Last month in the roadside barn, we co-hosted a workshop and mixer with California Farmlink entitled: Access to Land, Access to Capital. The event was co-sponsored by San Mateo County Farm Bureau; Peninsula Open Space Trust; Small Business Development Center; Natural Resources Conservation Service; San Mateo County Resource Conservation District; and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

One of the attendees, Chris Larson, from New Harvest Capital Partners, LLC, had this to say about the day:

“I walked into the event after ten years away from the Coastside, expecting to see a lot of enthusiastic young people who wanted access to farmland…something that was so expensive, I had left in 1999. Sure, they were there, but I was pleasantly surprised to see many of the Coastside’s family farmers, ready to learn more, and see if matches could be made with some of the younger crowd. It was a striking, live example of the power of bringing people together, informing them about new possibilities, and using a great setting to inspire connections to bring California agriculture into the next century.”

Attendees at the Access to Land/Access to Capital workshop at Pie Ranch

For many, the event brought into focus the importance of getting one’s financial house in order, and planning for the commitment of landownership and, with it, debt. People aren’t drawn to agriculture because of the paperwork, but successful farmers are those who understand cost of production and can master their cash flow. Hearing this truth from lenders is pretty powerful medicine!

It was particularly inspiring to have the workshop at the Pie Ranch, which represents a great new model for access to farmland–both for the principals involved, but also extending that spirit to the hundreds of school  kids that come through there annually. At a time when many more people are farming on Facebook than in the dirt, new models are critical, especially when they bridge the urban-rural divide, and get our kids outdoors.

Overall, the event was a large serving inspiration, know-how and connections. The astute participant got so many leads in this half-day that they are probably still sorting out what might help them achieve the dream of farm ownership or access to a good piece of ground near their community. It was the balance between inspiration and wisdom, between conventional finance and new models, that made this day so rewarding.