and compresses it. Although the Mitigated Negative Declaration for this project suggests that future planned uses of this land included grazing, the fill has such poor microbial and soil structure that only the most invasive weeds can take root (see foreground). It appears that this removal of topsoil did not occur in early phases of the project, as you can see in the photo below that grasses are flourishing on about 5 acres of property closest to Walnut Creek (see land behind topsoil pile). Hereafter we will refer to this part of the parcel as the 1 st 5" because clean fill of this land is completed and the soil is supporting some life. I In the center of this photo, you see the topsoil that is segregated and being trucked away. Because there is little to no topsoil being left behind, we will need to start by bringing in large quantities of compost, breaking up the hardpack and mixing in organic material. We will focus most on the 1 st 5 acres mixing in approximately 14 tons of compost per acre. Compost is expensive, so the rest of the farm will be amended with locally sourced horse manure and other cost effective organic resources. After amending, we propose to plant a green manure crop of alfalfa to further enrich the soil in late fall on all of the land that is available for planting (25 -30 acres). Some of the 33 acres are wetlands or have sewer or water pipes to be avoided along the south and west perimeter areas of the parcel. We will turn under the alfalfa on the 1St 5 in early spring. The remaining alfalfa will be harvested every six months, until we are ready to take more into vegetable production. The first year the 1 st 5 will be divided with about 4 acres for planting and' /2 acre for community plots and teaching gardens (growing up to 2 acres with demand), and 1/2 acre for parking lot and buildings. The second objective is to build physical infrastructure. Recycled water is already available at the site, however a distribution system must be installed. We will install the main pipes of the irrigation system along the mouth of an existing ditch that runs just inside the fence along the longest dimension of the farm (along Hwy 4). We will be guided by irrigation experts knowledgeable in recycled water use (with oversight from CCCSD's recycled water staff), so that we correctly label and mark the irrigation equipment and outlets to designate them as recycled water. We will put gravel on the existing flat area to create a parking lot. Then, we will construct the buildings to house our equipment, for our office and a cold storage shed and if permitted a composting toilet and solar panels or wind turbine for energy. To the extent possible, we will use sustainable solutions to demonstrate these to the public. We will plant fast - growing shade trees and set up an outdoor teaching area with picnic tables and covered with vine covered trellises. We will add to existing fencing (5' 8" high) to bring it over a 6' height. Fencing the area will prevent vandalism and predation of equipment and will ensure food safety standards are met. Our third objective is to grow produce. As soon as the recycled water distribution system is ready, we will plant an orchard on one end of the property and cacti around the perimeter of the fence as a crop and to further dissuade visitors and animals. (We must be careful where we plant trees because we are across from the landing strip of an airport. Of thelst 5, approximately three acres will be planted with our first vegetable crops and one acre will be planted with fruit trees. We intend to hire a farmer with a tractor to plant our first crops, as drastic nationwide shortages due to the high temperatures and drought dictate that we don't delay until we can raise funds for large equipment. We will work with local beekeepers, to provide hives on one corner of the property (e.g., near Walnut Creek stream) for bees to be our pollinators. Volunteers and students will help us with planting, weeding and harvesting. Our fourth objective teaching to change behavior will be met in several ways. Horticulturist and Master Gardener Bethallyn Black and retired scientist and teacher Carolyn Phinney will create our on -site educational materials with extensive input from CCCSD staff and board members. Bethallyn Black and members of the Advisory Board will work with the community colleges to integrate agricultural and science courses and hands on experience on the farm for course credit. We will use the community and teaching gardens for instructing participants in bio- intensive gardening practices, irrigation, soils management, hedgerow benefits, organic practices, integrated pest management, etc. These community plots and demonstration plots will become our outdoor laboratory and classroom. We will also develop a public information campaign, which will be disseminated by email and through Facebook, YouTube and other social media that provide free distribution. Carolyn Phinney is highly