Yolo Land Trust (YLT) is proud to announce a significant milestone for the organization, having recently closed on their 75^th conservation easement. With the addition of this conservation easement, Yolo Land Trust has now permanently conserved 12,680 acres of agricultural land in Yolo County.

Neal Van Alfen, board president for Yolo Land Trust, expressed excitement for the organization now holding 75 conservation easements. “Adding Conservation Easement #75 to YLT’s portfolio of conserved lands is a great accomplishment and demonstrates the organization’s commitment to collaborating with willing landowners and local government to preserve the agricultural landscape of our community.”

On August 31, 2022, YLT closed on Conservation Easement #75, a 242-acre farm northeast of Esparto. Conservation Easement #75 consists of two adjacent parcels divided by the West Adams Canal. The purpose of the conservation easement is to preserve prime agriculture land by preserving and protecting its soils, agricultural productive capacity, agricultural viability, utility, character, and values.

Michele Clark, executive director of Yolo Land Trust, is proud to see this prime farmland will remain in a farming for future generations. “These 242 acres will now remain in farming for perpetuity – always growing food to nourish the world, providing jobs to the local community, and maintaining valuable open space for wildlife.”

Dave Silveira of Cache Creek 243, LLC is the landowner who was eager to protect his farm with a conservation easement. He has been farming in Yolo County for 27 years and wants to see Yolo County preserved as an agricultural community. “My motivation to complete the conservation easement was to perpetually keep the land in agriculture. It’s nice to know this parcel will forever be in farming and not broken up or developed.”

By placing a conservation easement on the farm, Cache Creek 243, LLC can continue to maintain their farming operations without interruption. The farm is currently an almond orchard, with the almonds grown for and processed by Mariani Nut Company. The terms of the conservation easement do not impact the farming operations, and Cache Creek 243, LLC is at liberty to manage the land as they desire, so as it stays in agriculture productivity.

“That’s the upside for a farmer, the conservation easement allows us to continue farming into the future and has no effect on your operations,” said Silveira.

In addition to working closely with Silveira and Cache Creek 243, LLC, the County of Yolo played a significant role in closing this conservation easement with YLT. The County of Yolo provided the funds for the conservation easement acquisition to satisfy farmland mitigation for the loss of agricultural land as the result of the Yolo County Central Landfill expansion project. The origins of the project date back to 2013, when the County purchased additional land west of the existing Yolo County Central Landfill as a source of soil for landfill construction, landfill closure, and intermediate and daily cover soil as needed.

The County of Yolo has a strong focus on protecting our agricultural and open space resources, commodities, and identity, as outlined in the Yolo County General Plan. Completing this conservation easement meets two strategic plan goals for the County – Sustainable Environment and Flourishing Agriculture. Through its Agricultural Land Conversion Ordinance, Yolo County requires mitigation when farmland is converted to non-agricultural uses for development purposes. The Yolo County Central Landfill expansion project called for the County to purchase and dedicate a conservation easement mitigated at a ratio of 1:1 (1 acre conserved for each acre lost).

“YLT is excited to share the addition of this new agriculture conservation easement with the community,” said Clark. “Across the country, farmland is disappearing at an alarming rate. YLT is the only nonprofit organization in Yolo County with the sole mission of protecting our local farmland.”