North Coast Growers Association

NORTH COAST GROWERS ASSOCIATION (NCGA) WILL WORK WITH LOCAL REGIONAL FOOD PRODUCERS TO IMPLEMENT A DISTRIBUTION HUB THAT WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR PRODUCERS TO MARKET AND DISTRIBUTE THEIR FOOD MORE EFFICIENTLY AND ECONOMICALLY WHILE RETAINING BRAND AND LOCATION IDENTITY. HARVEST HUB WILL INCREASE MARKET ACCESS FOR PRODUCERS, SUPPORTING THEIR ECONOMIC VITALITY BY LINKING THEM WITH INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS AND OTHER WHOLESALE MARKETS, AS WELL AS ASSESSING AND ADDRESSING PRODUCER NEEDS IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY, MARKETING, AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR STORAGE, PACKAGING, AND DISTRIBUTION TO FACILITATE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN WHOLESALE MARKETS.NCGA WILL ENGAGE HUMBOLDT COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION (HCOE) TO TRANSITION THEIR LOCAL FOOD PURCHASING TO THE HARVEST HUB. NEW SYSTEMS FOR ORDERING AND DISTRIBUTION WILL BE DEVELOPED AND PILOTED SO THAT HARVEST HUB WILL PROCURE LOCAL FOOD FOR HUMBOLDT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS MEAL PURCHASING PROGRAMS.NCGA WILL WORK WITH CAL POLY HUMBOLDT (CPH), A CA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO THEIR LOCAL FOOD PURCHASING GOALS. FUNDS FROM THIS GRANT WILL BE USED TO MAP NEEDS AND BARRIERS OF CPH, COLLABORATIVELY CREATE A PLAN TO UPDATE POLICIES AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES TO OVERCOME THESE BARRIERS, AND BEGIN TO SOURCE LOCALLY GROWN AND RAISED FOOD TO HELP MEET THEIR LOCAL PURCHASING GOALS.THE HARVEST HUB WILL BENEFIT LOCAL FARMERS AND STUDENTS. FARMERS WILL BE ABLE TO INCREASE THEIR MARKETS WITHOUT INCREASING COSTS OR WORKLOAD. STUDENTS WILL HAVE MORE ACCESS TO NUTRIENT DENSE PRODUCE THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR TO CONNECT THEM MORE DEEPLY WITH THEIR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM.