experienced with social media and other campaigns and will take the lead developing and disseminating these materials. GENERAL TIMELINE Fall 2012: We understand that a land use permit will be needed from the County, and the proposed schedule is contingent upon obtaining necessary approvals and permits prior to beginning site work. We hope that CCCSD staff can provide assistance in obtaining permits and completing any environmental documentation (i.e., CEQA) that may be required. Our schedule will be coordinated so as not to impact CCCSD's fill operation, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The site manager of the fill operation has told us that if we started work on the side of the property that they have already completed, we would not be in the way of their delivery trucks. This includes the area we have dubbed the 1St 5 (See Figure 1 below). We would work with CCCSD to coordinate our activities with this project.. Figure 1: Drawing of the Kiewit Property with CoCo San Sustaingable Farm's Proposed Use We must first obtain 501 C -3 status, either through the Earth Island Institute or through our own application. Then, we will begin to raise money from the public and through crowd - funding sites like www.Kickstarter.com. We will be applying for private, and state, and federal grants. We will be putting in the irrigation system for flood irrigation, which is the simplest to do. We plan to begin building infrastructure, creating the necessary facilities for safe and sanitary use of the property, including toileting and hand - washing with potable water (trucked in to site) and a small building for office and equipment. Infrastructure will include the higher fencing necessary to protect the farm and crops, so that we do not create an attractive nuisance and to obtain state certification for sale of our crops. We hope to engage a farmer to amend the field and plant the first crop of alfalfa by late fall. Winter 2012 -2013: It is our understanding that the clean fill project will be completed by early 2013. After the fill project is completed, we plan to put in the parking lot and install more fences and other basic infrastructure. We must obtain certification for the farm to sell or give away the produce. This will require us to set up a site for washing the vegetables with potable water and a cool storage building. We will create educational materials and an email flyer and develop our website and begin the social media campaign and other community education campaigns about recycled water and the entire project. We will begin on -site community education, because we believe the public will be interested in even this early phase of the project. This phase will focus on soils science and hydrology and the beginning phases of organic farming. Early Spring 2013: We will till under the 1 st 5 acres of alfalfa and will pay or barter with a farmer to plant the rest of the farm with alfalfa. After the 1 st 5's alfafa crop is tilled under, we will set aside land for the community garden and build some tall boxes for the accessible gardening. We will assign garden plots to the community and expand the land available to the community according to demand. Spring 2013: We will plant the 1St vegetable crop and fruit trees and continue on -site education. After the fields are planted, we will focus on publicity and educational campaigns. Summer and Early Fall 2013: We will harvest the 1 st vegetable crop and continue community education. We also hope to build a high tunnel green house for protected crops. We will engage in on -site composting. Late Fall — Winter 2013: This period will focus on replenishing the soil with compost and rotating with winter crops. The winter crops will provide salad bar materials for the schools and winter vegetables for the Food Bank. This site should allow year -round food production given the mild climate moderated by Suisun Bay, which is only a few miles to the North. BUDGET ESTIMATE FOR FIRST 15 MONTHS The CoCo San Sustainable Farm will cost about $200,000 in the first 15 months, unless we obtain funding for large equipment, which will cost much more. We have created a detailed budget containing cost estimates. This estimate does not include any costs that CCCSD might assess. Please see the attached spreadsheet (Exhibit 1). As noted in Exhibit 1, we have paid particular attention to budgeting for items that would be important to maintaining the site in an aesthetic and sanitary condition, and not create an attractive nuisance. In particular, we have included budget for portable toilets, hand washing and drinking water facilities, fencing around key areas of the site, and storage buildings to secure tools and other items. We propose to construct a gravel off - street parking area. All publications would include directions for vehicular traffic to enter and exit the site via Solano Way to avoid traffic impacts to the Blum Road area. We have also included budget for various types of