In 2023, the Nevada County Resource Conservation District was granted a planning grant to develop an Agricultural Working Landscape Conservation Plan. The work for that grant began in the Spring of 2024, with the hiring of Cultivate Consulting agency and the formation of the core planning group, which included multiple stakeholders: the County of Nevada, the Bear Yuba Land Trust, Sierra Harvest, and Farm Bureau. That award is on track and is scheduled to go before the board of Supervisors and is expected to be adopted and finalized in September 2026 as the “Growing our Future: A Community Conservation Plan for Agriculture in Nevada County.”
The previous process was an in-depth assessment of how to: Guide growth & Agricultural Preservation, Economic Vitality, and Agricultural Climate Resilience. The engagement with the core partners, the public and the community far exceeded expectations. The assessment highlights that Nevada County is positioned to develop a more robust agricultural economy and local food system with a focus on preserving existing and future agricultural land from conversion.
This Initial Assessment is the first step in preparing Growing Our Future: A Community Conservation Plan for Agriculture in Nevada County. Its purpose is to take stock of current policies, programs, and on-the-ground conditions that shape the viability of local farming and ranching. By understanding where things stand today—what’s working, what’s missing, and where there are challenges—this assessment lays the foundation for a set of strategies that can support agricultural land, livelihoods, and climate resilience moving forward. This document is intended to guide the community in making informed decisions about which strategies to pursue in the final Plan.
Over the last 18 months, there have been a significant amount of effort that has gone into developing this community action guide, including several 1:1 meetings, two public stakeholder meetings, and a youth focus group.
Additionally several assessments have been researched to help inform the plan, including county mapping, economic development strategies and climate resiliency strategies, all of which include a comprehensive overview of existing county plans and how this agricultural plan can be incorporated into those additional frameworks. What is emerging is an economic vitality action plan for agriculture in Nevada County. This action plan will continue to be workshopped over the next several months, including a presentation to the Board of Supervisors in June.
The public workshops have illustrated that there is a growing concern to ensure the protection of Agriculture, including land resources, raw ag water, farmer and rancher livelihoods, as well the need to have a sustainable and economical local food system.
There are so many stressors that contribute to the taxation of farming and ranching as an industry, it is sometimes difficult to sort out the priorities, as they all appear essential and urgent for our community.
One of the bright spots that emerged during the workshops was the youth focus group. There were 14 youth leaders from both NU and Bear River that came together to talk about what was important to them for their future in agriculture, not only as current students, but as future employees in the industry.
They highlighted the need to build community connections to agriculture, not only for their own FFA projects, but they also expressed concern that there is not enough education for the public in understanding why agriculture is such an important part of Nevada County’s history and an essential focus for future generations.
