Jul 22, 2024

Endowment to aid California organic growers

California organic growers to benefit from a California Certified Organic Farmers Foundation (CCOF) endowment designed to help organic growers continue growing organically produced crops.

The CCOF endowment was created to ensure growers can remain growing organic in perpetuity.

The CCOF Foundation is undertaking a $5 million campaign to raise funds for the endowment to fund CCOF Foundation’s programs which provide scholarships for future organic farmers, organic grower disaster relief, and wrap-around services for farmers transitioning land to organic. Also included are unrestricted funds to enhance the CCOF Foundation’s ability to support famers as they go and stay organic, according to a news release.

Becky Blythe, one of the CCOF’s most tenured staff, bequeathed a $100,000 gift to the CCOF Foundation. The CCOF Foundation launched the endowment through the Becky Blythe Endowed Fund as the inaugural gift.

An endowed gift helps maintain a steady level of funding for the CCOF Foundation, ensuring that the Foundation can support organic farmers in perpetuity, according to the release.

Based in Santa Cruz, California, CCOF Foundation advances organic by supporting the people and communities who care for the land. CCOF Foundation unites the organic community to advance organic agriculture through education, financial support and growth opportunities for organic professionals, according to the release.