Blog

In reflecting back, APC found that the most powerful impact wasn’t just sales, but building community. Farmers told us they feel less alone, less expendable, and more connected to a system beginning to work with and for them instead of around them. In 2025, we saw that belief come alive: in fields and markets, in relief kitchens, and in the quiet moments where farmers plan their next season with a little more certainty and a little more hope. As APC looks ahead to 2026, the focus remains on deepening this foundation: expanding buyer networks, strengthening the ecosystem of support for farmers, investing in and deepening farmer-to-farmer connections, and ensuring producers remain at the center of every decision.

Last week, we met up with our friends at the Central California Food Bank for a day in the fields with the farmers who feed our communities, listening to the stories that shape each season and learning more about their work. The Central California Food Bank has long prioritized sourcing fresh, local produce from small and underserved farmers — a commitment that strengthens the regional food system while putting high-quality fruits and vegetables directly into the hands of families who need them most.

When the Palisades and Eaton fires swept through Southern California in January 2025, thousands of families were already living on the edge. Homelessness across the state had reached record highs the year before, and the fires compounded the crisis—displacing residents, straining local resources, and leaving many struggling to access food. Six months later, many of those families were still in trouble. So the Agricultural Platform Collective (APC) and The FruitGuys joined forces to help.

For José Corona, some of the most important lessons of his life were learned around the table. Growing up in Watsonville, where agriculture shaped every corner of daily life, his earliest memories are of his father’s farm parties, marked by music, laughter, and, of course, plates of food that stretched across tables.

On a quiet street in Fresno, California, a small parking lot comes alive every Thursday. Trucks pull in, pallets are unloaded, and the scent of just-picked peaches, onions and leafy greens fills the air. Farmers greet each other as they drop off crates bound for schools, food banks, and community programs across the state—part of APC’s growing network of drop points that ensure what’s harvested makes it to tables with dignity and reliability.

APC is dedicated to fostering an ecosystem where small producers lead the transition to regenerative agriculture, integrating sustainable practices that restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, and strengthen farms’ ability to withstand the effects of climate change. By employing techniques such as crop rotation, cover cropping, fertilizer management, and minimizing synthetic chemical inputs, regenerative agriculture creates more enduring and sustainable agricultural systems.