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Small farmers and food‑hub pilots say local procurement can reduce hunger and stabilize rural economies but need long-term funding and land access
Summary
Farmers, food-hub operators and technical‑assistance providers described pilot projects that sell directly to food banks, schools and institutions; they urged state support for aggregation, land access and longer-term federal or state funding to scale the models.
California farmers and food-hub operators told the Assembly committees that regional procurement pilots and partnerships with food banks and institutions demonstrate both immediate food-access benefits and business opportunities for small and medium farms — but speakers said long-term funding and land‑access policies are needed to sustain and scale the efforts.
Veronica Masaryagos Anastacio, a Central Coast organic grower and co‑founder of a farmer‑led food hub, described a pilot that aggregated produce and sold directly to Bay Area food banks. "Our farms are well equipped to grow food for the diverse communities represented in our state because we are also part of those communities,"…
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