In this episode, Martin Guerana, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA – the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service – talks with Brett Melone, the Director of Lending with California FarmLink.

California FarmLink, which began in 1999, helps beginning, limited-resource, immigrant, and other underserved farmers who are trying to get access to land or financing. It is particularly focused on the Central Coast, Central Valley, and North Coast regions of California.

Martin, who works out of the NCAT Western Regional Office in Davis, California, spoke with Brett during the Ecological Farming Association's recent EcoFarm Conference in Pacific Grove, California.

Brett gives advice for farmers who might be in a position to come to California Farm Link for assistance and how they should prepare to begin a search for land access. He also talks about organizations that can help, both in California and around the country.

Let's listen.

For more information on this topic, you can contact Martin Guerana directly at [email protected]

Resources Mentioned in the Podcast:

California Farm link

Farmland Information Center

Land for Good

Young Farmer Coalition Finding Farmland Calculator

Some Related ATTRA Resources:

Financing Your Farm: Guidance for Beginning Farmers

Sustainable Farming Internships and Apprenticeships

Beginning Farmer Tutorials

Financing a Farmland Purchase

Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.

You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website.

You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.

Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages!

Southwest Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Western Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook

Gulf States Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Southeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Northeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook