Sonoma County leaders have solidified a plan to support the county’s struggling agriculture industry with a host of initiatives and land use changes declaring agricultural and working lands as critical infrastructure.

The county Board of Supervisors passed a resolution designating ag lands essential to the county’s economy, environment and food security, the Sonoma County Executive’s Office said in a statement.

A series of reforms outlined Tuesday at a Board of Supervisors meeting are intended to support the importance of that infrastructure — and its workforce of roughly 34,000. Some elements will be incorporated into the county’s update of its General Plan next year.

The initiatives aim to support the farm industry in multiple ways through such things as more flexibility in land use policies, investing in ag tourism, and expanding local food assistance programs.

Economic decline and industry pressures

Agriculture and related industries account for about 18% of the county’s economy.

Sonoma County produced about $857 million worth of agricultural goods in 2024, which was about a 9% decline from the previous year, according to county figures.

Left: A vineyard floods during an atmospheric river event in Glen Ellen on Oct. 24, 2021. (Sarah Stierch via Bay City News) Right: Grower Stan Devoto drives between rows in his Gravenstein apple orchard near Sebastopol on March 13, 2026. Acreage devoted to Gravenstein apple growing has been shrinking in Sonoma County but Devoto says the apples remain popular and won’t go away entirely. (Glen Martin via Bay City News)

The industry is facing a range of short- and long-term pressures from labor shortages, rising operational costs, and climate and economic instability, the county said.

The county has lost 14 dairies and 2,700 acres of vineyards since 2018, which are its two top-grossing categories of ag production.

Community action plan and local support

Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo said the county’s plan would provide a new foundation to the industry as it adapts to new market realities and a difficult political climate.

“Agriculture is essential to Sonoma County’s economy, environment and identity,” she said in a statement. “The workers, farmers and ranchers who feed our communities and care for our land are facing real challenges right now.”

“This action reflects the county’s commitment to supporting the people behind our agricultural economy and helping agriculture remain viable for future generations,” Hermosillo said.

Sonoma County has 1,900 businesses and generate $10 billion for the local economy, records show.

Dairy cows at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma June 21, 2024. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved an agricultural action plan to preserve the long-term viability of farming in Sonoma County. (Sarah Stierch via Bay City News)

The action plan was passed as a joint resolution in the Board of Supervisors dual capacity as the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District.

It directs county departments and agencies to coordinate their efforts, with the goal of preserving the long-term viability of agriculture in the county, according to the county’s statement.

The action plan focuses on making it easier to contract out and fallow land, use land for ag tourism, and would pilot affordable leases on land owned by the Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, among a host of other multi-year land use and permitting reforms.