LA Food Policy Council Launches Cultivating Farmers Program to Support Local BIPOC and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers
PRESS RELEASE JUNE 6, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC) is adding another facet to our ongoing work of supporting local farmers, particularly those who have been underrepresented and historically marginalized in agriculture. With support from the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, we will be launching the Cultivating Farmers program at the start of the summer season this year.
Program activities will kick-off on June 29th with the inaugural event Smart Use of our Shared Resource: On-Farm Water Recycling, a workshop that will focus on a unique and locally developed water recycling system that supports hundreds of crop waterings. The lead presenter, Mike Garcia of the award-winning company Enviroscape, developed the system and will share about its features and functions. Beverly Lofton, a South L.A. based farmer recently featured in The Guardian’s “DIY Climate Hacks” series will discuss how she has used the system to save 90% on her water bill. Additionally, presenters from the Safe Clean Water Program and the Natural Resources Conservation Service will speak about resources available for on-farm water conservation efforts.
More workshops for farmers and ranchers will follow year-round and will cover a range of topics to support growers’ efforts to develop and sustain their operations. Topics will include land tenure, farm to market readiness, federal resources, farm business planning, farm marketing, and more.
The program’s mission is to support underserved and beginning farmers and ranchers in the Los Angeles region and stretching into neighboring counties, with a specific focus on farmers and ranchers who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and/or armed forces Veterans. Workshop and drop-in Office Hours facilitators come from our community of expert growers, small business leaders, and agriculture agencies. Moreover, our team will provide drop-in 1:1 Office Hours and Technical Assistance sessions for growers looking for referrals and extra resources. Additionally, thanks to the support of the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA), we will roll out a competitive small grant initiative for farmers to support them in their infrastructure and business needs.
Cultivating Farmers developed in part from findings of the 2023 report "Rooted Horizons: Growing Food for and by Angelenos” which was prepared by the L.A. Food Policy Council in partnership with the LARTA Institute, with support from the California Community Foundation. Key stakeholders in both the Urban Farmer and service provider community provided valuable insights about the most pressing issues facing urban farmers today, among these are access to land and land tenure, production at scale, maintaining business operations, and regulatory barriers.
The new program is being launched by LAFPC staff, Nikhita Jain and Valeria Velazquez Duenas. Nikhita, the program’s lead on technical assistance, comes with experience working for startups and social enterprises across the food value chain. Her background includes Sourcing ingredients from local and national farmers for Sweetgreen’s 200+ restaurants across the country, and managing purchasing and procurement for Los Angeles-based social enterprise, Everytable. Valeria, Director of Program and Innovation, brings over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector working with organizations that aim to increase access to fundamental human needs, including healthy food, and affordable and low-income housing, and culture and arts. She not only led efforts to increase access to fresh, locally grown foods through Food Access Los Angeles’ Benefits & Incentives and Market Match programs servicing 8 farmers markets across the city including LA’s iconic Hollywood farmers market, but managed the LA County wide Market Match expansion program which worked with 11 community partners operating at over 50 locations. Additionally, Valeria launched Food Access L.A.'s Seasoned Accelerator, providing technical assistance and business development support to over 50 small and micro food entrepreneurs in Los Angeles.
ABOUT LAFPC
Los Angeles Food Policy Council
The Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC) works to ensure food is healthy, affordable, fair and sustainable for all. We believe Good Food for All is possible and that all communities deserve access to good food, grown in a way that respects people and the planet. We work to create a local food system free from hunger, rooted in equity and access, supportive of farmers and food workers, and guided by principles of environmental stewardship and regeneration. To accomplish our vision of Good Food for All, we catalyze, coordinate and connect people across the LA region, including government, business and community groups working on food.
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For all media inquiries and further information, please contact:
Para todas las consultas de los medios de comunicacion en Espanol, comuniquese con:
jocelyn ramirez, Communications and Engagement Strategist, LA Food Policy Council, jocelyn@goodfoodla.org
