$75,000 Earmarked for City’s Own Farm

The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency allocated $75,000 this week for start-up costs for its first agricultural venture--the 46-acre Kinoshita Farm.

The money will be deposited in a bank for management and operation of the farm, according to a report from David P. Bentz, the city’s finance officer.

More money will be needed later, until the first sale of crops takes place, Bentz said.

The agency bought the farm and a 112-year-old farmhouse for $9.5 million from the Kinoshita family in March as a way to preserve the heritage of the Capistrano Valley. Under the terms of a separate management agreement, the Kinoshita family will continue to operate the farm for the city.