Anna Knight spent much of her youth trying to get away from the farm–sports and an off-farm job ensured she always had an excuse not to join her family at the farmers market selling mandarins, oranges, kiwi. As Anna was busy trying to distance herself from her family’s farm, the farm was working its slow magic: winding its way around her heart like a pole bean tendril and eventually pulling her back home to steward the land her family has farmed for five generations.
Today, Anna is in charge of Operations and Farmer Relationships at her family’s food hub and farm, Old Grove Orange in Redlands, CA. They work with a group of small growers in the Inland Empire, dedicated to making the last remaining local farms in the region sustainable through partnerships with local school districts. CAFF’s Farm to School program works with farms like Old Grove Orange to get produce into schools across the state. Will help us keep this good work going strong?
“We are so in the weeds with farm operations. We rely on organizations like CAFF to ensure our needs and voices are represented.”
– Anna Knight, Old Grove Orange
Old Grove Orange’s connection to CAFF spans generations. Anna’s father was a longtime CAFF board member. Her grandparents were involved with the farmers market movement. And today, Anna is the youngest member of CAFF’s Board of Directors, ensuring that small farmers in SoCal are supported through CAFF’s programs and policy efforts and representing a new generation of CAFF members.
On a recent fall evening, farmers convened at Old Grove Orange to participate in a listening session organized by CAFF and Huerta del Valle. It brought together dozens of local farmers to connect and network while discussing the barriers they face and how to address them through local and state policy, feedback that directly informs CAFF’s priorities for the year.
“When you sit under a redwood, or visit the Grand Canyon–that’s the feeling farmers get everyday.”
And Anna is committed to making sure that Old Grove Orange is a place where people can experience that sense of awe. Farm field trips, farmer-to-farmer gatherings, and host to the the newest CAFF chapter; Old Grove Orange embodies what it means to be a ‘community-scale farm.’
Old Grove Orange wants small farmers to keep farming forever. And so do we. Make your donation today to make this vision a reality!
In Solidarity,
Paul Towers
Executive Director
Community Alliance with Family Farmers