Agricultural Institute Of Marin

Community food access at aims farmers markets, we accept calfresh federally known as snap and offer a market match, an incentive program which offers shoppers double value when they use calfresh for fruits and vegetables up to $15 per day. In 2024, we processed 51,212 calfresh transactions among shoppers of low-income at our farmers markets for the purchase of free local fruits and vegetables. Making fresh, local food more affordable by helping shoppers increase their buying power to meet their households nutritional needs. 89% of our participants attend the market on a weekly basis. In 2024. Aim also supports low-to-medium income families with young children by and older adults who use their wic and senior farmers market nutrition program (fmnp) benefits. Lastly, we operated the bounty box, a multi-farm produce box program started during the covid-19 pandemic; we curated, packed, and donated free bounty boxes to san francisco, marin city, and san rafael

Rollin root mobile market in 2024, aim strengthened its star food access program, the rollin root, a mobile market that increases access to farm-fresh food and nutrition education for older adults and other underserved groups regardless of transportation or economic barriers in marin and san francisco counties. In total, we served approximately 7,349 participants, and an average of 163 people per week. Additionally, we recruited and trained 14 community ambassadors to join each rollin root stop to answer questions, share recipes and provide cooking tips to shoppers. Our nutrition educators led 148 nutrition education lessons and recipes to teach over 2,100 participants about seasonality and eating healthy on a budget. Rollin root mobile market

Creating the center for food & agriculture aim is bulding a center for food and agriculture,featuring two cornerstone projects: a permanent home for the marin farmers market and an expansive food innovation hub. Together, they will create a vibrant public space that celebrates food, farming, and community. The cfa will be a national model for climate-smart agriculture, food systems collaboration, and food education. Located at the marin civic center in san rafael, construction of the enhanced farmers market will begin first, with the food innovation hub to follow. Endorsed by marincan as one of nine countywide solutions for reducing greenhouse gases, the center for food and agriculture will be the space to accelerate our work, with ongoing education and thought leadership programs to engage the community, support farmers, increase food access, and take collective action on climate change.

Climate-smart agriculture with grant funding from the u.s. Dept of agricultures partnership for climate-smart commodities, we worked collaboratively to develop systems, tools, and expertise to create a sustainable marketplace in sonoma and marin counties for climate-smart commodities long term. Aim oversaw the development of a marketing and storytelling framework to establish and promote markets for climate-smart commodities, thereby supporting the economic viability of participating producers and landowners. The grant was subsequently amended by usda to become the advancing markets for producers project.

Food & farm business resource prog. We provide training, one-on-one mentoring, and technical assistance through a network for technical assistance providers to aims market participants. Aim is partnering with several other organizations to provide training opportunities and assistance free of cost to aim farmers market participants. In 2024, 63 producers were reached via trainings and resource fairs. In collaboration with the agricultural and land-based training association (alba) and kitchen table advisors (kta) we promoted economic security among 9 beginning certified organic farmers by offering financial support, market spaces,and training through a farmers market incubator booth. In 2024,we worked to make markets more inclusive and accessible through our market access fund by supporting 10 black, indigenous, and people of color (bipoc) farmers, food producers, and artisans getting their start at the farmers market.67% of resource prog. Participants still sell

Diggin education programs through diggin in the classroom, diggin at the market, and diggin on the farm, aim connects youth with local farmers and markets. These hands-on programs inspire healthy, sustainable food choices and foster lifelong connections to agriculture. Our goal is to empower youth to make healthy food choices that will positively impact their long-term health. In 2024, we served 6,515 students, parents, and teachers served through our diggin education programs: at the market, in the classroom, on the farm, and at community events across alameda, marin, san francisco, sonoma, and santa clara counties. Our team led market tours with 860 participants, 45 classroom visits with 1,245 participants, and 32 farm tours with 886 participants.

Aim plays an active role in the marin food policy council, marin healthy eating and active living collaborative, california alliance of farmers markets, food & farm resilience coalition, and california food and farming network to support initiatives that promote food access programming, solutions to climate change, and programs that offer financial resources for small to midsize farmers. In 2024,aim helped pass assembly bill 2786, signed by governor newsom, making california the first state to legally define certified mobile farmers markets. This law paves the way for markets like the rollin root to accept wic benefits,expanding access to fresh,culturally relevant foods while supporting small farmers. The 202425 state budget includes $35 million for the california nutrition incentive program (cnip), fully funding market match through 2027 thanks to powerful grassroots organizing and statewide advocacy,this vital program will continue helping families access food