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** AS A FOOD INSECURE REGION WITH A GROWING POPULATION, AS WELL AS FAVORABLE CLIMATE AND SOILS, THERE EXISTS A CLEAR NEED FOR INCREASED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. THE 2010 COMMUNITY FOOD ASSESSMENT, COMPLETED BY CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR RURAL POLICY AT HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY/HUMBOLDT POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY PROVIDES A NEEDS ASSESSMENT WHICH HAS INFORMED NCGA AND PARTNERS' APPROACH TO SUPPORTING AND EXPANDING THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM AND AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY INCLUDING: MORE FOOD ACCESS POINTS, AND IMPROVED TRANSPORTATION TO THEM; FRESH HEALTHY FOODS ARE NOT CONSISTENTLY AVAILABLE IN GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED COMMUNITIES AND AFFORDABLE HEALTHY FOODS ARE NEEDED ALL OVER; PURCHASING POLICIES MAKE IT HARD FOR FARMERS TO SELL TO INSTITUTIONS; AGRICULTURAL LEADERS NEED MORE SUPPORT AND RESEARCH. A 2023 NCGA FARM SERVICES SURVEY(2) FOUND THAT 58% HAVE NEVER WORKED WITH NRCS OR RCD PROGRAMS, AND 89% REPORT THEY NEED ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, ADVISING AND ACCESS TO GRANT FUNDS AND COST-SHARE PROGRAMS. NCGA'S MEMBERSHIP REPRESENTS A WIDE RANGE OF DIVERSE FARMING FAMILIES RANGING FROM BRAND NEW, YOUNGER FARMERS TO 6TH GENERATION, MULTI-GENERATIONAL WORKING HISTORIC FARMS. THE REPORT HAS INFORMED THE PROGRAMMING AND CURRICULUM INCLUDED IN THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT.IN 2021 A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT, ASSESSING REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION CAPACITY(3) CONDUCTED BY STUDENTS AT HUMBOLDT POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, FOUND THAT 78% OF SURVEYED HUMBOLDT COUNTY FARMERS AND RANCHERS WOULD INCREASE WHOLESALE PRODUCTION IF THEY WERE GIVEN ASSISTANCE IN PRODUCTION PLANNING AND NEW MARKET OPPORTUNITIES, AND 50% INDICATED THEY HAVE EXTRA ARABLE LAND THAT THEY WOULD USE TO INCREASE THEIR PRODUCTION, GIVEN AN INCREASED MARKET FOR THEIR PRODUCTS. OF THOSE INTERESTED IN EXPANDING PRODUCTION, ONE-THIRD INDICATED A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING TO HELP WITH THIS GROWTH, SUCH AS PRODUCTION PLANNING, PEST MANAGEMENT, FOOD SAFETY, AND SEASON EXTENSION. THIS WAS PRIOR TO NCGA OPENING THE LOCAL FOOD HUB, WHICH HAS OPENED CRITICAL NEW MARKETS FOR REGIONAL PRODUCERS. THE NEED FOR WHOLESALE PRODUCTION PLANNING, FOOD SAFETY PLAN CREATION, AND BUSINESS SKILL DEVELOPMENT WILL BE MET THROUGH THIS PROJECT.THIS PROJECT TEAM WILL CREATE A NEW AND SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED PROGRAM WITH THE SAME NAME AS THE SUCCESSFUL CLIMATE RESILIENT FARMER TRAINING PROGRAM DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED IN 2022-2024 WITH FUNDING FROM CDFA'S BEGINNING FARMER AND FARMWORKER TRAINING PROGRAM. THIS PROJECT IS IN NO WAY A DUPLICATION OF THAT PROGRAM, WHICH WAS A 2-DAY WORKSHOP. THIS NEW FARMER TRAINING PROGRAM WILL USE EXISTING RESOURCES AND DEVELOP NEW, INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM.THIS PROJECT BUILDS ON A FOUNDATION OF EXISTING CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL PRODUCERS AND AGRICULTURAL SERVICE PROVIDERS TO UNDERSTAND AND MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO FURTHER THE GOALS OF INCREASING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BEGINNING FARM,ERS AND RANCHERS PARTICIPATING IN THE LOCAL AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM.NORTH COAST GROWERS' ASSOCIATION (NCGA) AND DEL NORTE AND TRIBAL LANDS COMMUNITY FOOD COUNCIL (DNATL) WILL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION IN HUMBOLDT AND DEL NORTE (UCCE) AND COLLEGE OF THE REDWOODS (CR) TO OFFER A SERIES OF 2, 15-MONTH COHORTS FOR THE CLIMATE RESILIENT FARMER TRAINING PROGRAM AND COMPREHENSIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMMING ACROSS HUMBOLDT AND DEL NORTE COUNTIES WITH THE GOAL TO EQUIP BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS WITH THE TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS PLANNING SKILLS NECESSARY TO OWN OR LEASE AND MANAGE A FARM OF THEIR DESIGN. NCGA, DNATL, CR AND UCCE WILL EXPAND UPON EXISTING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCESS TO LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO INCREASE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND IMPROVE ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF FARM AND RANCH BUSINESS ACROSS THIS UNIQUE AND GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED REGION IN FAR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.91.5% OF THE FEDERAL FUNDS REQUESTED WILL BE ALLOCATED TO NON GOVERNMENTAL AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. 7% WILL BE ALLOCATED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, COOPERATIVE EXTENSION AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES, AND 1.5% TO COLLEGE OF THE REDWOODS, A CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

TO HIRE AND TRAIN A NEW STAFF MEMBER TO ACT AS PROGRAM COORDINATOR TO PROVIDE TA, OUTREACH AND COORDINATION IN HUMBOLDT, DEL NORTE, TRINITY AND MENDOCINO COUNTIES.

THIS GRANT SUPPORTS THE COSTS INCURRED TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES TO RESPOND TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID-19), WHICH MAY INCLUDE WORKPLACE SAFETY, MARKET PIVOTS, RETROFITTING FACILITIES, TRANSPORTATION, WORKER HOUSING, AND MEDICAL EXPENSES. IT PROVIDES NEEDED RELIEF TO THE FOOD PROCESSORS, DISTRIBUTORS, FARMERS MARKETS, AND PRODUCERS FOR THEIR COSTS INCURRED BETWEEN JANUARY 27, 2020, THE DATE UPON WHICH THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE (HHS) UNDER SECTION 319 OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT, AND DECEMBER 31, 2021. BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE THE EMPLOYEES OF THE FOOD PROCESSORS, DISTRIBUTORS, FARMERS MARKETS, AND PRODUCERS.