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NORTHSIDE AGRICULTURE
INNOVATION CENTER UPDATE
Economic Development, Placemaking and Branding/Marketing Committee October 20, 2022
Community & Economic Development Department
and Office of Sustainability
RiversideCA.gov
2 1. GrowRIVERSIDE Initiative
a. Triple Bottom Line: Economic
opportunities, community well-being,
environmental stewardship
2. $3 million 2018 Urban Greening Grant
a. Resolution 23360
b. Notice of Funding November 2018
c. Grant documents executed April 2019
BACKGROUND
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3 1. Project Elements
a. Site acquisition for 895 and 900 Clark St (APNs 246-230-020 and 246-242-011)
b. Trail construction, planting of 453 trees and shrubs, and open space for urban greening, carbon sequestration,
heat island mitigation, ag training
c. Community garden
d. Co-work learning center for agriculture workforce
development programs
e. Community engagement venue
BACKGROUND
RiversideCA.gov
4 BACKGROUND
Planning for and investing in the future:
Addressing concurrent challenges to build local food ecosystem resiliency Challenges Impacting Agriculture Regional Opportunities • Extreme weather, heat, water availability from climate change impacts agriculture productivity
• Development pressures
• Renewable energy goals
• Aging agricultural workforce
• Adaptation of climate-smart sustainable, controlled environment and high-tech agriculture
• Proactive planning for and long-term protection of agricultural resources • Dual-use (agriculture + solar) land use planning
• Training to increase capacity for a more resilient food system Source: American Farmland Trust “Farms Under Threat 2040” Report, August 2022. farmland.org Low (<10%)
Low-medium (10–20%)
Medium-high (20–40%)
High (40–80%)
Extremely high (>80%)
Arid and low water use
Projected Water Stress in 2040
Projected acres of agricultural land conversion for
development 2016-2040
1,000
5,000
7,500
10,000
50,000
Projected acres of utility-scale solar PV
20,000
50,000
100,000
200,000
500,000
1,000,000
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5 1. Northside Ag Innovation Center efforts completed or underway:
a. Site acquisition completed in April 2021; site clearing in February 2022 b. Community garden committee formation; $32,000 donation from Love Tito’s Foundation for build out
c. Partnerships: Riverside Food Sy stems Alliance, Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District, UC Riverside, Lamplighter Energy, and others
d. Covenant and Agreement and Declaration of Restrictions with grantor
e. Elaboration of site plan for community engagement and workforce development venues
DISCUSSION
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6 1. Efforts completed or underway (continued)
f. Workforce development programs with UCR and other partners in soil-based, controlled environment, sustainable, and climate-smart agriculture
g. Receipt of unsolicited land lease and lease back offer from Lamplighter Energy, Inc. to construct solar greenhouses and agrivoltaic facilities to support workforce development programs
DISCUSSION
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7 SITE ELEMENTS
RiversideCA.gov
8 PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES
Northside Agriculture Innovation Center
Site Manager & Master Lease Holder
Solar Greenhouses
Section 4
AgTech Workforce Training
Programs
AgTech Start Up Incubation
Agrivoltaic Research
Soil-Based Facilities
Sections 2 & 3
Beginning
Farmer Training Programs
Beginning Farmer Incubation
Community Garden
(30-plot)
Public Learning Center
Section 1
Offices for Partners, Ag Tech
Start Ups, New Farmers
Classrooms &
Teaching Lab
Demonstration Kitchen
Urban Agriculture &
Greenhouse
Demonstrations
Other Site Elements
Sections 1-4
Community Events Venue
Interpretive Nature Trails
Microgrid
(future phase)
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9 /g41/g50 /g53 /g3/g54/g56 /g54/g55 /g36 /g44/g49/g36/g37 /g47 /g40 /g15/g3/g38 /g50 /g49 /g55/g53 /g50 /g47/g47/g40/g39 /g3/g40/g49 /g57 /g44/g53/g50 /g49 /g48 /g40 /g49 /g55 /g3/g9/g3/g43/g44/g42/g43/g16/g55/g40/g38 /g43 /g3/g36/g42/g53/g44/g38 /g56 /g47/g55/g56 /g53 /g40
Apprenticeship, OTJ
Training
New Farmer
Incubation
Education Partners
• UCR
• RFSA
• 5 Keys Schools & Programs
• Growing Hope Project
Program Participants
• Veterans
• Formerly Incarcerated
• Special Needs/Disabled
• BIPOC
• Local Community
• Students (K-PhD)
• Northside Ag Center
• Farmers, Ag Business
• Northside Ag Center
• Other facilities (pipeline)
Partners & Resources
• City of Riverside
• Riverside Food Systems Alliance
• RUSD Food Hub
• UCR OASIS
• Riverside County Workforce Dev.
