Our Programs

Every land tenure arrangement is unique, and we work as multipartial advocates aiming to address the needs and expectations of all parties. Built over two decades, our library of land tenure agreements and specialized lease clauses supports agricultural land leases, grazing contracts, sale of a business, use and maintenance of irrigation/infrastructure, and more. Our equity-focused approach can help landholders and farmers achieve secure land tenure. Increasingly, we provide services that support farmers to access land in small groups, often in collaboration with other nonprofits.

The 10-week Resilerator course - called El Resilerador in Spanish - offers a comprehensive business curriculum for people with at least two years’ experience as business owners. The courses are offered in distinct English- and Spanish-language cohorts and learning environments. Past graduates often serve as guest instructors to enhance peer-to-peer learning.

This course is a 10-week advanced course covering all aspects of how to be a great employer, improve the workplace environment, and create high-quality jobs. The course teaches about creating healthy and respectful work environments, reducing employment-related stress, California farm labor law, and decreasing absenteeism and turnover.

Equitable access to affordable financing is strengthened by developing and maintaining sound business practices. Paso a Paso provides access to educational materials and one-on-one and group support for foundational business skills like record-keeping, cash flow projections, and bookkeeping. This work involves cross-team collaboration guided by a client journey to ensure a consistent standard of care and support for our clients.

B&I organizes our innovation task forces to evaluate special project opportunities and their strategic impacts. One initiative underway in 2024 is piloting the use of solar-powered coolers on farms, enabling small-scale farmers to have more efficient and flexible options for managing perishable products. Other innovations include the Paso a Paso business skills program for Spanish-speaking clients and expanding access to FarmLink loans to finance conservation, clean engines, and climate-smart practices.

Natural resource-based farming and fishing businesses are different from other types of small businesses. During COVID-19, and now during California’s fire and flood disasters, the B&I team supports clients’ access to private, state, and federal resources to support their businesses. The process starts with evaluating clients’ circumstances and options. On a limited basis, we can help submit applications and other actions to support equitable access to various programs and resources.

To learn how you can support disaster relief for farmers and fishers, email us.