Community Alliance with Family Farmers

CSFC San Joaquin Valley Gathering & Small Farm Tech Expo
2024-03-01 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Madera Community College, 30277 Ave 12, Madera, California, 93638, United States
Join us for an extraordinary SJV Regional Gathering. This annual event brings together farmers, community members, and supporters of family farms in the Central Valley. This year, our Regional Gathering will also shine as the 2024 edition of the Small Farm Tech Expo. Immerse yourself in a day of workshops and an exposition showcasing technology tailored for small-scale farmers. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this unique convergence of innovation and camaraderie.
Únase a nosotros para un Encuentro Regional extraordinario del Valle de San Joaquin. Este evento anual reúne a agricultores, miembros de la comunidad y partidarios de las granjas familiares en el Valle Central. Este año, nuestro Encuentro Regional también brillará como la edición 2024 de la Small Farm Tech Expo. Sumérgete en un día de talleres y una exposición que muestra tecnología adaptada a los pequeños agricultores. No pierda la oportunidad de ser parte de esta convergencia única de innovación y camaradería.
Scroll down to RSVP! / Registrese abajo!
Event Highlights / Detalles del evento

Tech Exposition: Full day of technology exhibitions for small-scale farmers, with more than 15 vendors & organizations including: BCS, Farm-ng, LiteFarm, FarmOS, Sutton Ag, GrownBy, Parabug, FarmHand tractor, Monarch, Pest Wizard, IoT4Ag, GOAT, CALSTART, AltSys Solar, California CORE and more.
Workshops: Dynamic activities and panels that showcase available technologies that improve farm efficiency.
Language Accessibility: Spanish and Hmong interpretation will be available during the entire event.
Farmer & buyer mixer / Mixer de agricultores y compradores
Farm book raffle / Sorteo de libros de granja
Breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be provided / Se dara desayuno, almuerzo y snacks

(For free parking, please enter parking lot B through Road 30)

CSFC Central Coast Gathering
2024-03-01 17:00 - 19:15 | ALBA, 1700 Old Stage Road, Salinas, CA, United States
Join the Central Coast small farm community for a bilingual gathering at ALBA. More details about this event are coming soon!

Direct to Consumer Flower Sales Stories Webinar
2024-03-05 12:00 - 13:00 | CA
Join us to learn from Sunny Meadows Flower Farm on how their nearly 20 year old farm has successfully pursued direct to consumer avenues for some of their business revenue. They focus on flower products and ship some of them nationwide.
Sunny Meadows Flower Farm, established in Columbus Ohio in 2006, grows sustainable fresh cut flowers of the highest quality, almost year-round for the wholesale, retail, and wedding industries. They sell dahlia tubers, dried flowers, wreaths, ranunculus and anemone corms, fresh flowers (during the season) and educational resources via their online store. They ship those products nationwide in addition to selling fresh flowers directly to consumers and businesses locally.
Learn how SMFF has refined their practices over the years to diversify their income streams and connect with a wider audience of customers across the nation. The first forty registrants to the webinar will receive a free annual membership to Farm Common’s Farmers portal (https://farmcommons.org/product/producer-membership/). That’s a $99 value, for free. You’ll gain access to all sorts of legal educational resources geared specifically towards farmers.

Hen & Harvest Farm - pre-order sales, agritourism, and self-service farm stand
2024-03-12 16:00 - 17:00 | CA
Hen & Harvest Farm is a small, woman-owned regenerative farm in Turlock, California, started by Alexandria. It was created from a lifelong dream to raise food and animals in a way that works collaboratively with nature.
Alexandria will share the strategies that have been most helpful for reaching her customers and selling online. Her market channels include online ticket sales for agritourism activities, pre-ordering eggs and lamb, a self-service farm stand, and markets in her local community. Attendees will learn what software & online options Alexandria has adopted and how they benefit the management of her business.
The first forty registrants to the webinar will receive a free annual membership to Farm Common’s Farmers portal (https://farmcommons.org/product/producer-membership/). That’s a $99 value for free. You’ll gain access to all sorts of legal and educational resources geared specifically towards farmers.

