Hollister
– What is San Benito County’s economic future? That’s the
question organizers and attendees attempted to answer at
yesterday’s conference
”
Redefining Economic Development in California.
”
Hollister – What is San Benito County’s economic future? That’s the question organizers and attendees attempted to answer at yesterday’s conference “Redefining Economic Development in California.”
The conference, held all day at the Veterans’ Memorial Building, was co-hosted by the San Francisco-based Business Alliance for Local Living Economies and the California Integrated Waste Management Board. It featured speeches, a town hall forum and interactive discussion groups, and was attended by business and government leaders from San Benito County and the Bay Area.
BALLE Director Don Shaffer said his group’s goal is to move communities away from the old model of economic development, which involves offering subsidies or tax breaks to bring big companies into town.
“I call this the ‘Hail Mary’ or ‘dragonslayer’ approach,” Shaffer said.
He argued that this approach has had “mixed results,” and that cities are better off focusing on growing small, local businesses.
“We want to help you take advantage of significant market trends that are happening right now,” he said.
These trends, according to Shaffer, include growth in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, zero-waste manufacturing and green building.
Shaffer first began looking at San Benito’s development at the invitation of Mandy Rose, who directs San Benito County Integrated Waste Management. Rose said she had been troubled by the division between economic development directors and the people involved in solid waste recycling – at conferences, they often sat on opposite sides of the room. Rose said she read about BALLE in InBusiness magazine and, hoping to bridge that gap, she contacted Shaffer.
“There’s this pervasive feeling that unless there’s growth – meaning more people, more houses, etc. – the economy will die,” Rose said. “There’s a way to grow, it’s just a question of, ‘How do you want to grow?'”
Hollister’s Economic Development Director Jeff Pyle echoed Shaffer’s description of how economic development is usually perceived.
“It really has been about finding the big hit, the big home run,” Pyle said. “But we’ve known for a while that 70 to 80 percent of job growth comes from the little guys. Most of the big ones get away, or they were never there in the first place.”
Pyle added that Hollister’s biggest challenge is moving to a higher-wage economy, while California’s biggest challenge is affordable housing.
Conference organizers have said one of their biggest goals for the conference was to discuss the balance between economic growth and open space. That balance took the spotlight at the conference’s sustainable agriculture panel.
The panel was moderated by Michael Dimock, who directs the Roots of Change Fund. Dimock said the key to sustainable agriculture lies in changing the relationship between urban and rural areas, investing in the workforce involved in agriculture and building local food systems.
Paul Hain, director of the San Benito County Farm Bureau, described his own experience with organic produce and livestock.
“Agriculture is not a stable place to be,” he said. “You’re probably not going to end up in the same place you started.”
Paicines Ranch owner Sallie Calhoun said one of the biggest problems she faces as a rancher of grass-finished beef is processing. According to Calhoun, the nearest processing facility is three hours away, so she’s trying to build one of her own, which could serve numerous central coast ranchers.
Following their introductions, the panelists took questions from the audience and the moderator. One audience member wanted to know how people could be educated to value farmers and to show their support through greater pay.
“Most people are pretty wrapped up in just trying to get along,” Hain said.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or
ah*@fr***********.com
.
