Newly Established San Francisco Farm Bureau Works to Enhance City Residents’ Understanding of Agriculture

Jul 31, 2024

California’s newest county Farm Bureau – the first chartered in the state in nearly 40 years – is dedicated to nurturing local agriculture and enhancing urban food security education in San Francisco, the 17th-largest U.S. city.

Its creation was spearheaded by California Treasurer Fiona Ma, who previously served in the California State Assembly representing San Francisco. Having committed to understanding California's vast agricultural landscape and participated in more than 220 farm tours, Ma was surprised San Francisco, her home for 30-plus years, didn’t have a Farm Bureau.

She traveled to California Farm Bureau’s annual meeting in December 2023 to personally pitch delegates on the proposal.

“We want to do more to educate our young people in terms of Ag in the Classroom and Ag Day, and make sure that they have the same opportunities so that they appreciate all of the hard work that you all do,” Ma told attendees. “I wanted to make sure that we protected our farmers and our ranchers, so we don’t have to depend on other countries or other states for our food.”

The San Francisco Farm Bureau was established following a year of diligent planning and collaboration with local agriculture enthusiasts and has been officially chartered by the California Farm Bureau.

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Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.