• Riverside Food Coop
• Lamplighter Energy
• Farmers, Ag Business
• Inland Regional Center
• Others
Sustainable / CEA* / AgTech
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & ENTREPRENEURIAL PIPELINE
RiversideCA.gov
10 1. State-of-the-art solar greenhouses, agrivoltaics and solar facilities generating approx. 750 kw of renewable energy fully financed and constructed by Lamplighter Energy, Inc. at no cost to City or project partners.
2. Lease Terms: 2-year option for $500; initial lease term of 21 years with an annual rent of $100.
3. Lease back benefits for the City
a. Approx. 45,000 sq ft of solar greenhouses and 12,000 sq feet of agrivoltaics for workforce development and education programs b. Onsite jobs and workforce training annually: 135+ individuals c. 6-10 beginning farmers and ag tech businesses incubated annually a. Est. 15-20 jobs from incubation
b. Est. 25 companies launched over 10 years
LAMPLIGHTER ENERGY, INC. LEASE/LEASE BACK OFFER
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11 1. FY 2023 Community Development Projects federal earmark for $1 million via Congressman Mark Takano; joint application with UCR.
2. Joint $4.98 million application t o USDA Partnerships for Climate- Smart Commodities in June 2022 to fund training climate-smart agricultural practices and market development for climate-smart grown produce
3. Joint $1 million application to USDA Urban, Indoor and Emerging Agriculture to develop climate-smart agriculture training programs for small and under-resourced farmers.
4. Seeking additional funding for critical unfunded needs for infrastructure and utilities upgrades.
FUNDING
RiversideCA.gov
12 Cross-Cutting Threads
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
• Arts, Culture and Recreation: Goal 1.5
• Community Well-Being: Goal 2.6
• Economic Opportunity: Goals 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5
• Environmental Stewardship: Goal 4.5
• Infrastructure, Mobility & Connectivity: Goal 6.2
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13 That the Economic Development, Placemaking and Branding/Marketing Committee:
1. Receive and file an update on the Northside Agriculture Innovation Center;
2. Direct staff to finalize a Master Lease Holder Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding with the Riverside Food Systems Alliance to serve as the master lease holder and overall site manager to work with local and regional sub- tenant partners to deliver a variety of community and workforce programs at the Northside Agriculture Innovation Center, and recommend the City Council approve a Master Lease Holder Agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding with the Riverside Food Systems Alliance;
RECOMMENDATIONS
RiversideCA.gov
14 3. Recommend to the City Council approval of a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Riverside, University of California Riverside and Lamplighter Energy, Inc. to formalize a collaboration to develop and implement sustainable agriculture, controlled environment and high-tech agric ulture workforce development programs and supportive facilities;
4. Direct staff to finalize a Lease/Lease-Back Agreement with Lamplighter Energy to develop and construct solar facilities at the Northside Agriculture Innovation Center and recommend the City Council approve the agreement;
RECOMMENDATIONS
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15 5. Direct staff to research, explore, a nd pursue variety of funding sources to support a variety of community and workforce programs at the Northside Agriculture Innovation Center; and
6. Direct staff to research, explore, a nd pursue variety of funding sources to build out the project site and bring back to the Economic Development, Placemaking and Br anding/Marketing Committee options to complete the project build out.
RECOMMENDATIONS
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