California Farmlink

“California farmlink contracts with jonathan harrison to perform the duties of chief financial officer at approximately 10 hours per week.”

“The process to prepare and review form 990: in september of 2025, california farmlink conducted an internal review of 2024's form 990. Reviewers included the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, controller, and the compliance manager. Then, a draft copy was distributed to the board of directors for their review prior to filing.”

“The process to monitor conflict of interest: california farmlink's board of directors and staff are subject to legal requirements as outlined in farmlink's conflict of interest policy. Board and staff are to promptly disclose any affiliations or other matters that may constitute a conflict of interest. These parties are subject to appropriate disciplinary and/or corrective actions for failure to disclose actual or possible conflicts of interest.”

“The process for determining the ceo's compensation: a compensation analysis was prepared by our human resources generalist, utilizing contemporaneous salary surveys and data from similar not for profit organizations, reviewed by an independent human resource professional, and submitted to the board of directors for review and approval. Deliberations are documented in california farmlink's board minutes.”

“Availability of governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements: these documents are available upon request. Audited financials are posted on our website.”

“California farmlink (farmlink), a california nonprofit public benefit corporation, was formed in 1999. As a community development financial institution, its mission is to invest in the prosperity and well-being of farmers, ranchers, and fishers who have limited access to financial resources. Farmlink's programs promote just and resilient economies and natural resource conservation. Farmlink offers fair financing, business education, and support for owning or managing agricultural land. Farmlink works throughout california, with particular focus on the central coast and in the sacramento and san joaquin valleys, and the north bay region of california. Farmlink's work is accomplished through a lending program and land and business program.”

“Farmlink's business and innovation program houses new and emerging programs. Solarfresco is a new program to help small-scale farmers and farmers of color to lead the transition to climate-smart cooling. The solarfresco program helps low-income farmers acquire low, or no-cost solar-powered coolers to build wealth, profitability, and sustainability, while lowering their carbon footprint. These investments strengthen food systems by helping farmers reduce food waste and reliance on conventional power, build equity in real assets, and sell in more profitable and sustainable markets. Business skills development: in 2024, farmlink established the business skills development program to facilitate one-on-one technical assistance for loan readiness and ongoing compliance with loan conditions, including education on small business tax preparation and bookkeeping assistance.”

“Lending program. The lending program provides flexibly structured financing to underserved, low-income, beginning farmers, ranchers and fishers across california for operating, equipment, infrastructure, and land purchase loans. This program began in 2005 when farmlink identified a lack of access to financing as one of the top obstacles faced by small-scale and low-income farmers. Through partnerships with lenders, farmlink initially developed a farm loan fund to provide financing to underserved growers. During the first five years of the program, farmlink raised lending capital and lent it to partnering lending institutions who acted as the lender of record to make loans to small farmers. Farmlink obtained its lending license from the california department of corporations at the end of 2010 and secured guaranteed lender status from the united states department of agriculture (usda) farm service agency (fsa) in 2011. In 2013, farmlink received certification from the u.s. Department of the treasury as a community development financial institution (cdfi). A cdfi is a specialized financial institution that works in markets that are underserved by traditional financial institutions. With this certification, farmlink is eligible to access financial and technical assistance awards from the u.s. Department of treasury's cdfi fund. To maintain good standing under this program, farmlink is required to make at least 60% of its annual loan originations and dollar volume to an eligible "target market" of business borrowers. In 2013, farmlink identified low-income and latine business borrowers as its target market. Farmlink's lending program serves borrowers who would otherwise have a difficult time securing financing due to limited history as entrepreneurs, limited traditional collateral, little or no credit history, small loan size, language barriers, or non-traditional marketing and business models. Farmlink also directs farmers to other appropriate sources of financing suited to the scale and type of the business. In 2024, farmlink originated 40 loans ($13,388,874 in total volume) with an average size of $334,721. In 2023, farmlink originated 65 loans ($10,185,000 in total volume) with an average size of $156,984. In 2024, 80% of loan originations served its target market, comprising 82% of annual loan volume deployed. In 2023, 86% of loan originations served its target market, comprising 82% of total loan volume. Farmlink also focuses on generating pathways to ownership and helping farmers, ranchers and fishers plan for lower-interest land loans and other means to establish secure long-term land tenure. With secure land tenure, farmers can build financial equity by investing in improvements to soil health, farm infrastructure and on-farm housing. Of the $7.76 million farmlink deployed in 12 land loans to businesses in 2024, 77% supported land financing loans for low-income farm businesses, and/or farm businesses owners of color. In 2021, farmlink was approved by the california ocean protection council to manage the "california fisheries fund." as of december 31, 2024, farmlink was servicing an outstanding portfolio of 23 loans and $2,868,746 through the program. Farmlink prioritizes loans to beginning, low-income and disadvantaged small-scale fishers. Fishers from the coastal communities on the monterey bay and southern california ports are diverse in ethnicity (latino, sicilian, vietnamese), and many come from multi-generational fishing families. Similar to small-scale agriculture, the average age of fishers is 55-60, there are considerable barriers to starting a business, a complex regulatory environment, and a challenge to retain these businesses for the next generation. In 2024, farmlink deployed $944,093 through 7 loans, and in 2023 it deployed $523,000 through 6 loans to small scale fishers.”

