Today California Governor Gavin Newsom released his 2024-25 state budget proposal, which makes significant cuts to climate and sustainable agriculture funding to address an almost $38 billion budget deficit. Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) thanks the Governor for maintaining funding for newer equity-centered programs supporting urban farmers and beginning farmer training. However, despite this, the Governor’s budget proposal also proposes significant cuts to long-term infrastructure investments and essential recovery relief funds from extreme drought. While acknowledging the limitations of this year’s budget deficit, the over $100 million in budget cuts in family farmer-centered programs is disappointing to California’s family farmers as they work to build equitable food systems and climate change resilience.
“Food hubs are an essential tool for small-scale farm supply chains; without them, farmers struggle to reach stable institutional markets which are historically dominated by corporate producers. Since 2021, we have fought every year to maintain funding for the Farm to Community Food Hubs program and wait for the Administration to stand up the program. Yet the Administration repeatedly chooses to cut the funding.” – Jamie Fanous, Policy Director, Community Alliance with Family Farmers
“Most small-scale farmers like me have zero financial safety net when extreme weather conditions strike. CDFA’s California Underserved and Small Producer Program (CUSP) is the only program accessible to farmers like me. Cutting this relief funding by $12.9 million will have devastating impacts on many farmers hoping to receive relief from past disasters. It is unfortunate that other drought relief programs that benefit large industrial farmers were prioritized over this program that targets small family farmers.” – Molly Myerson, Little Wing Farm, Marin County
We are disappointed to see the following budget cuts to critical investments intended to both build up essential infrastructure for small-scale farmers and provide a financial safety net for farmers who have nowhere else to turn during climate crisis events. We hope budget revisions will allow the following to be restored:
- $14.4 million to CDFA’s Farm to Community Food Hub Program
- $12.9 million to CDFA’ California Underserved and Small Producer Program
- $33.2 to CDFA’s California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP)
- $40 million to CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program which was previously cut due to a budget error
Contact: Evan Wiig, Director of Membership & Communications, CAFF, evan@caff.org, 415-710-5692