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Santa Barbara Constitution

AFA members at the signing of their new constitution.On September 10, 2008 the members of the Santa Barbara County Ag Futures Alliance adopted by consensus their “Constitution”. This document was written for current and future members of Alliance to assist them in their work of finding collaborative solutions to issues facing agriculture Santa Barbara County. Key sections of the Constitution are below. A complete version may be downloaded (PDF file).

Our Purpose
To promote the long-term viability of agriculture in Santa Barbara County while addressing environmental and social concerns through an alliance that values dialogue and collaboration.

Principles of Organization
Recognizing that mutual trust and a common purpose are the basis for reaching consensus, the Ag Futures Alliance has set forth the following principles to guide behavior of the organization’s members as they work to set goals and define activities.

  1. Our fundamental principle is the inherent respect each individual and each viewpoint deserves. We strive to treat each other with the highest level of respect possible.
  2. We believe that diversity in our membership and in our community is a strength that will allow us to adapt and cope with the challenges we face.
  3. Our individual thinking is enhanced by the vibrant and full exchange of ideas by Roundtable members. In the end what we conclude as a group is stronger than what we might find on our own.
  4. Each of us serving on the Roundtable is an equal and we value the unique contribution of each individual.
  5. We are stronger for being a voluntary effort. We are not here because we have to; we are here because we care deeply about our community.
  6. Our best decisions will come when we feel free to explore and express ideas, therefore we will do everything we can to both fully share our ideas and to deeply listen and consider the ideas of others.
  7. To be successful through the inevitable challenges we face, each of us needs to come to the Roundtable with firm desire to succeed as a group and a positive intent and attitude towards the issues and fellow members.

Principles of Practice
Recognizing that we will need to periodically remind ourselves of our core beliefs, that the actions of the Alliance must be consistently implemented over the long-term, that the community’s consent is needed to achieve our purpose, we have set forth the following principles to guide implementation of our programming.

  1. We work on practical solutions, but do not settle for that which may be expedient at the cost of our longer-term needs and beliefs.
  2. The problems we are dealing with are deep and systemic. Their origins begin in the past and their implications stretch far into the future. Therefore we look at the root causes of the challenges we face and propose solutions that operate at the root level.
  3. We believe there is potential for change and progress in Santa Barbara County and that it is possible to move forward in a meaningful way even if it means challenging potentially powerful interests.
  4. We strive to find the balance in all the issues we face, believing the common interest in general lies somewhere between the polar views.
    Eric Cardenas of EDC and Teri Bontrager of the Farm Bureau celebrate the signing.# We believe our credibility will be based on how deeply we understand the issues and the needs of all community members before we take action. Therefore we take careful and thoughtful action reflecting real consensus.
  5. We recognize how much is at stake in our work. We keep the needs of the community as a whole paramount in out minds while understanding that often the costs of these needs are born by individuals who may not have the resources to pay for them.
  6. Community health is a key indicator of our success. We strive to consider and include health impacts in all our recommendations.
  7. The issues facing farmers and the urban community are interdependent. We succeed and fail together. A lack of understanding about this interdependency is one of the key reasons the community has not come together around key issues.
  8. Increasing our mutual understanding of each other will help build the community we want.