insurance that we anticipate CCCSD would want us to obtain. Our objective is to maintain the project site in a way that enhances CCCSD's public image, and if there are any issues that CCCSD would like addressed, please let us know. If at any time in the future, we should decide to stop farming this land, the land will be left in a clean and attractive state, equivalent to or more beautiful than the state when we start the proposed project. We understand that CCCSD would require that we enter into some type of a formal agreement with the District to be sure that CCCSD's interests would be protected. This agreement may be executed with the Earth Island Institute, which would be the umbrella non - profit entity representing us on legal and fiscal matters, but this must be determined. FUND- RAISING SHORT AND LONG -TERM Anything that we can get for free or close to free, we will get, such as manure and materials donations. We will use crowd - funding (such as www.kickstarter.com) to get immediate cash flow. We will also get donations from individuals locally. We will contact local businesses who may want to donate materials to have their names on our publications or we will sell them advertising space. We are checking with the county as to whether renting sign space on the fences facing the freeway is permitted. At the airport, North American Van Lines has parked large vans facing the freeway with huge signs on side of the trucks. We would like to do the same, advertising the farm and its sponsors. We would love to have Pixar /Disney provide some funding for the farm with us placing large Pixar figures along the fences and perhaps on our salad bars, to get the attention of children and their parents (and the rest of us who love Pixar!) We will try to find major local sponsors for the farm such as Kaiser or Lowes or Home Depot which are nearby or even large companies that support healthy foods as part of their company policy such as Disney / Pixar. Dr. Phinney and Ms. Black are experienced grant- writers, having written successful federal grant applications as well as applications to private foundations. Dr. Phinney will spend much of her time writing grant proposals and Ms. Black will help when she has time. Income will also come from the food bank which has said that they often pay something for the food they receive (usually shipping costs which in our case are close to zero). We may obtain some payments from them. We also will have a farm stand and hope to sell produce there. Local businesses such as Kaiser and John Muir may buy some of our produce. Until the project is funded, we will start with whatever money and materials we can get donated locally, until significant revenue is generated. We may find a farmer who will barter with us to turn our soil and plant our alfalfa crop. We believe we will receive significant community support from individuals and local businesses, because this project is so important and humanitarian. NON - PROFIT STATUS The CoCo San Sustainable Farm would be run as a non - profit. We believe that a sound financial and legal foundation is a critical component to the long -term success of this project. We hope to be taken under the umbrella of The Earth Island Institute, a 501 -3C in Berkeley (hftp://www.earthisland.org/index.php/aboutU)L�, which was founded by the first director of the Sierra Club, David Brower. The Earth Island Institute describes itself as "an incubator for start -up environmental projects, giving crucial assistance to groups and individuals with new ideas for promoting ecological sustainability." In brief, the Earth Island Institute takes 9% of our donations and profits to provide the following: 1. Institutional Home with 501 -3C status to receive money; 2. Filing the necessary IRS application; 3. Financial services that are quite extensive and complex, including: A. receiving and processing donations; B. handling distribution of funds (paying vendors, payroll, receipts due, cash advance, low limit credit card maybe and eventually after established, etc.); C. Monthly financial statements; D. Accounting; E. Tax Filing; 4. Indirect help with fund - raising by using their name and hence credibility and institutional weight; 5. Direct help fund - raising by training, coaching, telling partners, writing letters of support; 6. Filing Registrations of all sorts; 7. Business and legal advice and audits. 8. Publicity in their own magazine and online While we are pursuing this avenue, it has come to our attention that some of the local funders like the Lesher Foundation (http: / /www.lesherfdn.com), which is a major funder of Contra Costa County projects such as ours, will not fund projects that have a fiscal sponsor, because fiscal sponsors take too large percentage of the funds raise (Ell takes 9 %). Hence, we are also exploring the possibility of obtaining 501 c -3 status just for the farm and hiring an accountant. The Earth Island Institute only requires a one year commitment and Lesher does not fund start-ups, so we may start out under a fiscal sponsor and decide in 6 months whether to obtain independent 501 c -3 status. LEADERSHIP OF THIS PROJECT Carolyn Phinney, Ph.D. is a retired behavioral scientist, teacher and researcher. