What is the Buy Fresh Buy Local program?

The Northern California Regional Land Trust has partnered with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) to bring you a Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley agricultural marketing program for agricultural products in the North Valley.  The Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo and program tells the story of our extraordinary agricultural region and products in a way that consumers can easily recognize – through a logo that can be used by farmers, stores and restaurants to identify the products from Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties.
 
How does the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley program work?
 
1.       The Northern California Regional Land Trust has worked with CAFF to create the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo, member seal and field sign.
 
2.       Interested farmers, distributors, processors, restaurants, retailers, institutions, and community members sign up to participate in the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley program.  All paid members receive initial marketing materials and a CD that contains the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo, as well as other images and information about the program.  Members can order labels, price stickers, banners, bumper sticker and other promotional materials with the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo. 
 
3.       The Northern California Regional Land Trust, local agricultural producers groups and CAFF work with local governments, chambers of commerce, local business and the press to promote Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley in our communities and throughout Butte, Glenna and Tehama counties.  Paid members will be featured in Buy Fresh Buy Local promotional events and a local food guide.
 
4.       The Northern California Regional Land Trust, local agricultural producer groups and CAFF work with retailers, farmers’ market associations and restaurants to use the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo on their grocery shelves, menus and in their advertising to identify the origin of the North Valley agricultural products they sell.
 
Studies show that when consumers are given information about the origin of agricultural products, they will choose to buy local product 75% of the time.  The Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo provides consumers with a way to make the connection between the food they purchase and the reputation for fresh, high quality, local food that North Valley farmers have been building for generations.

To learn how your farm, restaurant or store can become a Buy Fresh Buy Local partner, contact us at noelle@landconservation.org.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, announced in February that the Northern California Regional Land Trust (NCRLT) has been awarded accredited status.

“NCRLT’s accredited status demonstrates our commitment to permanent land conservation,” says Jamison Watts, NCRLT’s Executive Director. “In becoming the only accredited land trust north of Sacramento in California, our land trust has become a stronger organization having gone through the rigorous accreditation program.”

NCRLT has been helping landowners and public agencies gain the economic benefits of voluntarily protecting land and conserving natural resources in Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties since 1990. NCRLT currently holds 15 conservation easements in Butte and Tehama counties covering over 6,400 acres.  The smallest easement is less than one acre, while their largest easement, Llano Seco Rancho, protects over 4,200 acres of riparian habitat and working farmland in Butte County.

NCRLT was one of just 14 land trusts awarded accreditation this February. These land trusts join the inaugural group of 39 land trusts awarded accreditation at a special ceremony in September 2008 to total only 53 accredited land trusts across the country.  Accredited land trusts are able to display a seal indicating to the public that they meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent. The seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation.