CALIFORNIA - Farm Credit, the largest provider of credit to U.S. agriculture, is also committed to the sustainability and long-term viability of agriculture and rural communities and strongly supports non-profits and other organizations working to preserve and protect California agriculture.

That’s why in 2024, the seven Farm Credit associations operating in California—AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, Fresno Madera Farm Credit, Golden State Farm Credit, and Yosemite Farm Credit—joined together to contribute just over $1 million to nearly 80 organizations around the state.

The funding focuses on four main areas—raising awareness of agriculture, preservation of agriculture, education and research, and support for young, beginning and small farmers.

Nearly half the funding—$480,000—was directed at raising awareness of the importance of agriculture in the Golden State, said Jacob DeBoer, Senior Regional Marketing Manager at American AgCredit.

“Too many policymakers and the public at large don’t really understand the importance of agriculture in California,” DeBoer said. “Reminding them that our state leads the nation in farming and ranching is vitally important, both because of the economic impact and the simple fact that California feeds the nation and the world. Protecting and preserving our industry is essential, and Farm Credit is proud to help promote that message.”

One organization receiving funding was Dairy Cares, a statewide coalition working to ensure the long-term sustainability of the state’s dairy farms. Every other year, Dairy Cares hosts the California Dairy Sustainability Summit, which educates policymakers and promotes efforts the industry is undertaking to meet California’s climate change goals. This is critical as dairy is a $20 billion-a-year industry in California including more than 1,100 family farms along with dairy cooperatives, processors, and other businesses. For more information about the summit click here.

Education is also a top Farm Credit priority. The Associations collectively contributed $234,000 to provide the latest information to the industry. A new program funded in part by Farm Credit is the AgHiRE program operated by the Center for Land-Based Learning, which is crafted to provide Spanish-speaking farmworkers with language skills, digital literacy and leadership training that will allow top-performing farmworkers to advance into roles with more responsibility within their organizations.

Kevin Ralph, California State President for AgWest Farm Credit, said programs like AgHiRE will help ensure skilled agricultural employees will remain in the industry while providing them with opportunities to advance.

“Numerous employers would like to advance skilled employees who don’t speak English and AgHiRE will benefit many talented workers who know their jobs but can’t advance because of language and other gaps,” Ralph said. “These educational programs will help ensure our farmers and ranchers continue to lead the nation in agricultural production.”

Another priority is encouraging and educating young people and small and beginning farmers. That priority received $165,000 in 2024 from Farm Credit. One of the most successful programs to encourage young Californians to pursue careers in ag-related occupations is FFA.

“FFA provides educational opportunities in agricultural business, agricultural mechanics, agriscience, animal science, forestry and natural resources, ornamental horticulture, and plant and soil science,” Ralph said. “Like Farm Credit, FFA recognizes that the needs of California agriculture are always evolving, and we’re pleased to be able to help make these opportunities available to so many young people.”

FFA membership grew to over 103,000 statewide last year, and a record 7,4165 middle- and high school students attended the annual FFA Leadership Conference.

The fourth priority, helping preserve farming and ranching, received $155,000. One recipient was Cultivate California, which works to educate Californians about the vital link between farms and ranches and their water supply—and how the ag community is working hard to grow even more food and fiber while using less water.

One of its successful programs is the ongoing Water Challenge Exhibit at Sacramento’s Museum of Science and Curiosity, which features three interactive displays that illustrate how farmers are working to use less water. But besides making science fun, Cultivate California and its nonprofit parent the California Farm Water Coalition, invest heavily on social media channels to entice viewers with imagery and food facts while providing information about the importance of water to ensuring California agriculture remains secure.

The program reached about 10 million people in 2023 and in 2024 expanded to social media platforms that cater to younger audiences.

“The MOSAC exhibit does such a great job of educating California consumers on how vital water is in growing the food that feeds our families, and how farmers are always aiming to optimize their water usage to ensure they’re being good stewards of our land,” DeBoer said. “Farm Credit’s support helps ensure this messaging reaches the broadest possible audience.”