Northern California Regional Land Trust (NCRLT)
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
The U.S. agricultural population is poised to make a dramatic change - half of all current farmers are likely to retire in the next decade. According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, the average age of farm operators was 57 years. Farmers over the age 55 own more than half the farmland in the U.S. But the number of new farmers and ranchers over the age of 35 is increasing, as does the number of smaller farms and ranches nationwide. A similar trend is evident for tree farmers nationwide. To address the needs of this changing generation, Section 7410 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub .L. No. 110-234) amended Section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 and made available in FY 2009, $17.2 million to fund a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). According to these legislations, a beginning farm is considered to be one that is operated by one or more operators who have 10 years or less of experience operating a farm or ranch. In 2007, approximately 21 percent of family farms met that definition.
Currently, there are few resources available to beginning farmers and ranchers in the area of local marketing and outreach. The University of California Cooperative Extension’s Butte County office provides technical assistance in agricultural best practices, and these are focused mostly on the production-side of food, including on-farm techniques and research projects. Similarly, the county Agricultural Commissioner’s offices are focused primarily on agricultural product safety and standards and implementation of Federal, State and local regulatory programs.
According to the 2007 USDA Agricultural Census, there are more than 3,800 farms in Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties combined, with annual sales of less than $100,000 each,yet only eight (8) local farms of any size were represented on CAFF’s Buy Fresh Buy Local website (http://caff.org/programs/local-food-systems/). With more than 2,500 unique visitors per month as of March 2009 (and growing), the Buy Fresh Buy Local website represents a free, innovative and still underutilized marketing resource for farmers and other business selling locally grown food. While we do not yet know how many of the 3,800 farms are run by beginning farmers or ranchers, we do know that hundreds of them are without the marketing, business development, financial management and whole farm planning skills necessary to be successful long term.
Additionally, our region is home to a substantial Hmong population (an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Burma), concentrated mostly in the cities of Chico and Oroville in Butte County, as well as in Glenn County. Many are monolingual native speakers. The Hmong people are traditionally farmers, and some in the community already have a presence at the regular Chico and Oroville farmers markets. Many others, however, are currently not able to practice commercial or even subsistence farming due to a lack of access to farmland, and those with disabilities are further disenfranchised.
The needs of Beginning Farmers and Ranchers are not only best practices and techniques for food production but the marketing outreach and assistance to sell their products locally, as well as access to land and innovative financial management in these new economic times. In response, NCRLT’s Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Program is facilitating six (6) workshops this winter and spring ranging in topics which will be lead by the region's experts including Northern California Farm Credit, Agricultural Commissioner's offices and UC Coopertive Extention offices, and begin developing an innovative program designed to match BFRs with potentially available agricultural lands.
This project is supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant # 2010-49400-21757.
Buy Fresh Buy Local - North Valley Program
Interested farmers, distributors, processors, restaurants, retailers, institutions, and community members are encouraged to become BFBL-North Valley members by filling out the application below. All paid members receive access to BFBL-North Valley graphics, an expanded listing in the annual Local Food Guide, and a 1-year CAFF membership, as well as invitations to periodic networking events and marketing workshops. <<< Download Application Packet Here >>>  For more information contact: Noelle Ferdon, BFBL North Valley noelle@landconservation.org or call (530) 894-7738. What is the Buy Fresh Buy Local program?
The Northern California Regional Land Trust has partnered with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) to bring you a Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley agricultural marketing program for agricultural products in the North Valley. The Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo and program tells the story of our extraordinary agricultural region and products in a way that consumers can easily recognize – through a logo that can be used by farmers, stores and restaurants to identify the products from Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties. How does the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley program work? 1. The Northern California Regional Land Trust has worked with CAFF to create the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo, member seal and field sign.
2. Interested farmers, distributors, processors, restaurants, retailers, institutions, and community members sign up to participate in the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley program. All paid members receive initial marketing materials and a CD that contains the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo, as well as other images and information about the program. Members can order labels, price stickers, banners, bumper sticker and other promotional materials with the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo. 3. The Northern California Regional Land Trust, local agricultural producers groups and CAFF work with local governments, chambers of commerce, local business and the press to promote Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley in our communities and throughout Butte, Glenna and Tehama counties. Paid members will be featured in Buy Fresh Buy Local promotional events and a local food guide. 4. The Northern California Regional Land Trust, local agricultural producer groups and CAFF work with retailers, farmers’ market associations and restaurants to use the Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo on their grocery shelves, menus and in their advertising to identify the origin of the North Valley agricultural products they sell. Studies show that when consumers are given information about the origin of agricultural products, they will choose to buy local product 75% of the time. The Buy Fresh Buy Local North Valley logo provides consumers with a way to make the connection between the food they purchase and the reputation for fresh, high quality, local food that North Valley farmers have been building for generations. To learn how your farm, restaurant or store can become a Buy Fresh Buy Local partner, contact us at noelle@landconservation.org. Eater's Guide to Local Food Published
.jpg) The Guides are available throughout the year at member businesses inlcluding Chico Natural Foods and Zucchini & Vine in Chico, Discover Earth in Red Bluff and Sav-Mor in Orland. You can also pick up a Guide at the Land Trust office located at 167 E. 3rd Avenue in Chico, at all county Farm Bureau offices, and farmer members will have copies available at the farmers' markets.
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