About us
California FarmLink’s mission is to invest in the prosperity of farmers, fishers, and ranchers through lending, education, and access to land.
Our Story
Established in 1999, California FarmLink 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.
We envision a healthy food system where farmers and ranchers have equitable opportunities to build wealth and conserve natural resources. We value equitable access to opportunity, resilient working landscapes, fairness and accountability, and learning from diverse farmers and ranchers.
Our team works across California with a focus on serving farmers of color, beginning and sustainable farmers, and family-scale fishers. We partner with educational programs, business advisors, impact investors, public agencies and other nonprofits, weaving an ecosystem of support for the businesses we serve. The work to grow, harvest and catch our food carries unique risks. Our work cannot de-risk food production, but we can help strengthen business resilience with a consistent focus on three core principles: wealth building, business resilience, and equity and conservation on working lands.
$7.94M
Originated in loans
Total amount deployed in 126 loans
63.5%
Low-income borrowers
Percentage of loans provided to low-income people
50
Counties served
Among a total of 58 California counties
Impact Highlights from 2021
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Core Principles
We maintain a variety of programs and services to meet the unique needs of farmers, ranchers and fishers, and every element of our work supports the following core principles:
Wealth Building
We help business owners who produce food to focus on their balance sheet in order to build financial stability, save for retirement or education costs, and pass wealth to future generations.
Business Resilience
Our work integrates access to land and capital and business education, enabling our clients to make informed decisions to manage myriad risks inherent in farming, ranching, and fisheries businesses.
Equity & Conservation on Working Lands
We provide loans, education, and one-on-one assistance to help people with creating secure land tenure, adopting conservation practices, and accessing land.
Our Values
We value equitable access to opportunity, resilient working landscapes, fairness and accountability, and learning from diverse farmers and ranchers.
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Staff & Advisors
California FarmLink’s mission is to invest in the prosperity of farmers, fishers, and ranchers through lending, education, and access to land.
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