On September 18, over 60 elected officials, staff and community members from across the six-county region toured Yolo County's rural lands and several types of agriculture operations.
SACOG Board Vice Chair and Yolo County Supervisor Helen Thomson and UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean Neal Van Alfen introduced the group to the challenges and opportunities in the county.
Mariani Nut Company, one of the largest nut processors in the region, was the first stop on the tour. Winters Councilmember Harold Anderson gave an overview of the downtown community design project as well as goods movement and traffic issues impacting this rural city.
Many conservation efforts are underway in the county, including private habitat enhancement on agricultural lands such as the Yolo Land and Cattle Company and the Yolo Natural Heritage Program.
The tour also visited Esparto and Woodland, looking at the transportation and economic development challenges facing communities of all sizes, and how smart growth developments are bringing jobs, housing and services closer together.
A trip to Yolo County is not complete without some local produce. During a stop at Durst Organic Growers, Georgeanne Brennan, a Slow Food advocate and author, and Yolo County Agricultural Commissioner Rick Landon discussed the policies and programs that have kept agriculture sustainable.
The tour ended with an overview of rural road safety and maintenance issues, and strategies to increase safety and provide transportation options, such as the Woodland-Davis Alternative Transportation Corridor.