June 12, 2018
Draft
10:29 am
Working hard to climb up from down. The health opportunity to live with a group of others always requires investment of energy.
I live on a parcel of land near San Diego State University, 1/3 acre surrounded by canyons in an old house older than I am. I am 70.
Our home requires constant attention and I appreciate the times in between “Health Opportunities” when I can pay attention to some of the other full time jobs on my plate now—including recovery from back surgery.
Last Friday, I put my pains aside and lack of sleep to attend a San Diego planning commission meeting for a development project that would replace some of our counties finest organic food growing areas with a forward looking housing development that was in a very recent Measure B 2016 dramatically voted down, but it right here again two years later, with some improvements being made, again asking for approval. The Lilac Hills Ranch project is near the area of extreme fires earlier in the year. Without a condition of extreme grace from Mother Earth, The plan potentially creates a fire trap for the 650 homes that would be built. The lilac road off highway 15, is entered crossing a two lane Bridge to the west, and to the south entrance another bottleneck.The evac plan for sure needs to be considered, as well as a look at the best possible land use for a county of millions with little forward looking strategies to feed its own population. San Diego County has played a historic role in being one of the food growing capitals of the nation, and clearly, the 100 acre organic jewel named the Rodriguez Ranch home of J R Organics CSA Farm, is one of the few working farms, feeding hundreds, where lessons from the soil herself are here to be learned.
The 100 acre parcel, home to members of the fifth generation Rodriguez Family, in now private ownership the last ten years.
My Master Plan for development in that area would entail rewarding the current owners of the farm, who continued to lease the property to the Rodriguez Family these last ten years, and then find a creative solution to include the property and acknowledge it as a Stakeholder in development plans, whatever they will be.
We have much to learn from Joe Joe Sr Rodriguez, and son Jr.
It was in 1986 when Joe Rodriguez jr, suffering from the effects of pesticide use on the already existing farm started by his grandfather, turned the soil in the direction of organic production.
It has taken decades to get this far. Joe deserved national recognition for his skill, hard earned through trial and error, that allows him to grow the most perfect Strawberries near 12 months of the year without the poisons commonly used to grow them. On the list of dirty dozen pesticide foods, strawberries are number #1.
Joe Jr’s observations and experiences need to be recorded, as well as his concerns that our county is headed for hardship because we have no clear Food Growing Trival (better health county-wide) and Survival Plan.
Clearly, San Diego County does not have a plan to provide enough housing for all the people who would like to live here.
A Lilac Hills Ranch Master Plan is very much in order. This proposed development expresses a forward looking vision with many positive qualities.
Let us all move forward—working together—to make the most of best possible land use—that honors and preserves the home of a most perfect strawberry.
Leslie Goldman #YourEnchantedGardener #PlantYourDreamBlog
Posted draft
June 12, 2018
10:22 am
——-
Adrienne Prince
and I spoke at the San Diego County planning commission hearing about the Lilac Hills Ranch master plan June 8, 2018.
The development project was voted down in 2016 by the voters as Measure B.
In spite of its defeat by the voters, the proponents of the Lilac Hills development have persisted and made further refinements in their proposal, taking into account suggested improvements by the County.
Today’s hearing was to decide if the project, with some improvements, would be looked at again by the planning commission, as recommended by the county staff, or sent forward to the Board of Supervisors. The commissioners voted to send it on to the board of supervisors, rather than further delay it.
I spoke, making sure the Planning Commission understood that as the Lilac Hills Ranch development now stands, they are potentially jeopardizing the existence of the Rodriguez Ranch J R Organics CSA Farm that now for provides our SoCal community with quality organic foods.
http://www.jrorganicsfarm.com/farmers-markets/
This proposed development would build 650 houses in a now rural area, and would interfere with the continuation of the farm. I consider this farm a local treasure, and both Adrienne and I spoke to this fact. Organic farmland is a hard-to-create valuable public resource.
