Comstock's magazine 0620 - June June 2020 | Page 76

VACAVILLE & SOLANO REGION
Alexis Koefoed works on the farm she coowns,
Soul Food Farm, in Vacaville. Her farm
is a member of Pleasants Valley Agriculture
Association, which coordinates agritourism
events for its approximately 20 member farms.
PHOTO BY LISA MURRAY
COURTESY OF PLEASANTS VALLEY AGRICULTURE ASSOCIATION
agricultural commissioner. In 2018, the
county’s ag commodities were exported
to 31 countries, generating nearly $364
million in gross sales, according to the
“Solano County 2018 Crop and Livestock
Report.” Today, more than half of the
county’s 582,370 acres is designated as
agricultural land.
But the region’s heritage of industrial
agriculture, which feeds on economies of
scale, hasn’t led to an origin story for its
small-farm counterpart. After meeting
with the farmers, Visit Vacaville wanted
that to change. The bureau hired SMG
Consulting in South Lake Tahoe, a firm
experienced in working at the intersection
of agriculture and tourism, to build an
agritourism plan for the city.
“Looking around Vacaville, you can
see it not only had the farms, but the
bucolic experience of driving around those
hills,” says Carl Ribaudo, president and
chief strategist at SMG. “It was waiting to
be acknowledged and explored.”
Be Love Farm advertises guests can
stay overnight and participate in activities
like feeding sheep, have a dinner prepared
on the farm or shop at the self-serve farm
store. Soul Food Farm offers cooking
classes and workshops on farming
76 comstocksmag.com | June 2020