IN THE NEWS
FWG NEWSLETTERS
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Where did all the farmland go? Better planning is badly needed in the Valley - Fall 2023
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Many Reasons to Oppose Huge River Walk Proposal - Summer 2023
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Guiding Modesto's Future Away From Farmland - Winter 2022/2023
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2022 Balancing Housing needs with the Protection of Farmland - Fall 2022
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2022 Denny Jackman Scholarship recipient - Morgan Oliveira - Spring/Summer 2022
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Riverbank needs to rethink gigantic River Walk growth proposal - Winter 2021
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Riverbank would grow to McHenry under plan for 2,400 homes. Not so fast, critics say - Fall 2021
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Turlock: Concerns Grow - Spring/Summer 2021
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How to boost Stanislaus County housing and protect farms at the same time - Winter 2020
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Modesto - It's Time for Urban Limit Lines: Fall 2020
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No Farmland, No Food: Spring 2020
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Urban Limit Lines: Protecting Farmland, Growing Cities: Winter 2019
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The Importance of Soil & Celebrating 20 Years!: Fall 2019
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Saving Farmland, Growing Cities: Spring 2019
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American Farmland Trust: Winter 2018
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Fighting the Water Grab: Fall 2018
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State of the Art on Agricultural Preservation: Summer 2018
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"We Must Work to Save our Best Farmland" Terry Withrow: Summer/Fall 2017
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Stanislaus County leaders give approval for Wood Colony MAC: Spring/Summer 2017
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Economics of State's Water Grab Don't Add Up: Winter 2016
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Connecting LAFCO to Local Elections: Summer 2016
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Farmers Markets in California: Spring 2016
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A Time to Reflect on Farmland Conservation Efforts Throughout the San Joaquin Valley: Winter 2015
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Limits to Modesto's Sprawl Coming to Ballot: Fall 2015
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Trying to Overturn LAFCO Vote is Wrong: Spring/Summer 2015
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Time to Put a Hold on New Ag Wells in Foothills: Summer 2014
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No Annexation of Wood Colony: Spring 2014
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Protecting Our Ag Economy and Farmland and Focusing on Economic Development: Winter 2013
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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
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Why is it Important to Mitigate & Conserve Farmland in California's Central Valley? Fall 2012
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​The Great Divide over Farmland Protection: Winter 2011
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New Leadership, Same Vision: Summer/Fall 2011​
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Voters...Elected Leaders: Spring 2011
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​From Court Decisions to the Ballot Box 2010 was a Good Year for Smart Growth: Winter 2010
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Support Turlock's Smart Growth Tradition in General Plan Update: Fall 2010​​
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Cities Sprawl!: Spring 2010​​
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Rethinking the North County Corridor: Winter 2009​​​​
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Two Stories of Farmland Protection in Stanislaus County: Fall 2009​​
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Striving to protect food, families and farmland 10 years!: Spring 2009​​
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Growing Smart: Summer 2008​​​​​​​
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E Changes Everything!: Spring 2008​​​​
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Protecting Farmland and Growing Efficient Cities: Winter 2007​
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Salida How? County Taxpayers, Who's to Pay on Going Costs of Salida Now: Summer 2007​​​
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Blueprint for our Future! Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley: Winter 2006
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Stanislaus Count Ag Element Updated - Keep Development Off Productive Farmland: Summer 2006
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Saving Farmland! Trust's Easements protecting our ag, but we need more: Summer 2005
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Yesterday's "Vision" - Today's Policies: Spring 2005
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The Vision for Stanislaus County - Are We on Course?: Fall 2004
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What are Conservation Easements: Spring 2003
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Take a moment to think about your community: Summer 2002
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Proposition 40 Makes Sense: Spring 2002
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Urban Citizens, Key to Farmland Preservation: Spring 2001
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USEFUL LINKS
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American Farmland Trust (AFT)​
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California Farmland Trust (CFT)

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Great Valley Center, Modesto, CA
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California Women for Agriculuture (CWA)
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Valley Land Alliance, Merced, CA
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California High-Speed Rail Authorit

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California State Farmland Map
EXTERNAL ARTICLES & PUBLICATIONS
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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.
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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.
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Jeani Ferrari and Allen Gammon: Jobs not a good enough reason to cover up Wood Colony | Modesto Bee, January 2014, PDF link.
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Our View: Reasons not to develop Wood Colony | Modesto Bee, January 2014, PDF link.
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Modesto City Council to tackle farmland vs. development | Modesto Bee, January 2014, PDF link.
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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.
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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.
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Growth Initiative is Lauded | Modesto Bee, February 2012, PDF only.
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Farmers express worries over loss of Ag land to city | Modesto Bee, January 2011, PDF link.
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The biggest question to ask ourselves after vote is ‘Salida how?’ | Modesto Bee, August 2007, PDF link.
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Larger Ag Land Parcels Could Reduce Sprawl | Modesto Bee, May 2006, PDF only.
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Modesto Bee editorial on Hughson policy | Modesto Bee, April 1995, PDF only.