CAFF’s Policy Team is in full action this legislative session! We are fighting hard for funding for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA), known in California as Farms Together, and the California Underserved and Small Producer Program (CUSP).
Farms Together allows food banks to purchase local produce directly from family farms, ensuring that hungry Californians get high quality food and small producers access secure market channels. This program has created significant statewide impacts already: 70% of the farms participating are small, mid-scale, and socially disadvantaged, and the partnership includes 43 food hubs and local aggregators and 34 food banks, altogether feeding millions of Californians. The federal funding for this program has been cut, so CAFF and our partners are pushing California to provide a bridge of $45 million so this integral food access work can continue.
CUSP provides emergency grant assistance directly to farmers after climate disasters like extreme heat, drought, wildfire, or flood. CAFF is fighting for $15 million to continue this critical program, which is integral to emergency response and relief for the farmers on the frontlines of climate change.
On April 9th we brought farmers and food hubs to the Capitol to speak for these programs themselves, as part of our wider advocacy efforts and farmer testimony opportunities throughout April. Big thanks to the farmers and food hubs who made it all happen: Mireya Gomez-Contreras from Esperanza Community Farms, Jenna Muller from Full Belly Farm, Keng Vang from Fresno BIPOC Produce, Jesus Castellanos from Castellanos Farm, Helen Dodd from Farm2People, Rian Gosser from Windrift Farm, Andrea Chew from Natural Trading Co, Maddie Rohner from Tahoe Food Hub, and Jacob Weiss from Spork Food Hub.
Pictured: Senator Melissa Hurtado with Keng Vang from Fresno BIPOC Produce, Mr. and Mrs. Castellanos from Castellanos Farm, Rian Gosser from Windrift Farm, and Yamilet Perez Aragon from CAFF.