Urban Agriculture Microgrant Virtual Information Session / Sesión Informativa Virtual Sobre Microsubvenciones
2024-03-14 11:00 - 13:00 | Webinar
CAFF & the Farm Service Agency will host a virtual info session for interested applicants to ask questions about the Growing Urban Agriculture Microgrant, the online application, and their farm projects. Join us on March 14th at 11:00 am PST by registering in advance at this link.

Biologically Integrated Farming Systems: Whole Orchard Nutrient Cycling and On-Farm Composting
2024-04-10 10:00 - 13:00 | CA
Join CAFF (Community Alliance with Family Farmers) at Heartwood Farm in Linden, CA to hear farmers Franz Eilers and Emma Wade discuss making on-farm compost. Through their involvement with the Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education (SARE) Grant Program, they have implemented whole farm cycling of nutrients and carbon using orchard waste. We will also be joined by compost advisor and owner of Fulcrum Farm, Marney Blair, to give us the rundown of what compost is, why growers should apply it, how to choose a compost type, and so much more. Additional resources about the Compost Connector and other funding programs from Zero FoodPrint will also be provided.
1 hour of INMP CEUs available.
This event is at Heartwood Farm in Linden, CA. The address and directions will be provided upon registration (You will receive two confirmation emails, and the address is included in the second email).
Coffee and snacks will be provided.
This event will be outdoors, so please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a hat!

Symphylan Field Day
2024-05-14 10:00 | Long Meadow Ranch, 1000 Mills Lane, Saint Helena, 94574, United States
We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming workshop on symphylan management. This event promises a deep dive into effective pest control strategies with insights from leading agricultural experts.
Joining us will be Jess Arnsteen, Culinary Farm Manager at Long Meadow Ranch, Jim Leap, former UC Santa Cruz Farm Manager, and Ellie Andrews from UCCE Mendocino.
Jess will share his expertise in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), including detailed drone imagery that showcases the effects of symphylans on crops. Jim will contribute his extensive experience and unique anecdotes from years of symphylan management, while Ellie will outline adaptable IPM strategies, providing you with a practical toolbox to apply to your own farming practices.
Understanding and implementing ecological pest management is crucial for maintaining the health of your crops and supporting our ecosystems.
This workshop is ideal for anyone in the agricultural community looking to enhance their knowledge and skills in pest management.
REGISTER HERE

Urban Ag Farmer Gathering at Veggielution
2024-05-14 11:00 - 13:00 | Veggielution Community Farm, 647 South King Road, San Jose, CA, 95116, United States
Farmers and growers – join us for an informative session on programs and resources available through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Regional staff from both FSA and NRCS will provide presentations on federal programs and services. Urban farmers will be able to ask questions, provide feedback, and enroll in programs suitable for their work.
This event will also offer an opportunity for urban farmers and growers to connect with other farmers, growers, organizations, and the USDA’s urban agriculture committee members covering the Greater SF Bay Area. Lunch will be provided!
Day: May 14, 2024
Time: 11am-1pm
Location: Veggielution Community Farm, 647 S King Rd, San Jose, CA 95116

A Tiered Approach to IPM: Beneficial Birds and Gopher Trapping
2024-06-03 09:00 - 11:30 | Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company, 2625 Mankas Corner Rd, Fairfield, CA, 94534, United States
Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) and UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) invites you to a free, in-person event with Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company in Fairfield, CA. At this Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) field day, we will discuss key integrated pest management practices for organic and sustainable farms, including demos on how to set up songbird nest boxes and effectively use gopher traps.
Farmer and owner, Ann Fiorello Sievers, will share how Il Fiorello grows and mills olives for oil production, in addition to fruits and veggies that go into their value-added products and their bistro. They are dedicated to growing everything organically and sustainably. They compost food waste from the bistro, have many owl and bird boxes, intercrop in the orchard middles, and practice many other sustainable methods on the farm.
Dr. Roger Baldwin will cover some control techniques for burrowing rodents, including gophers and voles, such as using biological control, habitat modification, cultural practices, exclusion, and trapping. Dr. Breanna Martenico will discuss beneficial birds to control burrowing rodents as well as other pests, and how to promote more bird diversity on your farm. Dr. Baldwin will then demonstrate how to set up gopher traps, and Tom Clark will demonstrate how to install a songbird nest box. We will wrap up with a discussion of how to practically implement practices like these in order to transition to organic.
Speakers:
Ann Fiorello Sievers, Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company
Dr. Breanna Martinico, Human-Wildlife Interactions Advisor, UC Cooperative Extension
Dr. Roger Baldwin, Human-Wildlife Conflict Resolution Specialist, UC Cooperative Extension
Tom Clark, Consultant, Clark’s Sustainable Systems
Details:
1.5 hours of DPR CEUs applied for.
The address for the event is 2625 Mankas Corner Rd, Fairfield, CA 94534. Here is the Google Maps link: https://maps.app.goo.

