California Grant Supports New Food Hub Model for Independent Growers
December 15, 2025 
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A new California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) grant-backed initiative is highlighting how producer-led food hubs and coordinated market access models could support the next phase of growth for CEA and other specialty crop producers.
Square One Foundation, Inc. has received a $240,000 Track 1 Planning Grant through CDFA’s Farm to Fork Food Hub Program to advance Farm Fresh Markets, a project focused on strengthening farm-to-market pathways for small and independent growers across California. Selected from 165 applicants, the project will develop a feasibility study and strategic plan for a producer-led food hub designed to improve access to institutional and wholesale buyers.
The initiative emphasizes coordinated logistics, shared technical assistance, and gap-filling services — challenges that frequently limit scalability and profitability for emerging CEA operators. By aligning producers with existing service providers and institutional procurement systems, the model aims to create more reliable, transparent routes to market for sustainably grown produce.
A central component of the project’s pilot phase is the launch of the California Food System Resilience Network (Cal-FREN), a statewide framework intended to connect producers, buyers, and technical assistance organizations across multiple regions. When fully implemented, Cal-FREN is expected to support producers across 10 regions, with a focus on cross-sector coordination, equity, and climate-smart production.
Partners on the project include Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), California FarmLink, and UC Procurement. Organizers are also pursuing additional seed funding to support implementation over the two-year grant period.
