Kitchen Table Advisors

Check out Civil Eats' recent article spotlighting the Asian herb perilla, also known as shiso or kkaennip. KTA client Kristyn Leach of Second Generation Seeds is featured in the article for her work seed-saving and growing varieties of perilla on her plot in Sebastopol, California.

Read the article to learn about perilla, its cultural significance, and the growers and artists spotlighting the herb.

At This Public Garden, an Asian Herb Offers a Portal to the Past The herb perilla raises questions about colonization and immigration.

Teo and Máxima Zarate, KTA clients and owners of Zarate Family Farm, have farmed for 15 years on Marin Agricultural Land Trust-protected land on Red Hill Ranch. On the property, they grow a variety of mixed vegetables, herbs, and leafy greens, including chicory, radishes, carrots, chives, and more. Teo and Máxima got their start as farm workers, and, after taking over the land lease from their previous employer David Retsky, quickly transitioned into business ownership. Zarate Family Farm is the dream Teo and Maxima spent years building toward, from working under David to actualizing their own vision of their relationship to the land and their community.

While Teo and Maxima have a deep connection to the land they farm on and the family who owns it, the couple hopes to eventually grow the business to a place where they can purchase their own stretch of ground and farm it, ensuring true stability for the farm and allowing them to one day pass their business down to their son. In this article from Marin Agricultural Land Trust, learn about Teo and Máxima, their journey into business ownership, and the importance of land stability on farms like theirs across California.

Teo and Máxima Zarate — The Ground They Know Lea esta historia en español When I first met Máxima Zarate, her warm, "¡Buenos días!" called out from beneath the brim of her hat, welcoming me to their

The state's new $30 million investment in land access through the Department of Conservation is a major step forward for tribal producers and under-resourced farmers across California. But funding is a starting point, not a finish line. The Agricultural Land Equity Task Force provided 26 recommendations for how to make land access real. Now the work can shift from developing those recommendations to putting them into action, and this funding is a great first step.

Read more about this win through Community Alliance with Family Farmers' press release:

https://caff.org/california-funds-first-ever-agricultural-land-access-program/

'“There is no single reason farms are disappearing in California, but the trend is undeniable. It continues to be very tough to farm in California,” says Steven Fenaroli, a spokesman for the California Farm Bureau. “These businesses,” he added, “are the foundation of our rural communities, our food security, and the state’s agricultural leadership. Ensuring they can survive and thrive is essential to California’s future.”'

Comstock's Magazine's article, "Can the Next Generation Afford to Farm in California," dives into the complex factors behind the decline of small farms in California, and features a spotlight on KTA clients Andrew & Eric Walker from Farmboy Organics.

Read the article to hear more about Andrew & Eric's journey into farming and projections for their business ahead and learn about the future of small farms in the state.

Can the Next Generation Afford to Farm in California? - Comstock's magazine California has the biggest farming economy in the country, but small farmers still struggle and often leave the business

Alongside our main circular logo, our new visual identity also includes a secondary logo that showcases a meaningful symbol: the kitchen table.

Since our founding in 2013, KTA's work has been centered on meeting farmers and ranchers where they're at to provide individualized support. This can mean everything from hiring their first employee to setting up their bookkeeping system, with this work taking place on farm, on the road, at a farmers market, or in their kitchen.

The kitchen table is thus a place where we gather, not only for work, but for connection and nourishment. At the table, we dream, share our hopes and visions for the future, and solve problems big and small.

As KTA evolves, we continue to hold the table as a symbol of the community and care at the heart of our work.

We had a blast at our Fall Event, and are so grateful for those who were able to join us in celebration of our new visual identity and continued work supporting under-resourced farmers and ranchers. Building equitable, community-based food systems is a process that necessitates joy, collaboration, and connection, and we are so honored to be on this journey with you all.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our featured farmer speakers, including Mo Browne of Berkeley Basket CSA, Rufino Ventura and Belen Gonzalez of Ventura Organics, Mai Nguyen of Farmer Mai, and Maria Gonzalez of Green Thumb Farm for sharing their experiences with generosity. We're also grateful to Sarah Miller and the team at West Oakland Farm Park, a project of Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project, for welcoming us into such a beautiful space, Las Guerras for nourishing us with delicious food, and FEED for providing delicious produce for attendees to take home.

PC: Aiza Photography

Major congratulations to our KTA clients Rudy Jimenez and Maria Gonzalez from Green Thumb Farm on being named a 2026 CO—100 Honoree by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce!

This list recognizes 100 of the best and brightest small and mid-sized businesses across America, celebrated for their contributions in driving innovation, growth, and ingenuity both locally and globally.

Rudy and Maria have been clients of KTA since 2016; since then, we have been honored to witness their incredible growth as farmers and business-owners. Within their business, they currently cultivate over 40 varieties of organic vegetables year-round and operate numerous community-facing programs.

Learn more about Rudy & Maria here: https://www.greenthumborganicsfarms.com/

The National Farm Viability Conference begins today, with several KTA staff in attendance and featured in conference presentations happening over the next few days.

Connect with our staff at the following sessions:

- Rooted in Trust: Culturally Responsive Farm Viability for Latino Farmers. Featuring Associate Regional Program Director Tania Zuñiga Moreno. 9/22 at 3:30PM. https://lnkd.in/esjUxPsv

- Cross-State Approaches to Equitable Farmland Tenure and Purchase. Featuring Ecosystem Building Program Manager James Nakahara. 9/23 at 9AM.
https://lnkd.in/e5HQB4_H

- Developing a Model Ethics Policy for Farm Business Assistance Organizations. Featuring Regional Program Director Paige Phinney. 9/23 at 9AM.
https://lnkd.in/eaCMUx4E

- Ethical Quandary: Holding both farm profitability and food system change, when they don't always pull the same direction. Featuring Regional Program Director Paige Phinney. 9/23 at 11AM.
https://lnkd.in/eeKaU75Y

- Sustaining and Funding an Ecosystem - How Four Organizations are Coming Together to Strengthen Small-Scale Farming Businesses in the Salinas Valley. Featuring Associate Regional Program Director Tania Zuñiga Moreno and Director of Resource Partnerships Rui Bing Zheng. 9/23 at 11AM.
https://lnkd.in/eASRRWd4

- Strengthening Regional Food Systems with Cooperative Models and the Power of Partnerships. Featuring Ecosystem Building Program Manager James Nakahara. 9/24 at 10AM.
https://lnkd.in/ezffm2c7

We hope to see you there!

Call your Senator today!

Let's meet the featured farmer and rancher clients who will be speaking at KTA's Fall Gathering, happening tomorrow!

We're honored to be in community with so many diverse change-makers and producers as we support their individual journeys and grow symbiotically.

Our featured client farmers and ranchers are:
🍃Nathaniel Brown from Brown Sugar Farm
🍃Rudy Jimenez & Maria Gonzalez from Green Thumb Farms
🍃Will Holloway & Gina Strathman from Longer Table Farm
🍃Rufino Ventura & Belen Gonzalez from Ventura Organic
🍃Mo Browne from Berkeley Basket CSA
🍃Mai Ngyuen from Farmer Mai