The San Francisco location is the first new one in California in almost 40 years
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
California recently opened a new Farm Bureau office for the first time in almost four decades.
The San Francisco Farm Bureau, situated in the 17th-largest U.S. city, is designed to promote local agriculture and educate community members about food production.
“Discovering the absence of a Farm Bureau in San Francisco, where I have lived for over three decades, was a shock,” State Treasurer Fiona Ma told the Times of San Diego. “This initiative will bridge the gap between urban residents and the origins of their food, fostering an appreciation and understanding that is crucial in today’s world.”
Ma started the work on establishing a farm bureau in the Golden Gate City in December 2023 when she attended the California Farm Bureau’s annual meeting to pitch the idea.
She told attendees there she wanted the new location to help promote Ag in the Classroom and Ag Day to help raise awareness about opportunities in ag.
The San Francisco Farm Bureau’s founding president is Ted Fang, the former editor and publisher of the San Francisco Examiner.
Fang is currently the program manager at the Florence Fang Community Farm, the largest community farm and second most productive urban farm in the city.
His goals for the new Farm Bureau is to put innovation in the spotlight.
“We’re talking about aquaponics and mushroom farming,” he told SFGATE. “We want to make San Francisco into an ag tech hub.”
Innovation and ag tech is one of the four support pillars for the Farm Bureau.
The others are advocating for urban agriculture, providing education and supporting local commerce, an information sheet says.
Leaders with the California Farm Bureau are pleased to have a new location to work with.
Establishing an office in an urban city like San Francisco provides opportunities to bridge the gap between urban and rural communities.
"We welcome the San Francisco Farm Bureau into our community," California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass said. "This expansion represents a significant step toward incorporating urban areas into the broader agricultural conversation of our state."