Despite high-value crops and proximity to major BAY area food markets, agriculture has been in decline in SAN mateo county (SMC), california, for decades

Local producers, most of whom run small operations, face a host of challenges: transportation and distribution barriers due to coastal locations, ineffectively tapping into local markets, and lack of nearby processing facilities. Through recent collaborative efforts, local producers identified the need for a food hub to revitalize the SAN mateo county farming and ranching industries. This planning project will continue the community-designed development of a food hub to improve the viability of local farming operations by expanding markets and improving processing, aggregation, distribution opportunities.objectives include: 1) assess the needs of local small farms and ranches and 2) design a business plan for a food hub that will provide services and opportunities to improve the viability of local farms and ranches. The main project outcome will be a published business plan that has been driven and informed by the community at each stage of development. Project beneficiaries are SMC farmers and ranchers. This planning process will focus on historically underserved producers, including new beginning farmers and those from underrepresented communities, including female, and bipoc producers. The SAN mateo resource conservation district will lead the project. Brisa ranch, and local nonprofits tomkat ranch educational foundation, and kitchen table advisors will receive subawards to collaborate on project activities.