Agricultural Resources

Program Mission Statement:

Agricultural Resources Program

To protect local agricultural resources and operations by reporting production and value statistics of the agricultural industry, providing technical information related to land use impacts to agriculture, and responding to emergencies and disasters affecting agriculture and the public.

Agricultural Statistics Program

To serve the community and the California Department of Food and Agriculture by accurately reporting the production and economic value of San Luis Obispo’s agricultural industry. This ensures documentation of the contribution of the industry to the economic health of the County of San Luis Obispo and preserves the historic record of trends and changes to local agriculture.

Emergency Response Program

To protect the public and agriculture through assisting in the planning for and response to emergencies and disasters by providing local knowledge, expertise, contact information and accurate mapping of the County’s agricultural and related operations.

The county's rich agricultural resources are protected and quantified, and response to emergencies and disasters affecting agriculture are addressed through the following programs:

Agricultural Statistics and Mapping

  • Accurate reporting of the production and economic value of the agricultural industry compiled into the Annual Crop Report
  • Compiles statistics for emergency disaster declarations for weather related natural disasters
  • Ensures documentation of the contribution of the agricultural industry to the economic health of the county
  • Preserves the historic record of trends and changes to local agriculture through our Crop Report Archive
  • Maps agricultural resources and production areas

Land Use Planning/Resource Protection

  • Protects agricultural resources and farming operations for the future
  • Provides technical agricultural information to decision makers
  • Identifies potential negative impacts of changes in zoning, land use and subdivision of agricultural property and recommends appropriate mitigation measures to decision makers
  • Reduces conflict between farmers and their neighbors through Right to Farm Ordinance mediation and buffers
  • Administers the Accepted Customs and Standards for Bird Frightening Devices as described in the County’s Right-to-Farm Ordinance. When responding to complaints about bird frightening devices these standards will be used to determine whether propane cannons and other noise devices are being used according to proper and accepted standards. (Spanish Translation) 
  • The Agricultural Liaison Advisory Board (ALAB) has also developed Accepted Customs and Standards for Wind Machines for Direct Climate Control Within Commercial Agricultural Operations. However, those standards are advisory only, as wind machines are currently exempt from county ordinance noise standards (22.10.120.A.6).

Emergency Preparedness Planning

  • Assists agriculture during disasters
  • Protects the public and agriculture through educational outreach about bio-terrorism and bio-security measures
  • Plans for a potential nuclear power plant emergency affecting agriculture and the public's safety

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