Beginning farmers need land, capital, and knowledge; but access to land is often the most daunting challenge. With FarmLink’s help, in 2019 Kristen Draz and her partner Will Holland established a 10-acre lease with the American River Conservancy in El Dorado County. “I couldn't rent a shared room in Sonoma for what I was able to pay to have an opportunity to start a farm,” reported Will at the time.
Not only was their lease affordable, it is a five-year, evergreen lease that automatically extends unless one party objects. Seven years later, this stability enabled Kristen and Will to realize their dreams of running a small farm business. The lease is a fundamental business asset. “To be able to plan our future for five years or ten years… We never had that [before] and it allows us to think bigger,“ Kristen said.
Kristen and Will also access FarmLink loans that are guaranteed in partnership with BriarPatch Co-op, which has grocery stores in Grass Valley and Auburn. BriarPatch’s loan guarantee enables their farmer-vendors to apply for 3.5% loans with fees paid by the co-op. Over the past five years, FogDog Farm has received four loans totaling more than $100,000 to manage seasonal cashflow.
“For us to be able to plan our future for five years, ten years… We never had that [before] and it allows us to think bigger.”
In addition to accessing land tenure and affordable financing, Kristen and Will have taken two FarmLink courses: The Resilerator, focused on business resilience, and the Employment Resilerator, helping them to establish best practices as employers and create an excellent workplace for their employees.
