The Farmhand Foundation (FHF) is working to help growers in Southern California transition to organic practices. They serve farmers through education, advocacy, and access to resources.
Justin Herber, Griffin Barkley, and Justin Schneir started FHF in Ojai, California to support farmers who want to use more sustainable practices, but may not know where to start. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 1 percent of farmland in the United States is organic.
Herber tells Food Tank there is a “willingness” among farmers “to go organic, for the sake of the land, their families.” But he explains that yield loss and administrative work can discourage them from transitioning.
“Farmers face a mountain of challenges in transitioning to organic or regenerative practices, from figuring out certification to covering costs,” Barkley tells Food Tank.
Making the switch from conventional farming practices to organic is a three-year process, and comes with a series of steps. Growers must meet the USDA’s Organic Standards, and may need to learn a variety of new farming techniques, according to SARE Outreach.
Farmhand Foundation hopes to provide support to farmers on the front end that can help them navigate the transition. They will launch the first cohort in 2025 with three farms. Barkley says this, “feels like the right size to give each participant personalized support.”
Schneir says that practical skills, like access to mentors, workshops, and tools for regenerative practices are an important part of the work, but not the entire goal. “More than that, we’re creating a space for [farmers] to connect, share, and feel empowered to carry these sustainable practices forward…We want them to walk away knowing they’re part of a community that’s got their back,” he tells Food Tank.
Before launching the Foundation, Schneir and Barkley started Tractor Beverage Company in 2015. Herber was among Tractor’s first advisors, and came on full time as Chief Brand Officer in 2021.
“We always wanted to do something more with the brand, and we always believed that business could be used as a tool for good,” Herber tells Food Tank. FHF will start with citrus and berry growers in the Ojai area—what Herber calls their own “backyard”—because these are ingredients in Tractor Beverage products.
FHF’s approach is unique, Herber believes. “We’re thinking about it almost as a brand, rather than how a traditional organization might. Really working to promote the need for organic, the meaning of organic,” he tells Food Tank.
Starting Tractor, and creating an organic impact tracker, showcased a need for more consumer education, Herber says. “There’s a huge consumer misconception about what organic means. People weren’t associating organic with lack of chemical exposure,” he tells Food Tank. “So, what we wanted to do [with the tracker] was measure how many pesticides we were actually preventing from going into the food system by sourcing organically.”
While Tractor Beverage and the Farmhand Foundation are distinct operations, the two are working towards the same goals. And the founders say what’s good for one is good for the other. Barkley says that FHF’s efforts can “strengthen Tractor’s supply chain” through relationship building with growers. He tells Food Tank that this helps to ensure quality sourcing. Tractor also participates in 1% for the Planet, using those funds to support FHF. As Herber says, “the better Tractor does, the more impact Farmhand can make and vice versa.”
The Farmhand Foundation hopes to expand. “Once we’re well established with our model in Ojai, we’re planning to expand into other regions…It’s about creating a ripple effect, empowering growers to make a living while stewarding the land,” Herber explains.
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Photo courtesy of Justin Herber.
