Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA)
Contact Name & Title: Brett Melone, Executive Director
Address: PO Box 6264
City, State & Zipcode: Salinas, CA 93912
Phone: (831) 758-1469
Email:
Web Address: www.albafarmers.org
Project Description:
Cool season crops, such as celery, thrive
under the management and care of ALBA
farmers near Salinas, CA
The Agriculture and
Land Based Training Association (ALBA) was founded in 2001 and operates
two organic training and demonstration farms in Monterey County,
California. Typically, 36 limited-resource farmers lease ALBA land
while learning small farm business and marketing skills. ALBA provides
a six-month Spanish-language Small Farmer Training Program, Programa
Educativo para Pequeños Agricultores.The program is a pre-requisite for
participants’ looking to lease ALBA land and provides a reduced-risk
environment to hone their farming skills. Through collaboration with
California FarmLink, beginning farmers at ALBA may also take advantage
of Individual Development Accounts that match their savings on a 3:1
basis. This boosts farmers’ savings for purchasing land, equipment or
further education to enhance their careers. To market farmers’ produce,
ALBA Organics is a licensed produce distributor operated as a project
of ALBA. It offers a market outlet for ALBA farmers and sells fresh
produce to clients such as Stanford University Dining Services,
regional hospitals, a Community Supported Agriculture program and at
local farmers’ markets. ALBA also works with established,
Spanish-speaking farmers on the Central Coast, focusing on
conservation, water quality education and organic farming skills.
Mission: The mission of the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association is to advance economic viability, social equity and ecological land management among limited-resource and aspiring farmers.
Sponsoring Organization:
Immigrant Communities Served: Latin American immigrants, Spanish-speaking farmers, and other immigrants.
Languages Spoken: Spanish and English
Agricultural Crops & Products: Vegetables and fruits (including local high-value crops such as strawberries and artichokes), herbs, flowers, and poultry. There is considerable focus on heirloom and specialty crops for the purpose of niche marketing.
Areas of Expertise: Small Farmer Training Program, Conservation and Water Quality Education, Organic Farming Skills, Direct Marketing
Useful Resources and Materials: Programa Educativo Para Pequeños Agricultores (PEPA): PEPA is a free six month course
