MEET THE 2026 CALIFORNIA FARM CHAMPIONS
From farmers to food system advocates, the California Farm Champion Awards honor everyday heroes and movement leaders forging a stronger local food economy. These champions are advancing food justice, empowering a new generation of agrarians, and shaping a more resilient future for California agriculture. Chosen from hundreds of nominations across the state, each honoree reflects the ingenuity, grit, and care that keep our food system thriving.
These awards are a part of the California Small Farm Conference
Ecological Farmer of the Year:
Twin Peaks Orchards
Twin Peaks Orchards is a living example of what ecological farming can achieve when stewardship, innovation, and community come together. A leader in regenerative agriculture, the farm applies the core principles of soil health through composting, cover cropping, crop rotation, and no-till practicesābuilding resilient soil while producing exceptional, nutrient-dense fruit.
But their impact reaches far beyond the orchard. Twin Peaks regularly opens its gates to fellow farmers, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders, sharing hard-won knowledge about ecological practices, farm viability, and the policy changes needed to support them. As mentors to emerging farmers and founders of a farmer-led food hub, they have expanded market access for small producers who might otherwise be left out.
Family-owned since 1912, Twin Peaks has endured fire, generational transitions, and changing agricultural landscapes. Through it all, they continue to adapt, rebuild, and leadāsetting a powerful standard for regenerative farming, collaborative leadership, and long-term care of the land.
Farm Advocate of the Year:
Annie Main, Good Humus Farm
Annie Main has spent decades proving that strong farms depend on strong voices. A co-founder of Good Humus Farm in Yolo County, Annie pairs deep-rooted land stewardship with tireless advocacy for farmers and rural communities. Through her leadership with Concerned Citizens of Yolo County, she has brought farmers together to document real-world groundwater declinesāground-truthing the data when models failed to tell the full story.
Her persistence recently led to a major win: a 10-month moratorium on new agricultural wells in critical areas, along with a commitment from county leaders to pursue further research. Itās a powerful example of how organized farmers can shape policy.
Since 1976, Annie and her family have farmed with cooperation, community, and social change at the coreāgrowing food, mentoring the next generation, and preserving Good Humus Farm for the future through an agricultural easement. Annieās work reminds us that advocacy is itself a form of farming: tending relationships, protecting resources, and standing up for what comes next.
Farmers Market Champion of the Year:
Food Access Los Angeles
Food Access Los AngelesĀ is proving that farmers markets can be powerful engines for equity, resilience, and community well-being. By pairing the success of large markets like the Hollywood Farmersā Market with intentional investment in smaller, neighborhood-based markets in areas such as Crenshaw, Food Access Los Angeles keeps farmers markets thriving year-roundārain or shine.
Their eight markets across Los Angeles are a critical source of income for small and mid-sized farmers while also bringing fresh, affordable, locally grown food to communities that have long been underserved. Through programs like Market Match and WIC, Food Access Los Angeles ensures that food assistance dollars stretch further, benefiting both shoppers and growers.
Formerly known as SEE-LA, the organizationās updated name reflects what has always been at the heart of its work: access. Beyond markets, Food Access Los Angeles supports nutrition education, urban agriculture, and food entrepreneurship, weaving together solutions that strengthen local farms and build a more just food system for Los Angelesāone market at a time.
Food Business of the Year:
fruitqueen
Joyce Zhang andĀ Brian Carroll are redefining what it means to be a food business ally to farmers. As co-founders of fruitqueen, they’ve built a vibrant, fruit-forward enterprise that acts as a small but mighty food hubāconnecting Bay Area eaters and restaurants with Californiaās smallest, most innovative specialty fruit growers.
fruitqueen is guided by a simple but powerful philosophy: celebrate extraordinary flavor, support small ecological farms, and teach people where their food comes from. Through weekly fruit boxes paired with thoughtful, joyful storytelling, they center the farmers behind the fruitāuplifting immigrant growers, rare varieties, and the cultures that make Californiaās fruit landscape so rich.
In just a few short years, fruitqueen has helped farmers reach new markets, adapted operations to meet growersā needs, and built genuine community through education and care. Joyce and Brian brings creativity, compassion, and advocacy to every partnership, serving as a true bridge between farmers and eatersāand proving that storytelling can be just as nourishing as the fruit itself.
The "Pete Price" Farm Policy Advocate of the Year:
Assemblymember Damon Connolly
Since his election in 2022, Assemblymember Damon Connolly has emerged as a steadfast champion for Californiaās family farmers and the policies that help them thrive. He has consistently fought for investments in programs that support organic and ecological farming, including the Organic Transition Program, Healthy Soils Program, and Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Assistance Programāinitiatives that have directly benefited hundreds of farmers across the state.
In his first year in office, Assemblymember Connolly co-authored the Food and Farm Resilience Bond, helping secure $300 million for sustainable agriculture priorities in Proposition 4. These investments strengthened healthy soils, water efficiency, farmers markets, urban agriculture, and access to shared equipment for new farmers.
In the years that followed, he authored and advanced legislation to improve climate-smart programs, support organic farmers and processors, and elevate nature-based climate solutions across working lands. By working closely with farmers and agricultural partners, Assemblymember Connolly has shown that thoughtful, collaborative policymaking can deliver real results for those stewarding Californiaās landānow and for generations to come.
Legacy Farmer of the Year:
Lee & Wayne James, Tierra Vegetables
For more than four decades, Lee and Wayne James have stewarded Tierra Vegetables with humility, care, and an unwavering commitment to the land and their community. Since beginning their farming journey in 1980, this brother-and-sister duo has built one of Sonoma Countyās most beloved farms, known for exceptional produceāfrom vibrant carrots and heirloom corn to chiles, beans, and deeply nourishing vegetables grown with integrity.
Sustainability has always guided their work, from crop rotation and composting to collaborative pest management and rainwater irrigation. Through their on-farm commercial kitchen, they extend the harvest year-round with thoughtfully preserved foods.
Just as important, Tierra Vegetables is a place of learning and welcome. Lee and Wayne have mentored farmers for decades, shared their knowledge freely, paid fair wages, and opened their farm to schools and neighbors alike. As they prepare to pass the torch, their legacy lives on in the land, the community, and the next generation of farmers they continue to inspire.
New Farmer of the Year:
Emilia Santos, Alfa y Omega Organic Farm
Emilia Santos embodies the courage, care, and persistence that define Californiaās next generation of farmers. After beginning her journey at the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) farm incubator in the Salinas Valley, Emilia poured herself into learning the craft of organic farming while raising two daughters and continuing to build her skills in both English and Spanish.
A former conventional produce picker, Emilia witnessed firsthand the toll that toxic chemicals can take on farmworkers and their families. That experience shaped her commitment to creating a healthy, dignified workplace on her own farm. With the support of fellow ALBA farmersāsharing labor, knowledge, and encouragementāshe steadily grew her business.
Today, Emilia operates Alfa y Omega Organic Farm on land beyond ALBA, growing vibrant crops like dinosaur kale, rainbow chard, romaine lettuce, and cilantro. Her journey from Mexico to the U.S., and from farmworker to farmowner, is a powerful testament to resilience, community, and hope.
Photos provided by honorees and nominating parties