What to Know About Wildfire and Food Safety - An Educational Webinar
2024-06-03 18:00 - 19:00 | CA
Review with us a new booklet on Fire and Food Safety we just produced with funding through the Local Food Safety Collaborative! Afterwards, participate in a discussion with agricultural producers and technical assistance providers regarding the most recent research and tools for remediation and mitigation regarding wildfire and food safety.

Amigos no Deseados: Manejo de Plagas en Cítricos
2024-06-14 09:00 - 14:00 | MAAHS Farm, East Parlier Avenue, Reedley, CA, 93654, United States
Día de Campo en MAAHS Farms con CAFF
Fecha: Viernes 14 de junio de 2024 – 9 am
Ubicación: MAAHS Farms – 22570 E. Parlier Ave Reedley, CA 93654
Únase a nosotros en MAAHS Farms para un día lleno de aprendizaje y comunidad. En colaboración con Sequoia Insectary, comenzaremos el día explorando técnicas innovadoras para manejar las plagas en cítricos, incluyendo la liberación de avispas benéficas que combaten el piojo rojo. Esta es una excelente oportunidad para ver métodos de control de plagas en acción.
Después de la demostración, ofreceremos una charla informativa donde discutiremos los diversos recursos y ayudas que CAFF pone a disposición para apoyar a los agricultores. Finalizaremos el día con una comida casera, brindando una oportunidad para que todos los asistentes compartan y disfruten en comunidad.
NO HACE FALTA REGISTRACIÓN

Wildfire Resilience and Mitigation Methods for Farmers and Ranchers
2024-06-17 18:00 - 19:00 | CA
Join the Community Alliance with Family Farmers for a crucial webinar featuring insights from Pilz Produce and Lincoln High School Farm. This session focuses on the successes of two Fuels Reduction and Wildfire Resilience projects in Placer County, showcasing how effective management and community collaboration can significantly mitigate wildfire risks.
Farmers, ranchers, students, and community members are all invited to learn about the vital role that agriculture plays in wildfire resilience. With California facing increasing threats from wildfires, this webinar is timely and essential, offering participants a chance to understand the direct impacts of wildfires and the innovative measures being taken to enhance resilience.
Supported by the California Fire Foundation, these projects exemplify how funding and expert knowledge are combined to strengthen the resilience of agricultural lands and surrounding communities. The session will highlight the importance of local knowledge, proper land management, and the critical need for ongoing funding to sustain these efforts.
Attendees will gain valuable insights into:

The specifics of successful fuels reduction and wildfire resilience projects.
The role of agricultural practices in managing wildfire risks.
Opportunities for funding and support for similar projects within their communities.

This is an opportunity to engage with experts, gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and solutions related to wildfire resilience, and explore how to apply these lessons to your own context.

Cooling Unit Workshop
2024-06-23 09:00 - 15:30 | CA
Join Regeneración, SSRF and CAFF on Sunday, June 23rd for an all day workshop. We will collaboratively assemble a Cool bot cooling unit and host a buyer panel at Maritza Farm in Hollister. To register please click here.

