Farming in Our Food System

Every meal starts somewhere. For most of what we eat, that somewhere is a farm or a ranch. So who is keeping that land working on the Central Coast? Small and mid-size farmers and ranchers do, and many are squeezed by the cost of land and equipment. Many also lack an affordable way to reach market. SBCFAN connects producers with the land, tools, and partners they need to stay in business. Here is how that work is taking shape.

Catalyst Pre Development Funding Award – Community of Practice

A $190,000 California Jobs First grant funding a regional Food System Network Coordinator and industry cluster facilitators across the Central Coast.

Blue Economy, Local Economy, Workforce Development

Community of Practice Becomes Central Coast Food Commons

A regional collaborative connecting food system partners across the Central Coast; sharing resources, aligning priorities, and building lasting community-driven resilience for the region’s food system.

Environmental Impact, Food Security, Local Economy

Connecting Farmers to Funding

How SBCFAN’s state-level advocacy connected local farmers to federal funding for charitable feeding programs

Food Security, Local Economy

Designing A Self-Sustaining Meat Processing Hub

A USDA-inspected meat processing facility built in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Prisons — giving Central Coast ranchers an affordable path to market and creating job training opportunities along the way.

Food Security, Local Economy, Workforce Development

Food Justice Grants Awarded

A new fund, seeded by community partner Clevr Blends, puts resources directly into local food justice, food sovereignty, and agroecology projects.

Food Security, Land Access

Helping the Community of Practice to Select Priorities

With the guidance of SBCFAN and CAFPC, Central Coast stakeholders polled and ranked the region's top shared food system priorities, from farmland access to nutrition incentives to community kitchens.

Food Security, Land Access, Local Economy

Small Farmer, Rancher & Fisherfolk Forum

The first of its kind in California: a day of networking, learning, and resources for the Central Coast's small-scale farmers, ranchers, and fisherfolk, co-hosted with EconAlliance.

Blue Economy, Land Access, Local Economy
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