Alba

ALBA provides a variety of services and resources that aim to increase the success of small-scale minority farmers. Historically they have had difficulty prospering because of language and cultural barriers, lack of resources, institutional exclusion and a historical lack of government support and engagement. ALBA works to help these farmers overco... me these barriers and create opportunities for them to benefit from organic farming techniques and establish new markets. Through its work with socially disadvantaged, small-scale, and often immigrant farmers, ALBA is filling a niche in the market for information and technical assistance that has proven difficult for the traditional agricultural extension groups to reach. Since the 1980s, there has been a growing recognition of ethnically diverse and often disadvantaged small-scale farmers. Today they are impacting fresh produce diversity and the demography of American agriculture. The number of Latino farmers in Monterey County increased 70% from 1997 to 2002, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's Census of Agriculture. The growth has resulted in 264 Latino-operated farms in Monterey County, outpacing a strong 44% growth rate in the rest of California. Meanwhile, the overall number of farms in Monterey County dropped from 1395 to 1216 in the same period. Despite the overall loss of farms, Latino farmers are gaining ground - literally, with a 60% statewide increase in acreage over five years. Serving a primarily Latino audience, ALBA's work is grounded by the belief that in order for limited-resource and aspiring farmers to gain a foothold within California's highly competitive farm sector, they must have access to information, operating capital, and opportunities to access land.Read More