The project will now be sent on to the San Diego board of supervisors without further delay; however, I felt the importance of taking into account the existence of the Rodriguez farm was heard.
One of the planning commissioners acknowledged what I said, making sure the existence of the Rodriguez Ranch was taken into account. The planners chose not to write that into their decision, and rather, are leaving it to the public to represent this further at the Board hearings.
I met with a number of the key proponents of the Lilac Hills proposed development as well as some who were against it, as well as the county staff who have been working on this project for ten years.
I suggested that the proposed development be improved by making the preservation of the Rodriguez Ranch is an element to be included in the proposed project.
A number of the proponents of this development thought my idea was good. I told their attorney that support for the farm, and support from the Rodriguez Farm customers, who depend on it an important food growing resource, could enhance this development. The development proposal has a number of outstanding concepts including carless walkways and village concept.
Rather than jeopardizing the existence of the farm, including the existence of the farm in their proposal could be a strong selling point to gain support for the development, rather than create further opposition.
The farm could grow the highest quality food for the proposed residents
I made the point to a number of the proponents that working together, ensuring a safe farm future, was a good plan. I felt heard.
The Lillac Hills Ranch has the potential to be an outstanding model for an approach to sustainable development, however, the concerns over evacuation in case of fire and other potential natural disaster need to be addressed. Traffic conditions are already a nightmare along the i-15. This needs to be looked at as well.
Leslie Goldman #YourEnchantedGardener #PlantYourDreamBlog
Posted
4:47 pm
June 8, 2018.
http://www.jrorganicsfarm.com/
A love letter to Joe the Farmer
https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=1772577
Lilac Hill Ranch was heard before the San Diego Planning Commission on June 8th @ 9am
Planning Commission Meeting at the County Operations Center (COC) Conference Center Hearing Room, 5520 Overland, San Diego, CA 92123
Numbers of speakers from the public addressed the Planning Commission, including the key stakeholders.
New project documents have been posted here:
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/pds/regulatory/docs/LILAC_HILLS_RANCH/draft-FEIR.html
Leslie Goldman #YourEnchantedGardener #PlantYourDreamBlog
Posted
June 8, 2018
https://www.curezone.org/blogs/fm.asp?i=2410316
OLD POSTS
April 26, 2018
Waiting for unexpected surgery on my back likely scheduled for today.
Time hasn’t been announced.
This is a wonderful day to make new friends at the UCSD Thorton Hospital and spend time shedding tears over the blessed life I have.
My friends have so been here for me, including The Rodriguez farming family.
In the olden days, I was prepping for Hip Revisions in 2001, and had committed to do an The Enchanted Garden Club installation at the @Disney Hilton in Orlando, Florida.
I could hardly walk and here I had committed to do an exhibit for the @international Feng Shui Conference, 3000 miles from home.
Joe Sr Rodriguez has a wholesale flower warehouse back then.
I would stop by when I had special events. The warehouse was like a stock market exchange! It was exciting to visit.
When I did the conference in Orlando, I did not have any idea how I was going to create a beautiful exhibit.
“Poppa Joe! I need you to help me look good!” When I got to Hilton Walt Disney World there were flowers waiting for me that were shipped overnight!
The Rodriguez Family has always made me look look!
Please visit one of the many J R Organics CSA Farmers Markets
Props to our Campaign Sponsors for helping me bring Organic and GMO Products to the mainstream!
Sample their locally grown wild and untamed produce:
http://www.jrorganicsfarm.com/farmers-markets/
Quote from joe
“Friends for ever. We will pray the the hands of the doctor are gods hands and will guide them . Let me know when you will be going in to surgery. I will ask the family to gather and pray for you.”
Give thanks to Rodriguez family for the flowers in the Pcom Clinic.
Leslie Goldman #YourEnchantedGardener #PlantYourDreamBlog
Flower photos here are from the clinic at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine - San Diego