Oaxaqueño/a Farming Practices
2024-06-26 16:00 - 18:00 | Yo’Ville Community Garden, 872 West Atchison Court, Fresno, CA, 93706, United States
Join us as we come together to learn about Oaxacan farming practices directly from farmer, Miguel Avendaño Reyes. Miguel who is from the Zapotec region of Oaxaca, Mexico. Miguel will take us through plant varieties, growing methods and other considerations during our time together. English and Hmong translation will be provided from the original Spanish presentation. Participants will have an opportunity to tour Miguel’s farm to see the plants up close and ask questions. Light refreshments will be provided for all participants.
Únase a nosotros para aprender sobre las prácticas agrícolas de Oaxaca directamente del agricultor, Miguel Avendaño Reyes. Miguel es de la región zapoteca de Oaxaca, México. Miguel nos guiará a través de las variedades de plantas, métodos de cultivo y otras consideraciones durante nuestro tiempo juntos. Los participantes tendrán la oportunidad de recorrer la finca de Miguel para ver las plantas de cerca y hacer preguntas. Se proporcionarán aperitivos para todos los participantes.

Ecological Farming Office Hours
2024-06-27 13:00 - 14:00 | CA
Join CAFF’s Ecological Farming Program for our monthly office hours! This is a great opportunity for growers to engage directly with our experts in a relaxed and open setting. Whether you have questions about ecological pest management, soil health, grant opportunities, or other farming concerns, we’re here to help.
Details:

When: Last Thursday of every month
Time: 1-2 PM
Where: Zoom
Contact: ecologicalfarming@caff.org for any pre-meeting questions or inquiries.

Simply hop on the Zoom link anytime during the hour to discuss your concerns about pest management, soil fertility practices, or to explore potential funding opportunities that could benefit your farming operations. We’re here to support you in fostering a more sustainable farming practice.

Elderberry Harvesting, Handling, & Processing: Interactive Workshop on Best Practices for Food Safety
2024-08-16 08:00 - 17:00 | CA
Elderberries offer farmers an opportunity to diversify both the landscape and their farm offerings. At this interactive workshop, with a focus on food safety best practices, you’ll learn about harvesting, post-harvest handling, and processing elderberries on a small scale; and the types of equipment you can use for these processes. Experts in food safety from the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology will discuss cleaning and sanitation, harvest hygiene, animal intrusion monitoring, systems for washing and destemming elderberries, elderberry drying protocols, and more.
Who should attend:

Small-scale elderberry growers and value-added processors, or those who are considering starting.
Small-mid scale fruit growers interested in familiarizing themselves with basic food safety practices and value-added product processes.

This wokshop is limited to 20 participants. If you are interested in attending and are in a different role (e.g., technical assistance or farmer service provider), please do not register and instead email: akbaddorf@ucanr.edu
Participants will learn:

Methods and food safety best practices for harvesting, handling, drying, and processing elderberries
Equipment that can be used for these processes
How to make elderberry jam

When:
Friday, August 16th, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Where:
Davis, CA 95616 (exact location to be shared with registrants)
Registration: https://elderberry-workshop-2024.eventbrite.com
Cost:
There is no charge for the workshop, but parking is $16.
Lunch will be provided, along with light snacks and water. Long pants and close-toed shoes are required. Sun protection (hat, sunscreen, etc.) is strongly recommended, since a portion ofthe day will be spent outside.

Ventas de la Granja a la Escuela
2024-08-18 18:30 - 20:00 | CA
¡Únase a nosotros para aprender más sobre las ventas a las escuelas! En este taller repasaremos lo que son las ventas a las escuelas y como entrar a este mercado.
Join CAFF’s Farm-to-School Workshop to learn more about farm-to-school sales! We will give an overview of the farm-to-school landscape and discuss how to create and maintain relationships with schools.

Voluntary Well Monitoring Program Information Session: Sonoma County
2024-08-19 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
In this session you will learn more about the current groundwater basin conditions, get a tour of the new Sonoma County Groundwater Data Dashboard, learn how the well monitor sounder device works and how to submit information to the online portal and more. If you already track water levels and are interested in submitting data, we will cover that too. These sessions will provide an opportunity for local well-owners to ask questions and learn more about the program. (Webinar will be recorded)
JOIN ON ZOOM HERE
More info: SonomaCountyGroundwater.org/voluntary-monitoring

CAFF's Summer Soiree
2024-08-24 16:00 - 20:00 | Full Belly Farm, 16090 County Road 43, Guinda, CA, 95637, United States
A farm-to-table benefit for regenerative agriculture, local food & family farms, featuring dinner, live music & more! Hosted at Full Belly Farm in Guinda, CA.

