By: CAFF Policy Team
Every year, the California legislative process brings its ups and downs, but this year has felt especially hard as a result of the crushing decisions made by the Trump Administration, putting additional pressure on state-level decisions; federal funding cuts, the firing of seasoned government employees, and threats to our immigrant communities are just a few of the new challenges our state faced. Despite these challenges (see our federal tracker here for more info), CAFF has advanced funding and policy solutions to some of the greatest challenges our community faces. Below are some of the hard-fought successes we are celebrating that were secured over the past few weeks.
New Funding Opportunities Unlocked
Thanks to voters passing the Climate Bond (Prop 4 in Nov 2024), we are excited to share that the Legislature and Governor agreed to appropriate significant investments in agriculture and our food systems. This includes:
- $18.5 million for the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA)’s Urban Agriculture program
- $6.5 million to ensure essential engagement of California’s small-scale and underserved farmers who are impacted by the implementation of SGMA (DWR)
- $200,000 to establish the Farmer Equipment Sharing & Cooperative Development Program at CDFA (with an additional $14.8 million to be appropriated in 2026 for implementation)
- $200,000 to establish the tribal food sovereignty program at CDFA (with an additional $14.8 million to be appropriated in 2026 for implementation)
- $9.25 million for certified mobile farmers markets
- $9.25 million for year round certified farmers markets
Critical Legislation Sent to the State Capitol
CAFF has been championing important legislation in 2025 to tackle challenges around water sustainability and land access by sponsoring or providing leading support behind the following bills. (Note: if you’d like to see our position on nearly 20 bills, check out our legislative position table!)
- AB 524 (Wilson) – Vetoed by the Governor. Sponsored by CAFF, the Farmland Access and Conservation for Thriving Communities Act would have been a landmark bill creating a new land access program in the State’s Department of Conservation, offering financial and technical assistance to support agricultural land purchases and protection by unlocking $30 million in Prop 4 Climate Bond funding. CAFF will continue fighting for equitable land access programs in the future.
- AB 293 (Bennett) – Signed by the Governor. This bill requires Groundwater Sustainability Agencies to post their board members on their websites. Given the complexity of GSAs around the state (over 260 GSAS in 140 basins!), this is a great step forward to transparency of who is making local groundwater decisions.
- AB 1466 (Hart) – Signed by the Governor. This bill creates avenues for separate treatment of small farmers in adjudications (anyone pumping 100 acre-feet per year or less). Adjudications move groundwater decision-making from a public to a legal process, meaning each individual must have their own attorney to represent them – a costly hurdle to most family farmers. Ensuring that family farmers have a fair shot in adjudications is critical to continued groundwater access.
What else happened this legislative session?
- Money Moves! Over the past 4 years, CAFF has continuously fought for the creation (through AB 1009) and the funding for the Farm to Community Food Hub Program at CDFA. We are thrilled that CDFA has now awarded $13.75 million to 12 projects in its first grantmaking through this program earlier this month.
- Cap & Trade got rebranded to “Cap & Invest”, and reauthorized. California reauthorized the Cap-and-Trade program (now called the Cap-and-Invest program) until 2045. The program is meant to set a statewide declining limit on greenhouse gas emissions and requires major polluters to obtain allowances for each ton they emit, creating a market-based incentive to cut pollution. While there were several important reforms made to the program, our efforts (advocating in partnership with 18 other sustainable food & agriculture orgs) to secure ongoing stable funding for agricultural solutions was unsuccessful. We anticipate continuing our advocacy to secure critical funding for agriculture programs under the new framework set by SB 840 authored by the soon-to-be Pro Tempore Limón.
- Bad policy that we’re pleased isn’t moving forward: SB 18 (Rubio) would have created a corporate handout to the grocery industry disguised as a “tool in the toolbox” to combat hunger. However, we know that decades of extractive corporate practices and discriminatory policies have compounded, leading food-insecure communities to fend for themselves, boxing small farmers out of grocery markets, and side-stepping fair labor practices. The stopping of SB 18 leaves the door open to community-led solutions that prioritize affordable and healthy foods while investing in the local economy through small farmers and small businesses.
What continues next year?
- AB 1413 (Papan): This groundwater bill would ensure that adjudications can’t be used to establish higher pumping limits than what Groundwater Sustainability Agencies have determined. This bill, which will live on a 2-year bill, is key to ensuring the success of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and to making sure adjudications aren’t used as a loophole to increase groundwater pumping.
2025 wider policy work:
- As the federal landscape continues to shift, CAFF’s Policy Team is tracking key updates and impacts for California’s family farms. We continue to publish updates on our website, connect with other federal policy advocates, and strive to be a reliable source of clear information for farmers navigating changes in programs and funding.
- CAFF continues to work with the Department of Water Resources and other key agencies impacting water access for family farmers. In 2025, we engaged with 24 different Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, the State Water Resources Control Board, and the California Water Commission to help them understand specific risks that family farmers face in relation to groundwater.
- Through several federal administrative challenges, our urban agriculture advocacy has continued. CAFF’s federal urban ag programming has so far given over a half a million dollars in direct funding for urban agriculture projects through microgrants and our fellowship program. Additionally, our CDFA funded statewide urban agriculture program has awarded the first round of several microgrants and assembled an urban agriculture advisory committee to support the development, sustainability, and connectivity of urban agriculture networks in California.
- Year after year CAFF fights for CUSP (the California Underserved and Small Producer Program). From 2022-2025, the state has given out $19 million in CUSP Grants (and CAFF has moved $3.08 million of this through our California Farmer Relief Fund). CAFF is actively accepting applications for small farmers who have had drought-related losses over the past three years for CUSP money, apply here (through Oct 15)!