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in Psychology. Dr. Phinney taught and conducted research at UC, Berkeley, Harvard University Extension and the University of Michigan. Dr. Phinney has much experience writing grants and will be the primary person responsible for fund - raising. Teaching at the University of California Berkeley, she won an award for her teaching during graduate school. Dr. Phinney will take a lead role in designing the educational materials and the publications. She has been a community organizer and political activist for 20 years and won the volunteer of the year award from the Ann Arbor, MI public schools. Dr. Phinney was an elected member of the Democratic Party in Ann Arbor, MI in the 1990s and is serving her second term on the Democratic Party County Central Committee (DPCCC) in Contra Costa County. She has been a field organizer for many years, which experience will help obtain and retain volunteers. Dr. Phinney lives in Orinda. This project is Dr. Phinney's vision and implementation to this point and she will be the Executive Director. Bethallyn Black, M.A. has been engaged in urban farming her entire life in Walnut Creek, starting with her parents as a child. Ms. Black holds an advanced degree in horticulture and has led the Master Gardener for Contra Costa County for 13 years. She has taught at Kennedy University, Diablo Valley College, and Marin College. Ms. Black is a Research Associate at the University of California, Davis in the Agriculture Department. One of her classes is in soils science. Ms. Black's accomplishments are many including helping to establish the Integrated Pest Management Program at CCCSD in 2002. Ms. Black and Dr. Phinney will collaborate on designing the teaching program on the farm and on the written materials and grants. Ms Black recently joined the project and will be the Horticulturist and Operations Manager on the farm. ADVISORY BOARD Advisory Committee Chair, Steve Hoagland is an elected board member of Ambrose Park and Recreation and a Boy Scout regional leader. Mr. Hoagland was involved in the development of the community garden at Ambrose Park and Recreation. He has diverse connections in the surrounding communities and can help us form linkages with other agencies. Mr. Hoagland has had many years of leadership roles in Boy Scouts and will help us work with and teach young people. And he's a delightful human being, which is why he works so well with young people! Cindy Gershen chef and owner of Sunrise Bistro in Walnut Creek and school food activist. Ms. Gershen has won awards for her work on the Healthy Lunch Program for teachers and staff at Mt. Diablo High School. Ms. Gershen provides a free breakfast and lunch for many months and pre and post medical tests show fabulous results. She is currently developing a school garden at the Mt. Diablo High School and will bring many experiences related to teaching young people about food, particularly food preparation. Ms. Gershen will consult on the integration of our vegetables into the local school lunch programs and her work with the schools will bring needed expertise on systems, as well. Michael Kerr is an Organic Farmer and is the primary person who set up the Ambrose Park and Recreation Community Garden. He will help us design the community garden and the accessible growing boxes. He is an important hands -on teaching resource. De'shawn Woolridge, B.A. is a candidate for Contra Costa Community College Board. As a candidate newly gradated from college, Mr. Woolridge is sensitive to the needs of students to find linkages between college learning and jobs. He will help us from the administrative side to develop programs that give students experiences in applied science. Linda Mayo has served several terms on the Mt. Diablo School Board and is our expert and liaison to the schools where our produce will be delivered. Ms. Mayo will help us reach teachers and food preparers and others who are relevant in the school district. Steve Hoeft, M.A. has a degree in chemistry and works with a local funding agency. His knowledge of funding issues will be very helpful. He is a leader in the Mt. Diablo School District's Father's Club and will help us figure out how best to reach out to parents. Tina Neuhausel, Director of Sustainable Contra Costa, has spent many years working on issues of sustainability. She brings broad expertise and contacts with the community. Ms. Neuhausel is also an expert in public information campaigns. We know others will come forward to serve on this board, and we hope that members of CCCSD's Board of Directors and staff will serve or provide assistance. VALUING DIVERSITY Great economic, racial, gender, age, ethnic and