Seed Saving 2.0
2024-08-29 08:00 - 17:00 | CA
Take your seed-saving and on-farm breeding skills to the next level with our upcoming workshop! This event, taught by Kristyn Leach of Second Generation Seeds and Samantha Hilborn-Naluai of Rodale Institute, New Mexico, is a must for any farmer looking to enhance their expertise.
This workshop is designed for farmers with some background in seed saving. It focuses on refining techniques to support climate-adaptive and culturally appropriate crops and varieties.
Coordinated by Ellie Andrews (UCCE Specialty Crops Advisor) and Layla Aguilar (CAFF Ecological Farming Specialist), this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss! Tap the link in our bio or https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=43368 to get your ticket.

Farmer Funding / CUSP Drought Grant Office Hours
2024-09-10 15:30 - 16:30 | Zoom
Join us for our weekly drop-in funding office hours, where you can ask questions about using the CAFF Farmer Funding Database or applying for the Fall 2024 CUSP Drought Relief grant.
Click on the Zoom link under “Website” below, or go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85972981212 at the time of the meeting to join.

Conversación sobre políticas agrícolas
2024-09-10 18:00 - 19:30 | United Way Monterey County, Monterey Street, Salinas, CA, 93901, United States
La Alianza Comunitaria de Agricultores de California te invita a una conversación sobre las pólizas agrícolas. ¿Eres un agricultor con ideas para la legislatura estatal? ¡Queremos escucharlos! Venga a hablar con nosotros sobre el trabajo político de la Alianza Comunitaria con Agricultores Familiares (CAFF). Además, hablaremos un poco sobre las becas para la asistencia de alivio de la sequía (CUSP). En agradecimiento por compartir sus pensamientos, pagaremos $100 por cada agricultor que asista.

Vitis and Ovis Farm Tour and Discussion: Adaptations to Climate Extremes in the Capay Valley
2024-09-19 09:00 - 12:00 | Capay Valley, CA, California, 95627, United States
Join us for a walking tour of Vitis and Ovis Farm, a highly diversified regenerative farm in the Capay Valley, followed by an open discussion about adaptations to drought, extreme temperatures, and other “climate extremes”. Learn how Vitis and Ovis integrate ducks in their vineyard and orchards, their strategies for water capture and water use efficiency, and other benefits to their diversified approach. We will all gather after the tour to brainstorm and share innovative approaches to farming in the face of our changing climate. (CAFF staff will be on hand to share information about the current state of water policy in CA.)

F3 Local Food Marketing Webinar
2024-09-30 16:30 - 17:00 | CA
Join us to learn more about the F3 Local Marketing Campaign and discover how you can play a vital role in its success.
We’re building a brand that will elevate the value of food grown in the Central Valley, ensuring more of it is sold locally. With your involvement, we can create a powerful marketing campaign that not only supports our farmers but also provides the community with straightforward ways to participate.
Let’s work together to harness the momentum and make a lasting impact on local agriculture.

Growing Success Webinar Series: Grants for Producers (with Agricultural Institute of Marin)
2024-10-01 15:30 - 17:00 | Webinar
Join AIM and our partners as we explore various topics to support small farms, ranches, food businesses, and artisans over the next few months.
Join us for the first webinar of the series, designed for farmers, to introduce CAFF’s online Farmer Funding Database grant resource tool and our CUSP Drought Relief grants.
Register here to join: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kf-yhrTMqE9ZJfflJij8LTPxqE6ShS3Nn
Spanish interpretation will be available.

