Farms.com Home   News

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

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.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Sow Welfare and Group Housing Systems - Dr. Laya Alves

Video: Sow Welfare and Group Housing Systems - Dr. Laya Alves



In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Laya Alves from the University of São Paulo, in Brazil, discusses how animal welfare regulations are evolving globally and their impact on pig production systems. She explains challenges in group housing, pain management, and euthanasia decisions, while highlighting the role of training and management in improving outcomes and economic sustainability. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Translating welfare requirements into daily farm routines without compromising economic sustainability remains one of the biggest challenges faced by producers globally today."

Meet the guest: Dr. Laya Alves / laya-kannan is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, focusing on animal welfare in pig production, including pain management, euthanasia, and economic decision making. Her work integrates welfare science with practical farm management and sustainability. She collaborates globally to develop applied tools for producers.