“Land and business (lab) programs. There are three related land and business programs: equity and conservation on working lands (ecwl), resilience and wealth building (rwb), and business and innovation (b&i). In 2024, farmlink staff provided direct, individualized technical assistance to 313 farmers and ranchers across these programs. Throughout its programming, farmlink employs the "client journey," a client-centric service philosophy to harness the organizational pillars of land, capital and education toward the overall goal of business stability, operational advancement, and overall risk management of the organization's growing outstanding loan portfolio. Equity and conservation on working lands: land access: farmlink increases opportunities for california's small-scale and beginning farmers to obtain secure, affordable, long-term access to farmland through lease or purchase. Farmlink applies proven strategies to help landholders work with beginning and small-scale farmers, including ways to identify a qualified tenant, how to assess a property, and best practices for developing an equitable lease agreement. Farmlink's land portal offers a bilingual online community to connect qualified businesses with land available for lease or sale, and staff facilitate the development and negotiation of strong and equitable lease agreements, and support farmers with financing and negotiating land purchases. Since 2011, farmlink staff have developed 592 successful leases or purchases tailored to the needs of landholders and growers. Conservation: farmlink increases opportunities for california's small-scale and beginning farmers to participate in programs designed to help them adopt practices that protect and improve natural resources, soil health, water quality and biodiversity. Important aspects of the work include deepening partnerships with land trusts, resource conservation districts (rcds) and other conservation organizations, and originating loans designed to support regenerative farming practices. As of december 31, 2024, farmlink produced a conservation bridge loan partner guide, and collaborated with rcds in core lending counties (monterey and santa cruz) to support 10 farm businesses in accessing state and federal conservation incentives. Succession: the california department of conservation estimates that close to 50,000 acres of california's agricultural land is taken out of production each year, most of it converted to urban, highly developed, and low-density residential uses. Most agricultural land leaves agriculture in the years immediately following the death of the primary operator, often because the family has not made a plan to ensure the land will remain in the family or in agriculture. "the regenerator: a year of farm succession planning," is designed to support farm families in planning to ensure that their lands can remain in their family and can remain in productive agriculture. Participants convene monthly to learn from professionals, compare notes with their peers, and work step-by-step to plan for their estate's future, and the health and continuity of their working farms and ranches. Each family receives substantial mediation and facilitation support from the california agricultural mediation program, and $1,800 to be used for legal and accounting fees. At the end of the program, each member of the senior generation is expected to have a current will, trust, power of attorney, and advanced medical directive, and each family has a detailed plan for transitioning knowledge, access and authority in daily operations. In 2024, farmlink supported 6 farm families with succession planning, protecting 1,344 acres of farmland. Resilience and wealth building: farmlink's education programs assist farmers, ranchers and fishers in understanding the legal and financial structure of their businesses and help them establish practices that will ensure the farm, ranch or fishing business is resilient to financial and legal risks”

“In developing a growing ecosystem of business support to serve agriculture and fisheries across the state, farmlink convened two cohorts of 39 service providers and professionals in 2024 to learn how to best support farming and fishing entrepreneurs across business management topics. Participants learn how to address common questions and what questions to ask in order to dig deeper into a client's unique situation. This series addressed business structures, accounting and bookkeeping, taxation, cash flow management, labor and insurance, and environmental regulation. For a detailed discussion of farmlink's business model, please see the publication "what is an agricultural cdfi?" on farmlink's website.”

“Professional fees: program service expenses 1,015,525. Management and general expenses 78,735. Fundraising expenses 60,874. Total expenses 1,155,134.”

“Responsibility for oversight of audit and selection of independent accountants: california farmlink's audit committee was established as an advisory committee of the board of directors, and is responsible for oversight of the audit and auditor selection process.”