Office of Community and Economic Development
San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center
Building thriving rural communities together.
Acting as a resource hub, the San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center (SJVRDC) provides technical assistance for public agencies in small, underserved communities by connecting them to experts who can provide specialized consulting to which they would otherwise not have access. Areas include business services, clean energy, economic development, finance, grant writing, health and human services, housing, nonprofit capacity, planning, project design and construction, trade development, transportation, and water infrastructure.
News and Events
Above On December 5, 2015, the Firebaugh Community Garden received a make-over with the help from the Wonderful Orchard Company from Bakersfield. Starting at 6:30am, 45 Wonderful Orchard employees and 15 Promotores members donated their time to clean the 3.5 acre community garden. In addition to their time and service, the Wonderful Orchard company donated funds to purchase tools, beverages and food.
The community garden was made possible through the USDA Grant Farmers Market Promotion Program. Click here to view more pictures.
Above Staff attended a celebration and recognition day of Firebaugh's community garden, "Planting Dreams". The day consisted of a community lunch and garden tours. The nearly three acre garden is filled with a variety of crop ranging from corn, tomatoes, melons and more. At a cost of $25 per year, gardeners are allotted three tramlines to grow their product of choice. A majority of products produced play a large role in a participant's source of food.
The community garden was made possible through the USDA Grant Farmers Market Promotion Program. Click here to view more pictures.
Above Mendota Police Chief, Gregg Andreotii, speaking to a group at the Westside Neighborhoods Network Coalition.
The Westside Neighborhoods Network is a newly formed coalition of stakeholders from westside communities in Fresno County: Biola, Coalinga, Firebaugh, Huron, Kerman, Mendota, San Joaquin, and Tranquility. Community partners and residents will meet once a month to share projects in their communities, to learn best practices and opportunities in community and economic development, and to ultimately grow together as one network of communities. The first two network meetings took place in San Joaquin at Ramirez Restaurant on January 30, and Mendota at Westside Youth Center on March 6. Topics of discussion include recreational sports leagues, farmers markets and community gardens, safe and walkable neighborhoods, and a bilingual local newsletter.
The Westside Neighborhoods Network is facilitated by OCED's San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center and Community and Regional Planning Center. The next meeting will take place in Biola in April.
For more information contact Eduardo Gonzalez, 559-278-0542, edgonzalez@csufresno.edu