Thank you, Qi.
I received another email from Ms.Boxer saying that the decision is final. She made no note of the request for mediation.
I had enrolled for a NRCS healthy soil program and the payments are for five years and attached to my farm license. It was based on the hedgerows I planted at the farm and I have to mow them down. I have to cancel that now as the first payment is coming in Dec 2023.
I have to move my tractors and am unsure what to do. If there are any resources that you can share with me to continue farming in the area, I would appreciate that.
The reputational harm would be difficult to overcome. Impossible even. It’s a small world and everyone knows everyone. The reasons for non renewal is ‘trash’ and am I supposed to narrate all of this and show pictures as evidence? Who will they believe? A farmer seeking land after being kicked out of the erstwhile ACRCD?
I would also appreciate any leads to seek legal assistance. I assumed the JEDI committee that I saw during the online search was for that(that’s why I approached CARCD), but I think I might have misread it.
I also saw that there is a ACRCD Board meeting this coming Nov 27th. Would I be allowed be address them? Public comment is for 3 minutes and I assume it’s only for the things on the agenda like it is at City Council meetings.
I don’t think I can continue at the Agpark amidst such open hostility, harassment and unchecked unaccountable discrimination. I don’t think I can farm anymore. I am ruined. I am exhausted.
My last cover crop seeding and interestingly, my first one since I bought the tractor during covid lockdown. First and last. These people have kicked out every other solo female farmer at the Agpark.
On Nov 17, 2023, at 10:39 AM, Qi Zhou <qi-zhou@carcd.org> wrote:
Hi Lalitha,
Thanks for sending this information! We have contacted the Alameda RCD since 11/7 and no one has responded to us yet.
Our Director called and emailed today again and we are still waiting to hear back from them.
So sorry for what happened and we will keep you posted if we hear anything back from ACRCD.
On Tue, Nov 14, 2023 at 10:57 AM Lalitha Visveswaran <lalithavisveswaran@gmail.com> wrote:
Attached: Dispute resolution form seeking mediation to address the retaliatory action and non renewal of license dated Nov 9, 2023.
On Nov 14, 2023, at 10:46 AM, Lalitha Visveswaran <lalithavisveswaran@gmail.com> wrote:
To: Qi-Zhou, CARCD
As an update, ACRCD has refused to grant me mediation and an opportunity to present evidence.
There is no due process or minutes of the meeting. The non renewal has cited a violation of Farm Policy and Trash/Weeds. I haven’t been able to farm because ACRCD/Sunol Agpark had expressly blocked my planting season and engaged in targeted discrimination.
This is the video of my farm after I have followed their explicit instructions at the sacrifice of a farming season and considerable financial cost to retain my license. This clearly indicates the false and fabricated charges cited to justify the non renewal of the license.
I do not have an opportunity to present evidence or seek mediation. I would like to know what are the legal venues open to me.
https://youtu.be/r0-lbvJizQo?si=tNXhH7rpYhtpw8pB
https://youtu.be/6aY6ggedOAM?si=_MMjUxGhkVZqW2bY
https://youtu.be/xMCaifxiasI?si=rfFbThLjdmvm2yk1
I would like to know what are the legal avenues open for me to seek justice in this matter to address the
1. Discrimination
2. Harassment
3. Harassment on medical grounds
4. Gender Bias
5. Emotional distress
6. Financial loss
7. Reputational harm
8. Retaliatory actions.
ACRCD, SFPUC and Sunol AgPark management committee are the parties involved.
I have sent another dispute resolution form addressing Katherine Boxer, ACRCD which is still pending and remains unanswered.
Regards,
Lalitha Visveswaran.
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 7, 2023, at 11:45 PM, Lalitha Visveswaran <lalithavisveswaran@gmail.com> wrote:
To: Qi-Zhou, CA RCD.
I am a farmer at the Sunol Agpark that is managed by ACRCD and Sunol Agpark committee. I have been farming there since 2014. I had health issues and due to recuperation after surgery at the beginning of this year and I delayed my covercrop mowing to May 26, 2023 after giving notice to the Agpark Manager. What followed was a barrage of discriminatory and targeted harassment to evict my farming operation from the Agpark on the pretext that I have been leaving trash and weeds in my plot.
This is blatantly false as I can prove it with timestamped photographic evidence and emails informing them of progress. In fact, the covercrop mowing was done on May 26, 2023 and the letter of license violation was sent on June 7, 2023. I received the letter for non renewal of license on Nov 7, 2023 even after working very hard for six months to deliver all the demands and pleading for cessation of the hostilities.
The continued harassment, discrimination and infliction of extreme emotional distress by ACRCD and the Agpark Manager has been debilitating and will surely end my business. There seems to be no platform to submit my evidence, photographs, witness statements as the mediation process was cancelled unilaterally by Ms.Katherine Boxer.
The Timeline of Communications with ACRCD/Katherine Boxer follows. The Grievance Resolution process was supposed to end in mediation which did not happen. I was informed of the non renewal of license on false violations and despite the fact that I had complied with all of the demands from ACRCD/AgPark Manager. I am stunned and deeply saddened by this turn of events and would like some recourse to navigate out of this predicament.
SFPUC has been informed and copied of this entire process and they have so far refrained from any form of engagement in this matter. I do not know where to turn to resolve this. Please advise if CARCD can resolve this issue as the guiding body of California RCDs.
PDFs of the communications below as attachments. Timeline below of all communications beginning Jun 7, 2023 -Nov 7, 2023.
Regards,
Lalitha Visveswaran
(510-676-5254)
Jellicles Farm, Sunol AgPark
Timeline: June 7, 2023 - Nov 7, 2023
Communication #1:
ACRCD to Jellicles Farm
June 7, 2023
Letter of Violation of LicenseCommunication #2 :
Jellicles Farm to ACRCD
July 27, 2023Request for Dispute Resolution
Communication #3:
ACRCD to Jellicles Farm
Aug 29, 2023
ACRCD Response #1
Communication #4:
Jellicles Farm to ACRCD
Sept 17, 2023
Dispute Resolution Continuation #2
Communication #5:
ACRCD to Jellicles Farm
Oct 10, 2023
ACRCD Response #2
Communication #6:
Jellicles Farm to ACRCD
Oct 20, 2023
Concerns of Retaliation
Communication #7:
ACRCD to Jellicles Farm
Nov 7, 2023
Retaliatory Non Renewal Letter
--
Qi (Chee) Zhou, Ph.D.
(She/Her/Hers) What's this?
Program Manager, Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI)
California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD)1007 7th Street, #414, Sacramento, CA 95814
qizhou0720@gmail.com
(864)643-7130Los Gatos, CA. U.S.A
A guest on the ancestral and unceded land of the Ohlone, Muwekma, and Tamien Nation. Whose land are you on?