Conversations

"2020 has been a wild ride. A national pandemic, a looming recession, a racial injustice reckoning, and now unprecedented wildfires sweeping through CCOF’s hometown of Santa Cruz, California and across Northern California.

But, despite it all, CCOF is stronger than ever before. We implemented successful emergency preparedness strategies, including securing our company and member data to ensure as little interruption in services as possible. Additionally, our skilled remote workforce ensures stability when staff and members experience geographic-specific natural disasters.

We are also adept at helping our members through rough times. When disaster strikes, we quickly implement fee waivers and extend deadlines for certified members. Once the immediate dangers have passed, our Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund is available to any organic producer in the nation facing any hardship. Since 2007, we have given

"2020 has been a wild ride. A national pandemic, a looming recession, a racial injustice reckoning, and now unprecedented wildfires sweeping through CCOF’s hometown of Santa Cruz, California and across Northern California.

But, despite it all, CCOF is stronger than ever before. We implemented successful emergency preparedness strategies, including securing our company and member data to ensure as little interruption in services as possible. Additionally, our skilled remote workforce ensures stability when staff and members experience geographic-specific natural disasters.

We are also adept at helping our members through rough times. When disaster strikes, we quickly implement fee waivers and extend deadlines for certified members. Once the immediate dangers have passed, our Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund is available to any organic producer in the nation facing any hardship. Since 2007, we have given away $210,000 to farmers in need.

Our incredible family of staff, inspectors, governance, and members continue gathering virtually to share experiences and resources. As you can imagine, hosting meetings via Zoom is not a farmer’s favorite pastime. Nonetheless, the CCOF Board of Directors members and CCOF chapter leaders still found ways to connect and spearhead record donations to our Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund because they wanted to help other producers in need.

Our programs and services are backed by our people-first work culture. CCOF offers generous leave policies, flexible schedules, and other assistance. Not only is it the right thing to do, but we also know that our staff need to be personally secure before they can best serve our members and our mission. Company policies aside, what really sets our culture apart is how we come together as a community with empathy and support.

Of course, we are not perfect. You may experience delays in service as our largest group of staff and home office in Santa Cruz County navigate evacuation orders and even loss of homes from the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. Like many of you, our staff are balancing childcare, remote school, and the many other impacts of COVID-19.

Moreover, we always want to do more to support organic producers in need, including farmworkers who are among the hardest hit in our agricultural community. We also have tough conversations ahead as CCOF continues our racial justice and equity learning journey.

But I am deeply grateful to continue improving our services and programs with you as we work together to advance organic agriculture for a healthy world. CCOF’s resilience is directly attributable to the courageous organic farmers, handlers, retailers, and restaurant owners who have poured their passion into our organization and our mission. Thank you for helping us continue developing resilience through a challenging but strength-building year.

Sincerely,

Kelly Damewood
CCOF CEO"

View newsletter online: https://mailchi.mp/ccof/resilience-2020?e=a2db0e6827

CCOF main site: https://ccof.org/

New piece published today! In the time of COVID-19, The Moment for Food Sovereignty is Now: From panic planting to cooperative gardens, farmers focused on equity and food justice know that ‘if you can feed yourself, you can free yourself.’

https://civileats.com/2020/04/02/the-moment-for-food-sovereignty-is-now/

Hi all,

Are you overwhelmed thinking about how to face a future of intensifying wildfires? Join our newest 7 week online course: “Farmers Build Fire Resilience, Feb 13-March 26 2020” to help you face a future of fires. Free to farmers and ranchers, though anyone interested may join as well. By the end of the course, you’ll have built your own Resilience Plan specific to your site that you can start applying right away.

Last Call - Sign up and Reserve your Space

Feel free to reach out with questions to fires@mesaprogram.org. We look forward to learning with you!

Topics Include: Land Management for Fire Preparedness & Mitigation Emergency Response Preparing Your Home, Farm Crew, Family & Livestock Community Preparedness & Organizing for Recovery Fires & Finances Health & Food Safety Understanding Fire Ecology

Katie Brimm and the Fires Resilience Team

With the current issues about fire, and air permits and insurance, we are going to have to move away from flame weeding.

Wondering if anyone has experience with steam as a weed top kill agent ? a couple weekly cycles and that should eventually starve the roots. Anyone have a system for hire, or maybe consider shared ownership or tool library. $17K for weeding 6x a year is steep..

Hi Folks,

Overwhelmed thinking about how to face a future of intensifying wildfires? Did October’s fires have you wondering if your farm, ranch and community know how to prepare, adapt or recover?

You’re not alone. With 65 years of combined experience working with farmers, MESA and CAFF/The Farmers Guild have worked hard to bring you an innovative, farmer-centered, holistic online course and network, “Farmers Build Fire Resilience, Feb 13-March 26 2020” to help farmers and ranchers face a future of fires.

By the end of the course, you’ll have built your own Resilience Plan that you can start applying right away. Free to farmers and ranchers in California.

Register Here and See Full Course Details Here

Feel free to reach out with questions to fires@mesaprogram.org. We look forward to learning with you!

Katie Brimm and the Fires Resilience Team

We ran it and tested it in my Sunol field yesterday. I would describe it as an autonomous universal tool carrying platform.

Demos in CA, AZ and hopefully NV. Ping me if you would like to host a demo or attend a demo(this week in Bay Area and one in watsonville)..it’s going to Bakersfield from there and Yuma for a bit before coming back to CA. I am helping to co ordinate northern Cali demos.

For now, we have a rotovator and sprayer. Looking for a seeder to rent for the demo. Bed width 80inches. Can’t pull high draft like ripper or subsoiler, but works with most PTO implements and those using three point hitch.

I can’t seem to attach the video I took yesterday. Will try again.

cant upload. But this is a YouTube link: https://youtu.be/oQb9qngmCoY

Penny Leff, Agritourism Coordinator of UC SAREP, announced two new guides: Guest Lodging on Your California Farm or Ranch , and The Big Event: Hosting a Festival on your California Farm .

Penny Leff, Agritourism Coordinator of UC SAREP, announced two new guides: Guest Lodging on Your California Farm or Ranch , and The Big Event: Hosting a Festival on your California Farm .

The Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) and the Farmers Guild is hosting a Small Farm Tech Expo December 8-9 in Forestville, where we’ll showcase technology, equipment, and tools useful for small to mid-scale farms through workshops and demonstrations.

We’re looking for farmers and ranchers, technical advisors, and industry folks familiar with solar, irrigation management tools and tech, and/or whole orchard recycling who are interested in hosting or participating in a one hour workshop on December 9. For industry representatives, we’re looking for someone who can speak to specific considerations around choosing and managing a system or technology for the farm without explicitly promoting a specific product. Growers and ranchers, we want to hear about what tools and tech you've used as well!

You can submit a workshop proposal through this link

If you’re interested in being part of the expo or have any questions, please reach out to emily@caff.org.