May the bubble pop soon. It seems that farmers are pulling out of Williamson Act covenants that reduce property taxes if their land remains agricultural. Feeling pressure from urban sprawl and the willingness of homeowners to endure longer commutes, some farmland has so increased in value that residential development makes more horse-sense sense than arugula.
While the article doesn't mention them, there are other pressures on old family farms that operate near recently built subdivisions, besides the lure of cash. Newly suburanized homeowners don't appreciate clouds of dust and fertilizer or the thwack-thwack-twack of farm machinery. There are hordes of dirty-looking Mexicans working the in the fields.
And they never, ever, realized that sheep could smell so bad.
?More farmers Cashing Out of Agriculture [SF Chronicle]
Photo Credit: Tony Dunn