Community Gathers to Shape Eastern Sierra Agriculture Activation Plan

​Bishop, CA – Local farmers, ranchers, food producers, and community partners convened at the Business Resource Center in Bishop on March 18, 2026 for a regional feedback and input session supporting development of the Eastern Sierra Agriculture Activation Plan. The plan is funded by Sierra Jobs First and administered by the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments (ESCOG) in collaboration with Plena Planning and Design. Inyo County, the Inyo-Mono Agriculture Commissioner’s Office, and the University of California Cooperative Extension also supported the effort.

​Participants included a wide range of agricultural producers and businesses from across Inyo and Mono counties, including Montgomery Creek Ranch Beef, Blue Heron Farm, Eastern Sierra Farm Fresh, Inyo Farm@School, Alpenglow Gardens, Knapp Family Farm, Boyd Farms, Bishop Paiute Tribe Food Sovereignty, and others. The session provided producers the opportunity to review preliminary findings from more than 70 interviews, community surveys, and market analyses that have informed the plan to date. Attendees then contributed ideas, feedback, and on-the-ground insights to help refine strategy areas that will guide the future of agriculture in the region.

​The Eastern Sierra Agriculture Activation Plan builds on the 2017 report, “Agriculture in Inyo and Mono Counties – An Economic Profile,” which identified five key strategies for diversifying and strengthening the local agricultural economy. The new plan expands and deepens that work by focusing on six strategy areas:

• ​Land access
• ​Land management
• ​Product diversification
• ​Service diversification
• ​Markets and marketing
• ​Education and workforce development.

​During the session, producers engaged in discussions about how to strengthen agriculture across the Eastern Sierra. Ideas ranged from expanding regional composting capacity to building stronger pathways for land-sharing in a landscape where available farmland is limited. Participants also explored ways to elevate agritourism, grow producer-to-producer networks, and modernize local processing and cold-storage infrastructure. Many emphasized the importance of creating a coordinated, easy-to-navigate system for distributing and marketing local products, helping both producers and consumers connect more directly.

​At the same time, attendees candidly acknowledged ongoing challenges facing the region’s agricultural sector, including concerns about long-term water security, regulatory hurdles, inconsistent product availability, and the lack of centralized, reliable information for buyers, retailers, and community members. These insights will play a crucial role in shaping the strategies and actions included in the final Agriculture Activation Plan.

​Feedback collected from the input session will directly shape the final strategies and recommended actions outlined in the Eastern Sierra Agriculture Activation Plan. The plan is scheduled for completion in August 2026 and will include an implementation roadmap, partner roles, funding pathways, and performance measures to guide long-term progress.

​For more information or to stay updated on the plan’s development, please contact the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments (www.escog.ca.gov) or Plena Planning and Design (https://www.plenaplanning.com/eastern-sierra-agriculture).

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