Agricultural Advisory Committee Meeting - 10/19/2026

The San Mateo County Agricultural Advisory Committee met on October 19, 2026. Its main procurement-related discussion was a presentation by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District staff on agricultural land leases and the district’s competitive RFP process. Staff described a 15-year lease structure with reviews at five-year intervals, opportunities to extend leases for tenants in good standing, and scoring preferences for local operators and existing tenants. Midpen reported managing more than 19,000 acres of coastal ranchland, with about 15,500 acres grazed, and cited approximately $2 million in fencing investments and roughly $500,000 per year for coyote brush management. No lease award or new spending action was approved at the meeting; committee members and public speakers discussed entry-level opportunities for new producers and 4-H/FFA, local preference in lease scoring, and support for agricultural operations.

The committee also heard public concerns about roadside farm stands and discussed a planning update, including an application for three agricultural wells at 3300 Bear Gulch Road and the completed Stone Pine Cove affordable homeownership project. Consent-agenda actions included setting the agenda and approving a set of minutes with a correction; an earlier motion to approve another set of minutes did not pass. The transcript ends during nominations for committee chair, without a recorded final election result. No County procurement award or contract purchase was identified; the principal procurement-relevant topic was Midpen’s existing agricultural leasing and RFP policy.