Training Program
In April, Kitchen Table Advisors’ Farm Business Advisor Laura Marquez, in collaboration with CAFF’s Small Farm Tech Hub, led a transformative series of Spanish-language Tech Literacy Workshops for farmers in California’s Central Valley. Over three interactive sessions, 13 farms, including Fresno-based Siembra y Cosecha Farm, gained hands-on experience in using digital tools to strengthen their businesses.
For many, this was a first step into the digital world. Half of the participants had never used a laptop before, relying solely on paper files to manage their operations. Guided in Spanish and paced for beginners, the workshops started with the basics: how to navigate a computer, organize files, and use Google Suite, specifically Drive and Sheets, to create invoices, set up buyer-specific folders, and scan and store important documents securely.
Farmers then advanced to creating Google Business Profiles, practicing how to take compelling product photos, and using these new skills to market their farms online. These tools are essential for small farmers to expand their reach, attract new buyers, and streamline operations.
Our Impact
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One participant, Siembra y Cosecha Farm, came to the workshop with a vision for growth rooted in both heritage and community. Founded five years ago in a community farming space in Fresno, the farm sells locally and in the Bay Area to restaurants, institutions, and farmers market shoppers in Madera and the Bay Area. The workshops helped them strengthen their ability to manage records, communicate with buyers, and elevate their marketing, key steps toward goals such as growing their farmers market presence, reaching new buyers, and building a more stable year-round customer base. As participants in KTA’s TA-Tied Business Builder Program, they are now poised to invest in branding, bilingual marketing materials, and professional outreach tools that will help them access larger markets, secure committed buyers, and, in the long run, move closer to their dream of purchasing land and opening their own farm stand.
To ensure lasting impact, farmers who attended at least two of the three sessions received their very own laptops, funded by F3 Local, a program dedicated to supporting small-scale farmers and food entrepreneurs across California’s Central Valley through access to equipment, market connections, and practical business solutions.
By the end of the workshops, farmers left not just with new equipment, but with greater confidence, skills, and a digital toolkit to grow their reach, deepen relationships with buyers, and manage their agricultural businesses more effectively.
This transformative workshop was facilitated by the Kitchen Table Advisors, a technical assistance partner of the Southwest Regional Food Business Center (SWRFBC). The SWRFBC strengthens KTA’s 1:1 business advising program by connecting it to the SWRFBC’s core technical assistance pillar. Together, we amplify individualized support with opportunities for collective learning, food value chain coordination, and stronger market connections. This partnership expands networks, builds financial and business skills, and helps historically marginalized farmers and ranchers access the capital and markets they need to thrive, while aligning with regional priorities for small- and mid-sized producers.
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