Each month The Farmers Guild "New Farmer's Toolbox" features another program
or organization that, if used properly, can help new and young farmers succeed.
or organization that, if used properly, can help new and young farmers succeed.
WHO ARE THEY:
Founded in 1978, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) is a nonprofit that advocates for family farmers and sustainable agriculture throughout California from their bases in Sonoma County, Humboldt, Watsonville, Oakland, and Davis. Their overarching goal is to help family farmers increase their income and sustainability while enabling community members and businesses to find and choose local food.
WHAT DO THEY GROW:
The Community Alliance with Family Farmers runs extensive, on-the-ground programs in their regional offices, enabling community members and businesses to find and choose local food, and helping farmers increase their income and sustainability. CAFF has played key roles in enacting the nation’s toughest laws regulating pesticide use; promoting the development of organic farming; bringing fresh, local produce into school cafeterias; and establishing programs to distribute locally grown produce to community grocery stores, hospitals, restaurants and farmers markets.
HOW DO THEY HELP FARMERS GROW?
We asked CAFF the top five ways and reasons that farmers connect with them, and here they are:
Founded in 1978, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) is a nonprofit that advocates for family farmers and sustainable agriculture throughout California from their bases in Sonoma County, Humboldt, Watsonville, Oakland, and Davis. Their overarching goal is to help family farmers increase their income and sustainability while enabling community members and businesses to find and choose local food.
WHAT DO THEY GROW:
The Community Alliance with Family Farmers runs extensive, on-the-ground programs in their regional offices, enabling community members and businesses to find and choose local food, and helping farmers increase their income and sustainability. CAFF has played key roles in enacting the nation’s toughest laws regulating pesticide use; promoting the development of organic farming; bringing fresh, local produce into school cafeterias; and establishing programs to distribute locally grown produce to community grocery stores, hospitals, restaurants and farmers markets.
HOW DO THEY HELP FARMERS GROW?
We asked CAFF the top five ways and reasons that farmers connect with them, and here they are:
- Farmer Technical Assistance: CAFF enables farmers to be more economically viable through providing on the farm technical assistance in food safety, marketing, and sales tools.
- Biological Agriculture: They work directly with farmers to implement environmentally-sound management practices.
- Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL) Campaigns: BFBL connects producers and consumers by publishing regional editions of the Eater’s Guide to Local Food, providing marketing assistance and materials to businesses and farmers, and running public education and awareness campaigns to promote local food.
- Farm to School: By connecting schools to farms in the classroom, on the farm, and in the cafeteria, they provide fresh, healthy, and tasty food for students while also increasing farmer income.
- Policy/Advocacy: Addresses pressing issues including food safety, land use, water, direct marketing, climate change, and healthy school food on a local, state, and national level.
Key Resource Tags
| Farm-to-School Policy Advocacy Sustainable Farming | Education Consulting Technical Assistance Local Markets |
Written by Rose DeNicola
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