He has worked on conservation projects on the San Mateo County Coast for 15 years and can tell you who owns every parcel of ground on that coast. He is there to help the farmers when they need him. For example, if a permit is held up at the county courthouse, John can figure out what's wrong. Through John, POST has built a long-term positive image among coastside farmers, which makes him a valuable trail advocate. Sensible Programs Theft and vandalism are of great concern to farmers when you talk about trails.
Incidents do happen.
Though I feel they are often blown out of proportion by rumor, they require a careful answer from trail advocates. Last year, Nando Muzzi, who farms the Coastal Conservancy's Cascade Ranch property in San Mateo County, saw some men taking artichokes from our field and tried to run them off. They pulled a gun and shot at him. A story like that gets around. One major way to prevent vandalism and trespass, and to ease the fear of it, is by building buffers between active agricultural uses and major trail routes.