IN THE NEWS
FWG NEWSLETTERS
What in the world is LAFCO? - Summer 2025
1999-2024 Twenty-five years of speaking out against poor land use proposals - Spring / Summer 2024
Where did all the farmland go? Better planning is badly needed in the Valley - Fall 2023
Many Reasons to Oppose Huge River Walk Proposal - Summer 2023
Guiding Modesto's Future Away From Farmland - Winter 2022/2023
2022 Balancing Housing needs with the Protection of Farmland - Fall 2022
2022 Denny Jackman Scholarship recipient - Morgan Oliveira - Spring/Summer 2022
Riverbank needs to rethink gigantic River Walk growth proposal - Winter 2021
Riverbank would grow to McHenry under plan for 2,400 homes. Not so fast, critics say - Fall 2021
Turlock: Concerns Grow - Spring/Summer 2021
How to boost Stanislaus County housing and protect farms at the same time - Winter 2020
Modesto - It's Time for Urban Limit Lines: Fall 2020
No Farmland, No Food: Spring 2020
Urban Limit Lines: Protecting Farmland, Growing Cities: Winter 2019
The Importance of Soil & Celebrating 20 Years!: Fall 2019
Saving Farmland, Growing Cities: Spring 2019
American Farmland Trust: Winter 2018
Fighting the Water Grab: Fall 2018
State of the Art on Agricultural Preservation: Summer 2018
"We Must Work to Save our Best Farmland" Terry Withrow: Summer/Fall 2017
Stanislaus County leaders give approval for Wood Colony MAC: Spring/Summer 2017
Economics of State's Water Grab Don't Add Up: Winter 2016
Connecting LAFCO to Local Elections: Summer 2016
Farmers Markets in California: Spring 2016
A Time to Reflect on Farmland Conservation Efforts Throughout the San Joaquin Valley: Winter 2015
Limits to Modesto's Sprawl Coming to Ballot: Fall 2015
Trying to Overturn LAFCO Vote is Wrong: Spring/Summer 2015
Time to Put a Hold on New Ag Wells in Foothills: Summer 2014
No Annexation of Wood Colony: Spring 2014
Protecting Our Ag Economy and Farmland and Focusing on Economic Development: Winter 2013
Modesto's Denny Jackman Keeps Plugging Away for Farms: Summer/Fall 2013
Finite Resources: Water & Productive Farmland: Spring 2013
2012: A Very good year for smart growth: Winter 2012
Why is it Important to Mitigate & Conserve Farmland in California's Central Valley? Fall 2012
The Great Divide over Farmland Protection: Winter 2011
New Leadership, Same Vision: Summer/Fall 2011
Voters...Elected Leaders: Spring 2011
From Court Decisions to the Ballot Box 2010 was a Good Year for Smart Growth: Winter 2010
Support Turlock's Smart Growth Tradition in General Plan Update: Fall 2010
Rethinking the North County Corridor: Winter 2009
Two Stories of Farmland Protection in Stanislaus County: Fall 2009
Striving to protect food, families and farmland 10 years!: Spring 2009
Growing Smart: Summer 2008
E Changes Everything!: Spring 2008
Protecting Farmland and Growing Efficient Cities: Winter 2007
Salida How? County Taxpayers, Who's to Pay on Going Costs of Salida Now: Summer 2007
Blueprint for our Future! Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley: Winter 2006
Stanislaus Count Ag Element Updated - Keep Development Off Productive Farmland: Summer 2006
Saving Farmland! Trust's Easements protecting our ag, but we need more: Summer 2005
Yesterday's "Vision" - Today's Policies: Spring 2005
The Vision for Stanislaus County - Are We on Course?: Fall 2004
What are Conservation Easements: Spring 2003
Take a moment to think about your community: Summer 2002
Proposition 40 Makes Sense: Spring 2002
Urban Citizens, Key to Farmland Preservation: Spring 2001
USEFUL LINKS
American Farmland Trust (AFT)
California Farmland Trust (CFT)
Great Valley Center, Modesto, CA
California Women for Agriculuture (CWA)
Valley Land Alliance, Merced, CA
California High-Speed Rail Authorit
California State Farmland Map
EXTERNAL ARTICLES & PUBLICATIONS
Stanislaus should not allow Riverbank expansion, June 16, 2024, Modesto Bee, PDF Link.
Riverbank plan to build 2,400 homes draws concern, Modesto Bee, The (CA), May 26, 2024, PDF link.
Problems with River Walk, largest Stanislaus Proposal in two Decades | Modesto Bee, May 2023, PDF link.
How best to guide Modesto’s future | Modesto Bee, January 2023, PDF link.
Patterson and Turlock have more to learn about good planning | Modesto Bee, May 2022, PDF link.
How to get more Stanislaus housing while protecting farms | Modesto Bee, December 2020, PDF link.
Stanislaus farmers keep going even during Pandemic | Modesto Bee, April 2020, PDF link.
Reliving two decades of Farmland Working Group’s fight against sprawl in Modesto, Stanislaus County | Modesto Bee, August 2019, PDF link.
Farmland Working Group has fought sprawl in Valley | Modesto Bee, August 2019, PDF only.
If You Can't Beat the Bay Area, Join It | Connecting California | Zócalo Public Square (zocalopublicsquare.org), July 2018, PDF link.
Modesto’s Measure I seeks to protect area’s best soils, water recharge areas | Modesto Bee, October 2015, PDF link.
Sprawl debate rekindled by ballot measure to set boundary for Modesto | Modesto Bee, October 2015, PDF link.
Jeani Ferrari: Having a high enough in-lieu fee protects precious farmland | Modesto Bee, February 2015, PDF link.
Patterson’s proposed farmland mitigation fee is contested | Modesto Bee, November 2014, PDF link.
Mike Dunbar: Modesto battle over Wood Colony could get louder | Modesto Bee, January 2014, PDF link.
Jeani Ferrari and Allen Gammon: Jobs not a good enough reason to cover up Wood Colony | Modesto Bee, January 2014, PDF link.
Our View: Reasons not to develop Wood Colony | Modesto Bee, January 2014, PDF link.
Modesto City Council to tackle farmland vs. development | Modesto Bee, January 2014, PDF link.
Alan Cover: Why would anyone want to pave over my home? | Modesto Bee, December 2013, PDF link.
Patterson City Drops Growth Request - Patterson will try to revise Proposal for Growth | Modesto Bee, February 2013, PDF only.
Saving Farmland, Growing Cities: A Framework for Implementing Effective Farmland Conservation Policies in the San Joaquin Valley | FIC (farmlandinfo.org), An American Farmland Trust Report, January 2013, PDF link.
Patterson annexation plan omits Farmland Clause | Modesto Bee, September 2012, PDF only.
$3 Billion and Growing - Crop Report Signals Strength, Steady Gain of Income, Ag | Modesto Bee, September 2012, PDF only.
Occupy the Farm activists reoccupy UC Berkeley farm plot in Albany | The Mercury News, August 2012, PDF link.
City, County Mull Salida Annex Study | Modesto Bee, August 2012, PDF only.
Growth Initiative is Lauded | Modesto Bee, February 2012, PDF only.
Farmers express worries over loss of Ag land to city | Modesto Bee, January 2011, PDF link.
The biggest question to ask ourselves after vote is ‘Salida how?’ | Modesto Bee, August 2007, PDF link.
Larger Ag Land Parcels Could Reduce Sprawl | Modesto Bee, May 2006, PDF only.
Modesto Bee editorial on Hughson policy | Modesto Bee, April 1995, PDF only.