CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork is accepting applications through January 19, 2024, for those interested in serving on the inaugural Farm to Community Food Hubs Advisory Committee. The 10-member committee will advise CDFA’s secretary on education, outreach and technical assistance for the Farm to Community Food Hubs Program, which will provide planning and implementation grants to mission-driven food hubs throughout California.
CDFA is seeking applications for 10 primary members, with three members from Northern California, three members from Central California, three members from Southern California and one member who is a farmer or rancher from any region.
- Four members must be executives / managers of a food supply chain business, including a producer, processor or purchaser, headquartered in California.
- Four members must be executives / directors of a non-governmental organization or representative of an academic institution, including K-12 schools, with expertise in advancing food system improvements supportive of local food systems, equitable access to healthy food, labor in the food system, or climate-adaptive and climate-resilient food systems.
- One member must be a representative of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education Program.
- One member must be a farmer or rancher who qualifies as one or more of the following: socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited resource, veteran, disabled and/or operates a farm or ranch that is 500 acres or less.
To apply to serve on the Farm to Community Food Hubs Advisory Committee, please complete the Prospective Member Appointment Questionnaire located on the program webpage. Applications are due by January 19, 2024, for review and consideration. Click here to view a flyer with further details about serving on the committee.
Questions about the program? Please email cafoodhubs@cdfa.ca.gov.
Established as part of the 2020-21 state budget, CDFA’s Farm to Community Food Hubs Program will pilot investments in food aggregation and distribution infrastructure needed to increase purchasing of local, environmentally sustainable, climate smart and equitably produced food by schools and other institutions; build a better food system economy; support the local farming economy; accelerate climate adaptation and resilience; and employ food system workers with fair wages and working conditions. The program provides $15 million in one-time funds to administer a grant program that creates or expands community-serving food hubs throughout the state.
Click here to view this original CDFA news release.