SACRAMENTO — Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), a nonprofit organization that serves small- and mid-scale farmers in California, issued the following statement from Executive Director Paul Towers in response to Governor Newsom’s 2020-2021 budget proposal:
“CAFF applauds Governor Newsom’s investments in the state’s family farmers as well as their communities. The Governor’s proposal reflects bold investments in farm-based solutions to climate change. It will create new economic opportunities for family farmers and deliver more healthy food to all California schoolchildren.
“The Governor’s proposed investments in the state’s school nutrition programs and farm-to-school efforts, including funding for the Office of Farm to Fork, grants for schools and an interagency working group, are a critical first step in ensuring all California kids have access to nutritious, sustainable and locally-grown California food. We look forward to working with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Secretary Karen Ross to flesh out the details of this exciting initiative.
“CAFF also applauds the Governor’s recommitment to building healthy soils and promoting sustainable pest management. We are encouraged by continued funding of the Healthy Soils Program, one of the state’s landmark programs to encourage climate smart farming, and to accelerate the transition to sustainable pest management solutions. We will work with the Governor and the Legislature to ensure continued support for successful programs to improve irrigation efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy waste and see promise in the proposed Climate Catalyst Fund, a green revolving loan fund, to help producers meet some of these challenges.
“Finally, we are pleased to see reinvestments in the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, an important on-the-ground partner and technical assistance provider for small and historically underserved farmers.”
–Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF)
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