North Bay Farmer Listening Session 2024
2024-10-08 18:00 - 20:00 | FEED Cooperative, 5400 Old Redwood Hwy N., Petaluma, CA, 94954, United States
Every year CAFF invites farmers to join us for a casual conversation about challenges, concerns, and ideas to improve our food and agricultural system and to better support your farm. Feedback from this event will shape CAFF’s policy agenda for the year ahead, guiding our advocacy efforts to make sure that we’re fighting for what matters most to you.
Food and beverages provided.
This event is free but is open only to farmers: this includes farm owners, managers, & farm employees.
No policy experience required; just honest feedback and genuine stories from the field.
Spanish translation provided! Please spread the word to your Spanish-speaking colleagues!

Agricultural Business 101 Workshop
2024-10-09 17:00 - 20:00 | Vision View, East Clinton Way, Fresno, CA, 93727, United States
Are you looking to develop your business management skills to grow your operation? In this workshop local rancher, Rizpah Bellard, will present on the fundamentals of managing a successful agricultural business.
The topics may include business plan development, taxes and documenting costs of production and revenue generation.
Please complete the RSVP in order to attend, your responses will be used to craft the content for this workshop.

Los Angeles Farmer Listening Session 2024
2024-10-21 16:00 - 18:00 | SOW Collective, Sunburst Street, Los Angeles, CA, 91331, United States
(Español abajo)

Every year CAFF invites farmers to join us for a casual conversation about challenges, concerns, and ideas to improve our food and agricultural system and to better support your farm. Feedback from this event will shape CAFF’s policy agenda for the year ahead, guiding our advocacy efforts to make sure that we’re fighting for what matters most to you. We’ll share a bit about what we’ve done in the past year, including our urban agriculture policy work and grants program.
Food and beverages provided.
This event is free but is open only to farmers: this includes farm owners, managers, & farm employees.
This event will be in English with Spanish translation provided. Please notify us if an additional language translation service would help you to attend this event.
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Cada año, CAFF invita a los agricultores a unirse a nosotros para una conversación informal sobre desafíos, inquietudes e ideas para mejorar nuestro sistema alimentario y agrícola y apoyar mejor su granja. Los comentarios de este evento darán forma a la agenda política de CAFF para el próximo año, guiando nuestros esfuerzos de promoción para asegurarnos de que luchamos por lo que más le importa a usted. Compartiremos un poco sobre lo que hemos hecho el año pasado, incluido nuestro trabajo en políticas de agricultura urbana y nuestro programa de becas.
Se proporcionan alimentos y bebidas.
Este evento es gratuito pero está abierto solo a agricultores: esto incluye propietarios, administradores y empleados de granjas.
El evento será en inglés con traducción al español. Notifíquenos si un servicio de traducción de idiomas adicional le ayudaría a asistir a este evento.

Farm Grants 101
2024-10-23 16:30 - 17:30 | The Fresno Center, East Kings Canyon Road 4879, Fresno, CA, 93727, United States
Are you a farmer looking to access grants and resources to support your operation? Join us for a hands-on workshop designed to bridge the gap in grant opportunities, especially for underrepresented communities like our Southeast Asian (SEA) farmers.
At a recent F3 Partner Gathering, LeeXeng from Fresno BIPOC Produce shared, “My people are always the last ones to know about grants and resource opportunities.” While many programs focus on language courses and general farming resources, few address the need for farmers to gain confidence in grant writing. This workshop will tackle exactly that!
What you’ll learn:

How to navigate and utilize CAFF resources effectively
Basic tips for finding and applying to grants
Guidance on the CAFF Directory to identify funding opportunities
Practical steps to enhance your applications

Our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to access vital grants and improve your farm’s sustainability.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to take control of your farm’s future! Whether you’re new to grants or just need a refresher, this workshop is for you.

Urban Ag Microgrants Info Session
2024-10-30 11:00 - 12:00 | CA
Calling CA’s urban growers! CAFF will be distributing another round of $10K microgrants to growers throughout California, funded by CDFA and USDA. These microgrants will provide funds for projects that may need financial support to implement and are rooted in community-focused food production. Priority being given to operations led by and/or serve historically underserved urban communities in Fresno, Inland Empire, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. These microgrants will launch October 15th and the application will be available on our website. Join our virtual info session on October 30th at 11 AM PST to learn more about these grants.
