Events
- A fun, educational, on-the-farm-and-river festival where you can pick organic produce, feed live animals, go on hayrides, enjoy live music and more. Click here for more information.
Pick & Gather at Riverdance Farms
June 2nd and 3rd
VLA Newsletter
Click here to view our Summer 2012 Newsletter
News Update
- Grange's New Chef Embraces Farm-To-Fork Ethic ... Chris Macias; 5/15
- District Projects to Improve Ag Water Efficiency ... Tim Hearden; 5/15
- Growing With Agriculture: Atwater High School Reaps Investment ... Joshua Emerson Smith; 5/15
- Otters and Rabbits and Birds: and a Lot More ... Eric Caine; 5/14
- Groundwater Pumping Leads to Sea Level Rise, Cancels Out Effect of Dams ... Yoshihide Wada and others; 5/13
- Almond Board Tours Oakdale-Area Ranch ... John Holland; 5/12
- Merced Eyes Lower Fees Charged to Developers ... Ameera Butt; 5/11
- Breaking Out of the Bank ... Mateusz Perkowski; 5/11
- Modesto Council May Take Action Against MID Water Deal ... Ken Carlson and John Holland; 5/10
- Water Jihads and Moe Howard Haircuts ... Chris Bennet; 5/10
- Harsh Words, Lawsuit Threats Greet MID Plan to Sell Water to SF ... John Holland; 5/9
- New Organic Farm Specializes in Supplying Sacramento restaurants ... Blair Anthony Robertson; 5/9
- Could Water Bring Jobs Back to the US? ... Lisa Margonelli; 5/9
- San Joaquin Valley Growth Will Slow, Report Says ... Fresno Bee Report; 5/8
Worth Reading
VLA Special Report
Valley Land Alliance detailed report on the downsizing of our valuable Merced County farmland acreage
Current Water Levels
Qualitative Study of Water Supply and Demand in Merced County
Take Our Quiz
Web Sites Worth Visiting
Eric Caine's "The Valley Citizen" Web Site explores the nature, environment, history and politics of the Central Valley of California
Eric Caine is a brilliant and talented writer. He has written many columns for the Modesto Bee and is an English Instructor at Merced Junior College. His insightful and common sense approach to our Valley problems is a welcome breath of fresh air for readers who care about sustaining a quality of life for residents in Merced County and the Central Valley of California.
Between Friends - Entre Amigos
Between Friends/Entre Amigos is dedicated to providing the families of Merced County with information pertinent to everyday life. Their goal is to promote ideas, family values and pride in the family through information while supporting the business community and local organizations.
California Farmlink Website
California FarmLink works to ensure the future of family farming in California. The future of agricultural production and the viability of productive, diversified, and sustainable farms is far too important to be left to a random process of "marry or inherit". California FarmLink provides a range of services to facilitate a transition from one farmer or landowner to the next generation of farmers.
Local Choices
Connecting our community to local small organic and natural farms and ranches in the Central Valley of California, providing information on local farm news, events, healthy lifestyles, the benefits of organics and the farmers who feed us!
John Holland's Blog: The Hive
Modesto Bee writer, John Holland, tracks farming news and stories in his informative blog.
American Farmland Trust: California - Paving Paradise
One out of every six acres developed in California since the Gold Rush was paved over between 1990 and 2004, concludes a new AFT report, Paving Paradise: A New Perspective on California Farmland Conversion. In all, more than a half million acres were urbanized during this period, almost two-thirds of it agricultural land. Among AFT's other findings: More than 60% of the land developed in the San Joaquin Valley, which accounts for half of California's agricultural production, was farmland of the very best quality. The attached report includes both a database and text that explains and analyzes the data.
Plumas Sierra Counties: Land Use Information
18 Different Fact Sheets (1 to 4 pages each) written in layperson terms to help us all better understand aspects of community land use planning.
Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association
The Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) provides educational and business opportunities for farm workers and aspiring farmers to grow and sell crops grown on two organic farms in Monterey County, California.
The Story of Stuff.com
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns.
Worth Watching
Support Us
Help us make a difference in our Valley. Become a member today.
Annual Donation
$15 Student, $25 Individual, $50 Family, $100 includes a gift copy of the book Our Valley, Our Choice
