Letter: Seeking Balance

The proposed Malibu Local Coastal Program (LCP) has an outright prohibition on all new agricultural uses, banning new organic farms, orchards and vineyards, with a ripple effect on bee keepers, wineries, wine-tasting rooms and farmers’ markets. Less than one percent of land is currently in agricultural use, and any future farming potential would be very minimal in scale. But even this small potential will be lost if the Coastal Commission approves the current version of the Malibu LCP, just as the farmers’ markets are becoming successful and the area has been designated as a special wine region. 

Locally grown, organic vegetables have a special richness, just as locally produced wine has a taste unique to its wine region. In many parts of the world, such delicacies are celebrated as a source of local pride. They remind us of our human connection with the earth and our treasured historical roots. 

In the Santa Monica Mountains, farming has been historically protected for generations and “agriculture” has had a “priority use” designation under the California Coastal Act. The juxtaposition of parkland, horse facilities and agricultural uses are part of the rich cultural fabric of the area. The Chambers of Commerce remind us that shopping locally at the farmers’ market is responsible because it supports organic regional growers and creates local jobs. 

In Calabasas the environmentally award-winning “2030 General Plan” encourages hobby farming, which has resulted in Calabasas homegrown wine. Everywhere you look, the overriding idea is for land use to support many different lifestyles that embrace sustainable best practices, celebrate our heritage and support the local economy. 

Join the Malibu Chamber of Commerce and the Coastal Coalition of Family Farmers to oppose this “prohibition” in favor of a policy that would be in keeping with the current California Coastal Act and honors both the environmental and farming heritage of our region. While the proposed LCP has many positive elements, the ban on agriculture should be modified before the Coastal Commission adopts a final version.

Martha Fritz