Newly Established San Francisco Farm Bureau Works to Enhance City Residents’ Understanding of Agriculture

California’s newest county Farm Bureau – the first chartered in the state in nearly 40 years – is dedicated to nurturing local agriculture and enhancing urban food security education in San Francisco, the 17th-largest U.S. city.

Its creation was spearheaded by California Treasurer Fiona Ma, who previously served in the California State Assembly representing San Francisco. Having committed to understanding California's vast agricultural landscape and participated in more than 220 farm tours, Ma was surprised San Francisco, her home for 30-plus years, didn’t have a Farm Bureau.

She traveled to California Farm Bureau’s annual meeting in December 2023 to personally pitch delegates on the proposal.

“We want to do more to educate our young people in terms of Ag in the Classroom and Ag Day, and make sure that they have the same opportunities so that they appreciate all of the hard work that you all do,” Ma told attendees. “I wanted to make sure that we protected our farmers and our ranchers, so we don’t have to depend on other countries or other states for our food.”

The San Francisco Farm Bureau was established following a year of diligent planning and collaboration with local agriculture enthusiasts and has been officially chartered by the California Farm Bureau.

"We welcome the San Francisco Farm Bureau into our community," said California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass. "This expansion represents a significant step toward incorporating urban areas into the broader agricultural conversation of our state."