Henny Penny Farmette

Contra Costa County Farm Bureau

I have passed the one-story stucco building at 5554 Clayton Road (#1) a gazillion times on my way to the post office and didn’t know until recently that it housed the Contra Costa County Farm Bureau. So today I stopped in for a visit.

Our farmette lies within one mile or so of designated California agricultural land. That means there are a lot of ranches and family farms in the area. In fact, most days, we can see cattle grazing on the verdant hills and pasture lands that surround us. Where there are ranches, there is likely a farm bureau.

Foothills of Mount Diablo

The Contra Costa County Farm Bureau is supported by members, many of whom are ranchers and farmers in the county. The bureau’s efforts focus on maintaining the county’s agricultural heritage, promoting responsible land use, preserving open space, promoting confidence in food safety, and also supporting “Buy Fresh, Buy Local.”

“Buy Fresh, Buy Local” means that money spent on locally produced products keeps the money circulating in our community. The farmer’s markets provide great exposure for local small businesses. Concord offers two locations for its farmer’s market. The main one is at Todos Santos Plaza, the downtown park around which our small city is built. Last year, Concord High became the secondary location.

Concord’s hills turn emerald green with the recent rains

The Contra Costa County Farm Bureau works with 52 other county farm bureaus to protect California’s agriculture interests, including informing farmers about farm issues before the California Legislature. It keeps members updated on the latest issues of concern through its Farm Bureau Times newsletter. The August 2012 issue contains a comprehensive listing of the county’s year-round certified farmer’s markets.

The California Farm Bureau Federation publishes AgAlert, the weekly newspaper for California Agriculture. The latest issue provides 28 pages of information spanning diverse topics, including legislation, crop infestation and treatment, organic farming, water issues, range land conservation,and almond exporting.

Our Contra Costa Farm Bureau maintains a program for educating students about keeping bee hives, growing vegetables from seeds, seeing farm animals up close, and learning about the history of livery stables and early farming in California.  For more information, contact the Bureau at 925-672-5115. If you have a local small business involving agriculture, consider joining your local farm bureau.