About Us
F3 Local empowers small-scale farmers and producers with support, guidance, and access to resources. Our focus on technology adoption and production opportunities aims to elevate profitability and sustainability. This is accomplished by offering capacity-building support, technical guidance, market access, innovation, and access to capital.
F3 Local is anchored by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and is partnering with community-based organizations such as Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Cultiva La Salud, and Fresno Metro Ministry. F3 Local seeks to stimulate job growth in small businesses, involve producers in technology development to enhance profitability and sustainability, expedite the increase of new exports, and cultivate a robust local food economy that bolsters small-scale producers while boosting community well-being and public health.
By stimulating job growth, fostering innovation, and amplifying local food economies, we're not just cultivating farms, we're nurturing communities and enhancing public health.
Our Approach
F3 Local serves as a connector, collaborator, and catalyst, working alongside farmers, food makers, researchers, nonprofits, and policymakers. Together, we create practical, community-rooted solutions to strengthen the local food economy.
Our work focuses on four core strategies:
- Technology & Innovation: Supporting the adoption of practical, climate-smart tools and techniques tailored for small farms and food businesses.
- Capacity Building & Support: Offering workshops, advising, and access to resources that help producers grow sustainable operations.
- Market Pathways: Connecting local producers to institutional buyers, shared-use kitchens, and regional branding to increase revenue and visibility.
- Inclusive Collaboration: Engaging stakeholders from across the food system to uplift communities, reduce food insecurity, and build shared prosperity.
Our Impact
F3 Local is designed to create tangible, long-term benefits for farmers, entrepreneurs, and communities. Here's what that looks like in practice:
- Stronger Local Economies: Improved productivity and efficiency for small producers through access to tools, training, and shared resources.
- Sustainable Agriculture: Support for climate-smart practices, water conservation, and ecological farming methods that ensure long-term viability.
- Job Creation: Growth of new and existing agrifood businesses fuels employment and entrepreneurship across rural communities.
- Market Access: More direct links between producers and local buyers, expanding revenue opportunities and reducing reliance on distant markets.
- Community Resilience: A stronger local food system reduces vulnerability to supply chain disruptions and supports health, equity, and economic recovery.
Part of a Broader Effort
F3 Local is one of several initiatives within the Fresno-Merced Future of Food (F3) Initiative, a regional Agrifood Technology and Engineering cluster backed by the U.S. Economic Development Administration's Build Back Better Regional Challenge.
While the broader F3 Initiative focuses on research, commercialization, and innovation infrastructure, F3 Local translates that vision to the field, ensuring resources reach the farmers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders who make the local food system work every day.
Our Partners
