California FarmLink

Mission Statement: As a Community Development Financial Institution, we invest in the prosperity and well-being of farmers, ranchers, and fishers who have limited access to financial resources. Our programs promote just and resilient economies and natural resource conservation. We offer fair financing, business education, and support for owning or managing agricultural land. Established in 1999, California Farm Link is certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). We are one of the first CDFIs in the nation focused on sustainable and organic agriculture as well as economic and environmental resilience. Knowledge, capital, and access to productive assets are the foundations of resilient farm, ranch and fishing businesses. We believe that these factors combine to  support equitable local food systems, living-wage jobs, and a healthy environment. Our team works across California to affect change by providing access to land, capital and education. We believe these three things are the foundation of sustainable farm businesses that create and preserve wealth while conserving and enhancing natural resources. We also believe that successful farm and ranch businesses support healthy rural communities with resilient food systems, living-wage jobs, and a healthy environment characterized by working lands providing incomes and ecosystem services. We deliberately direct resources and opportunities to groups that have historically been denied access to land, capital, and education, and thus have been unable to build wealth at the same rate as farmers who had an easier path to accessing land, capital and education. We value equitable access to opportunity, resilient working landscapes, fairness and accountability, and learning from farmers, ranchers, and fishers. Created by four board members to link farmers and landowners in order to “preserve farmland and farming in California.” Received $1,200 to organize farmer meetings, provided by the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. Secured free office space in Sacramento and created the first list of land opportunities. Founding executive director, Steve Schwartz, helps launch the International Farm Transition Network; linking and succession workshops organized. Helped Juan Chavira, New Life Farms, to secure a USDA Farm Service Agency loan to purchase a farm business from former employers. Began advocating for a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program to be part of the federal Farm Bill. First multi-year grant of $100,000 received from Wells Fargo for technical assistance to small farm businesses. Organizational headquarters moved to Sebastopol with field offices in Davis and Santa Cruz, and also in Fresno the following year. Farm Link joins the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) to advocate for the federal Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. Launched the nation’s first Individual Development Account (IDA) program to invest equity in small farm businesses led by Black, Hmong and Latine farmers. Farm Link secures first Americorps*VISTA volunteers, beginning a five-year partnership that facilitated professional development of college graduates. With assistance from U. S. Senator Barbara Boxer, advocated to win authorization of a federal Beginning Farmer and Rancher IDA Program. Co-hosted the first Intergenerational Farmer-Rancher Mixer at the Ecological Farming Conference. New series of Individual Development Accounts established, primarily focused on farmers of color. Farm Link was provided $350,000 from the Columbia Foundation, and $250,000 from Wells Fargo, to create a $600,000 loan fund. Partnered with California Coastal Rural Development to make loans; Farm Link provided loan capital and identified applicants. Launched the Loan Program to provide low-interest loans to farmers not bankable by traditional lenders; made five loans totaling $138,000. First edition of “Farmers Guide to Securing Land”