The CCOF Foundation has stewarded farmers in their transition to organic practices and certification since our founding in 2002. Over the last 20 years, we have provided hundreds of farmers with financial and community support, technical assistance, and market access to help them create successful organic businesses. In 2020, through a partnership with Anheuser-Busch, the CCOF Foundation supported over 100 farmers and awarded $500,000 to farmers who were transitioning from conventional to organic agriculture across the United States. Farmers used grant funding to support farm infrastructure, and the results were breathtaking. This year, the CCOF Foundation is launching a three-year Organic Transition program that will support Latinx farmers from historically disadvantaged communities who are making the transition from farmworker to farm owner and, in some cases, from conventional to organic agriculture. Many grantees are already experienced organic farmers who need additional support to become business owners. This three-year program will provide participants with funding ($10,000 per year) to implement regenerative practices during the organic transition period and includes technical assistance, mentorship from experienced and culturally relevant farmers, and access to supply chains throughout the transition.
Bank of the West joins other CCOF Foundation supporters as a Visionary-level supporter of this program in 2022. As described on their website, “the mission of Bank of the West's Charitable Investments Program is to help meet the needs of the communities we serve by supporting nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving quality of life, particularly for low- and moderate-income individuals and communities.” Through the new iteration of CCOF’s Organic Transition grant, Bank of the West is investing in the future of small organic farms on California’s Central Coast.