F3 Local

08/28/2026

📢 Public Listening Sessions: Regional Farmer Equipment Pilot Program
wants to hear from you to scope the Climate Bond-funded Regional Farmer Equipment Pilot Program.
At each listening sessions participants will review and provide feedback on a draft program outline including but not limited to:
💰 Grant size
🚜 Eligible expenses
📋 Application scoring criteria
Following these sessions, OARS will develop the first draft of the program guidelines for a 60‑day written public comment period. Applications are anticipated to open in Spring 2027.
💻 Choose a virtual session:
📅 September 2 | 8:00 AM–10:00 AM
📅 September 2 | 1:00 PM–3:00 PM
📅 September 4 | 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
📅 September 8 | 5:00 PM–7:00 PM
🌱 Learn more and register through the 🔗 in our bio:
https://ccof.org/events/

08/24/2026

08/14/2026

Whether you're a shared kitchen operator, food incubator leaders, industry service provider, or an ecosystem and community partner, The Food Corridor's 2026 Shared Kitchen Summit in Rhode Island, October 12th-14th, is the place to be!

Our Food Team, Yonatan Weinberg and Valentino Zubia, will be representing the Central Valley, discussing supporting shared kitchens in small cities and rural areas.

Learn more about the event through their website: https://www.sharedkitchensummit.com/

08/05/2026

Are you interested in training small farmers on how to use agricultural technologies and equipment more effectively?

🚜 Join the F3 Local team at UC ANR as an Agricultural Technician!

👩🏽‍🌾 Promote a culture of safety and communication as you empower farmers to optimize their operations.

First review date: August 14th.

Apply today!
https://link.ucanr.edu/agriculturetechnician

08/04/2026

Are you a small- to mid-size 🍽️ food or 🚜 farm business?
Do you need help with your business 💵 finances or ⚙️ operations?

🚀 Join UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), SW Regional Food Business Center (SW RFBC) and F3 Local for the Business Launchpad, Growing Resilient Roots For Food, Farm and Ranch Businesses.

📥Applications open July, 15, 2026- September 1, 2026.

🔎 The course will cover
•Business Planning
•Financial Literacy
•Regulatory Compliance
•Marketing and Branding

💻🤝Participation will be hybrid with
•Virtual Courses
•1:1 Coaching
•Regional Networking Events for Professional Growth

📈Be empowered with the tools necessary to maintain a viable and competitive business.

💪 Join us in building a stronger local food system! Sign up through the link: https://wkf.ms/3R37Oog

07/31/2026

How can we feed a growing human population with finite resources?

How about intercropping!

Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more different crops close together in the same field at the same time.

This approach maximizes land use efficiency and adds biodiversity to the farm. When you pair the right crops, they complement each other and benefit both the farm and the environment.

The first picture above is a research site where rainfed winter oats are grown in the alley of a young almond orchard.

🌱The oats protect topsoil from erosion, conserve soil structure, improve water infiltration, and retain essential nutrients that are susceptible to winter leaching.

🌾In the spring, the oats are harvested for forage feed, providing additional income to offset their cost.

07/24/2026

The 18th Annual Organic Stone Fruit Jubilee & Small Farm Expo brought hundreds of visitors to Kingsburg Historical Park to celebrate the Central Valley’s organic stone fruit growers and the bounty of the summer harvest.

A special thank you to all of the farmers, food vendors, volunteers, and community partners who made this year’s event a success. We also want to thank our interviewees, Bryce Loewen of Blossom Bluff Orchards and Hansel Kern of Kern Family Farm, for sharing their passion for farming and the importance of supporting organic growers.

Thanks in part to the marketing support of F3 Local, this year’s event welcomed double the attendance of last year, helping introduce even more people to the importance of supporting local, organic agriculture.

Stay tuned for details about next year’s event, and learn more at FruitJubilee.com.

https://vimeo.com/1210946026?fl=pl&fe=sh

EcoFarm | Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) | Gnarly Carrot and Kern Family Farm | D.E. Boldt Family Farm | MOA - Mokichi Okada Association - Fresno | Olson Family Farms | Valliwide Organic Farms

The 18th Annual Organic Stone Fruit Jubilee & Small Farm Expo brought hundreds of visitors to Kingsburg Historical Park to celebrate the Central Valley’s organic stone fruit growers and the bounty of the summer harvest. Families enjoyed fresh fruit tastings, local food vendors, educational present...

07/16/2026

Gaëlle Chanlot is a Project Scientist with the UC Agriculture & Natural Resources (UC ANR). She has more than 15 years of experience in food and sensory science, following a PhD in Food Sensory Science from AgroParisTech and previous work in industry, market research, and at UC Davis.

Her research examines how handling, processing, and storage affect flavor, texture, aroma, and consumer perception. At UC ANR, she works with teams supporting small farmers and food businesses in California’s Central Valley to strengthen local markets for specialty crops.

Her applied research includes jujube, a crop with growing regional production but limited consumer awareness. Through sensory and consumer studies, she evaluates product perception, awareness, and purchase intent to support market development.

Watch more from the UC Postharvest Research and Extension Center here:

Meet Dr. Gaëlle Chanlot, Project Scientist with the University of C...

07/10/2026

At the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, F3 Innovate sat down with members of the F3 Local (Local Farms & Food Innovation) team: Santanu Thapa, Research–Industry Liaison Coordinator; Amber Butland, Lending Library Coordinator; and Manpreet Singh Sandhu, Technology and Innovation Small Farms Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension.

Read more on our LinkedIn about what was shared on available resources for farmers:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tulare-california-resources-ugcPost-7480670457906556928-3gcm/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAd5MhIBffi0WpmgqfC3BTppKwcsDsZzMek

07/08/2026

🧑‍🌾 Are you a farmer or food business interested in improved distribution, processing, or storage for your products?

📍Are there markets you'd like to access but can't without enhanced infrastructure or services?

🛒 Are you a food hub or distributor eager to reach new customers or improve access to fresh fruit and vegetables for your local community?

If this sounds like you, please scan the QR code or follow the 🔗 below to take this brief 8-minute survey. Also available in Spanish.

We've collaborated with of Change to map existing food supply chain infrastructure and identify gaps, resources, and needs for small- to mid-scale and .
This survey addresses:

🚜 Farms and food businesses interested in improved distribution, processing, or storage.
📈 Market access barriers due to lack of services or updated infrastructure

⚙️ Food hubs and distributor access to new markets and fresh produce for the community.

Anonymous data will inform an ongoing food infrastructure study to improve market access, local food availability, and supply chain resilience within the Central San Joaquin Valley.

For more information, reach out to Susan Ellsworth at [email protected]

English: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0w2HDYbzg4WXhVPDZMfW1U8Kgn4VUcCJ_BkT5r_w9M6dvsg/viewform

Spanish:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfoZ-2v9nQ1f0FoIFucRUWHbIjZQ4RBd65Tcb-6JzuV4DbVCA/viewform"