Ecosystem Project
Rancho Corralitos
Focus Area Land Access
Partners The People’s Land Fund, Manzanita Capital Collective, Dirt Capital Partners, The Cultiva, and Kitchen Table Advisors
Location Central Coast
Project Started in 2021
As an area denoted by high land costs and a limited availability of small acreage plots, California’s Central Coast is a region with significant barriers to organic farmland access, particularly among producers from disadvantaged communities. Regional farmers that KTA partners with seek secure land access to support the stability of their businesses as well as to invest in ecological stewardship of the land. However, land affordability in addition to cultural and language barriers stemming from deep systemic inequities can make ownership opportunities unreachable.
Rancho Corralitos was initiated through a partnership between Kitchen Table Advisors, Dirt Capital Partners, and The People’s Land Fund – three organizations motivated to increase equitable land access for Latino farmers in the Central Coast. In 2021, our organizations collaborated on the purchase of a 177-acre parcel of organic farmland in Watsonville with a plan to transfer ownership to a group of Latino immigrant farmers at a reduced cost.
Ecosystem Building Snapshot: 2022
Each organization contributed diverse yet complementary strengths to the project. Dirt Capital supported with farmland acquisition expertise, and The People’s Land Fund managed legal filings and served as the holder of the loans. In addition to farmland expertise, KTA shared connections to the local farming community, funders, and technical assistance providers. Together, our organizations leveraged an integrated capital strategy that entailed equity financing, grants, and low-cost loans to purchase the land.
In the next few years, the land will be transferred to a group of Latino farmers through smaller acreage plots. KTA is currently working with these farmers to prepare for the purchase, helping them plan financially and explore infrastructure and resource-sharing opportunities. By understanding the needs of regional Latino farmers and launching this cross-organization collaboration, our organizations were able to innovate around capital and farmland transfer models, shifting the landscape of organic farmland ownership in the Central Coast.