geographic diversity exists within the CCCSD district. We will seek to make our core team diverse and reach out to different populations using different methods to reach those we teach, those who volunteer, and others we serve. One of primary goals is to educate all members of our community about environmental issues relevant to what happens to our waste water when it goes down the drain and also those issues relevant to the food system. We must have a diverse team to find optimal ways to reach different groups. For instance, Ms. Black has conducted research that shows one of the best ways to reach populations of non - English speakers is at their English as a Second Language Classes. She has worked to teach farm and garden workers not to wash their clothes with the clothes of their children, because of the toxins on their clothes. Furthermore, nutritional poverty and food scarcity crosses all categories. The leaders of this project are in agreement and passionate about the belief that involving in leadership roles, teaching, and serving a diverse population is a critical part of our mission. Thank you very much for considering the CoCo San Sustainable Farm proposal! Carolyn Phinney, Ph.D . Buildings and Structures Parking Lot Gravel and Compaction Administration and Classroom Structure Equipment Shed Green House/ High Tunnel Cool Storage Structure Trellis for Covered Area Picnic Tables Farm Stand Donated Old Pickup Truck Insurance Irrigation and Recycled Water Valves Supplemental Fencing for 5 acres Recycled Water Billboard Installation Materials Intro to Farm Billboard Installation Materials Other Signage Installation Materials Personnel Part-Time Salary for Bethallyn (2 days each week) Payment to Farmer (5200 /acre) Administrative and Insurance Land Use Permit Mitigated Negative Declaration Farm Liability Insurance Product Liability Insurance Workman's Comp Insurance Equipment Theft Insurance Food Safety Certification Advertising (Press Coverage, Free, Donated) Office Equipment (donated) Office Supplies Teaching Materials (donated) Fans Portable Air Conditioner Office Furniture (donated) TV or large Monitor (donated) VCR/DVD (donated) Training Tapes/DVDs Computer (donated) Printer (donated) Garden Reference Books Sheet 1 2012 Expenses 2013 Expenses 2013 Expen Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept 2000 4000 4000 3000 5000 5000 3000 1000 500 500 1000 1000 500 3000 79 2000 2000 1000 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 200 200 380 200 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 100 100 800 200 200 200 5000 1380 150 150 750 450 1350 150 2150 150 Page 1 50 50 50 150 0 0 4000 0 3000 0 500 3000 2012 Expenses 2013 Expenses 2013 Expen Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 8000 5000 8500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 7500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 3000 79 2000 2000 1000 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 200 200 380 200 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 100 100 800 200 200 200 5000 1380 150 150 750 450 1350 150 2150 150 Page 1 TOTAL EXPENDITURES 2013 INCOME Crowd Funding, Grants, Cash Donations 50000 5000 10000 5000 5000 5000 10000 Sheet 1 5000 5000 5000 5000 Food Bank Payments 1000 2013 Expenses 1000 Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Utilities Sales of Advertising on Fence and Brochures 1000 1000 1000 1000 Composting Toilet 2000 In Kind Donations 5000 10000 10000 10000 10000 5000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 Solar Panels 2000 Potable Water 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 2200 200 200 200 200 2200 200 200 200 2013 Expenses Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Heavy Equipment Tractor Rental (105 -130 hp) $500 /day /6 DAYS 3000 Fuel ($25 /acre) 750 Rodent Control ($15 /acre) 450 4200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2013 Expenses Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Farm Supplies Hand Tools (mostly donated) 2000 1000 Hoses 200 Spray Nozzles 100 Low Tunnel Bed Covers Square Foot Boxes Wood (donated Gloves, Hats, Eye wear, Protective Gear 500 50 First Aid 100 Paper boxes for sales (Costco donated) Paper towels,Toilet Paper, Misc Household 300 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Bottled Water and Food 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 Stakes for trees and be downs 100 3300 400 400 400 400 1750 400 400 400 2013 Expenses Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Planting Supplies & Costs Per Acre (10) Fruit Tree Transplants 500 500 500 500 Seed starter boxes 500 Mulch/Weed Control (Mostly Donated) 500 500 Fertilizer If Needed Disc Land $80 X 30 2400 Chisel $55 X 30 1650 Level Field $80 X 30 2400 Finish Disk and Harrow $55 X 30 1650 Finished Compost 14Ton/Acre $700 X 5 3500 Alfalfa Seed 24 Ibs /acre @$100 X 30 3000 Innoculant $4 /acre X 30 120 Pipes from Recycled Source 2' PVC X 2000' 2000 Drip Irrigation and Recycled Water