One topic the RUCS project is addressing is the growing market for local food. Direct sales of local food help increase farm revenue by eliminating the middleman, decrease emissions by reducing the distance food travels, and provide a better tasting product. SACOG is working with Valley Vision and Agriculture in Metropolitan Regions (AMR) at UC Berkeley to analyze the market potential for local food and engage a working group on the topic.
Valley Vision's role builds on the partnership formed during the Blueprint and the Metropolitan Transportation Plan. Not only will Valley Vision's long history of civic engagement help the Local Market Working Group develop innovations and strategies for local markets, their work in open space and land conservation issues and on the Tri-Valley Conservancy's Strategic Plan—a plan for land conservation and agriculture viability in the Livermore area—provide background and knowledge directly related to the RUCS project.
AMR's mission is to understand the interface of rural and urban areas, particularly the values, economies and policies impacting the landscape. AMR staff was part of a team that developed the Urban Edge Agricultural Parks Toolkit, a guide for landowners considering sustainable agriculture as a component of planned developments. AMR and the American Farmland Trust recently published the San Francisco Foodshed Assessment, highlighting the challenges and opportunities to supplying the Bay Area with locally grown food. This work will help address similar local market questions for the Sacramento region.