Valves 5 acres 2500 Harvest Cut, Wash, Bunch, Band, Pack $200 X 5A 1000 1000 1000 1000 16720 500 500 500 3000 0 1000 1000 1500 1000 Fiscal Sponsor Earth Island Institute's Overhead (9% of Cash Donations & Revenue, unless we negotiate a lower rate) TOTAL EXPENDITURES 2013 INCOME Crowd Funding, Grants, Cash Donations 50000 5000 10000 5000 5000 5000 10000 5000 5000 5000 5000 5000 Food Bank Payments 1000 1000 1000 1000 Farm Stand and Other Direct Sales 1000 3000 3000 3000 3000 Sale of Alfalfa 20000 Sales of Advertising on Fence and Brochures 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 In Kind Donations 5000 10000 10000 10000 10000 5000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 Page 2 sea 2000 Oct Nov Dec 0 0 0 10650 aea Oct Nov Dec 2500 2500 2500 37500 5000 7500 2500 2500 53500 100 100 100 50 50 50 150 150 150 12130 Sheetl 2015 Projected Expenses Buildings and Structures Farm Stand Modifications Donated Old Pickup Truck Insurance Drip Irrigation Fencing Repalrs and Supplement New Signage Installation Materials Building Repair Windmill Batteries for Windmill Wiring for Windmill Hookup Heavy Equipment Equipment Repair Fuel (525 /acre) Tractor Attachments New Equipment Personnel Part-Time Salary for Director ( -3 days/week) Part-Time Salary for Manager (25 hours/week) Payment to Farm Workers Administrative and Insurance Farm Liability Insurance Product Liability Insurance Workman's Comp Insurance Equipment Theft Insurance Food Safety Certification Advertising (Press Coverage, Free, Donated) Training Tapes /DVDs Office Supplies Teaching Materials (donated) Utilities Composting Toilet Servicing Potable Water Page 3 2015 Projected Expenses 2 Jan Feb March April May June July 1000 2000 1000 100 1000 4000 500 500 100 3000 6000 0 0 1000 0 1000 1000 2000 1000 5000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 500 500 7500 1000 1000 1000 8000 8500 8500 15500 9000 9000 9000 2000 1000 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 200 200 500 200 200 200 50 50 50 50 50 50 500 1900 350 2350 350 550 1550 350 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 Oct Nov Dec 200 200 200 200 200 200 6400 Oct Nov Dec 0 0 0 4200 Oct Nov Dec 3000 100 100 100 300 300 300 3400 400 400 12050 Oct Nov Dec Sheetl 2013 Expenses Farm Supplies Hand Tools (mostly donated) Rodent Control ($15 /acre) High Tunnel Bed Covers Low Tunnel Bed Covers Square Foot Boxes Wood (donated Gloves, Hats, Eye wear, Protective Gear First Aid Paper boxes for sales (Costco donated) Paper towels,Toilet Paper, Misc Household Bottled Water and Food Stakes for trees and tie downs Planting Supplies & Costs Per Acre (10) Fruit Tree Transplants Seed starter boxes Mulch/Weed Control (Mostly Donated) Fertilizer if Needed Finished Compost 14Ton/Acre $700 X 5 Alfalfa Seed 24 Ibs /acre @$100 X 30 Innoculant $4 /acre X 30 Pipes from Recycled Source 2' PVC X 2000' Drip Irrigation and Recycled Water Valves 5 acres Harvest Cut, Wash, Bunch, Band, Pack $200 X 5A 1000 1000 0 0 26720 163150 20500 183650 5000 5000 5000 1E +05 1000 1000 1000 7000 2000 2000 2000 19000 20000 40000 1000 1000 1000 9000 2000 2000 2000 0 2E +05 205000 Jan Feb March April May June July 2000 1000 450 3000 500 50 100 300 100 100 100 100 100 100 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 100 6750 400 400 400 400 1450 400 500 500 500 500 2500 1000 1000 500 500 500 3000 0 1000 1000 Fiscal Sponsor Earth Island Institute's Overhead (9% of Cash Donations & Revenue up to $500,000; then step function) TOTAL EXPENDITURES 2013 INCOME Crowd Funding, Grants, Cash Donations Food Bank Payments Farm Stand and Other Direct Sales Sale of Other's Goods (Honey, Jam) Sales of Advertising on Fence and Brochures Sales of CoCo San Merchandise In Kind Donations Donations Page 4 Jan Feb March April May June July 5000 5000 5000 10000 5000 5000 5000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 5000 5000 5000 5000 30000 50000 50000 1000 2000 2000 2000 2000 1000 1000 1000 3000 3000 3000 3000 1000 1000 1000 2000 2000 3000 3000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 17000 17000 18000 27000 47000 68000 68000 015 Projected Expenses Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 500 500 0 0 0 0 10600 5000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 1000 1000 1000 9000 9000 9000 8000 8000 110500 2000 300 300 300 300 300 50 50 50 50 50 2350 350 350 350 350 11150 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 400 400 400 400 400 4800 Sheet 1 Page 5 Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 3000 100 100 100 100 100 300 300 300 300 300 400 400 3400 400 400 15200 500 1000 1000 1000 1500 1000 1000 0 0 10000 167250 Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 5000 5000 1000 1000 50000 30000 2000 2000 3000 3000 3000 3000 2000 2000 2000 2000 5000 1000 10000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 5000 1000 5000 2000 1000 2000 2000 2000 5000 1000 5000 2000 1000 5000 2000 5000 40500 207750 68000 48000 26000 20000 26000 450000 Sheetl Page 6