ALBA Organics
Where Value is Grown In
Contact: Dina Izzo, Marketing Coordinator at (831) 758-5958
FRESH ORGANIC PRODUCE AVAILABLE NOW! (pdf)
Join our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program
The Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) creates opportunities for aspiring and limited-resource farmers, including farm workers and others, to start small farm businesses. We are a non-profit organization that provides classroom education, hands-on training, and access to farmland and equipment. These resources are crucial for small-scale, beginning farmers, but selling produce is often the greatest challenge.
In 2002, ALBA established ALBA Organics as a licensed produce distributor to support the sales and sales training needs of ALBA farmers. The on-farm coolers, warehouse, and delivery infrastructure at the ALBA farm near Salinas are major assets for both the farmers and the organization. ALBA Organics connects its customers with the highest-quality product available in season, and offers the opportunity to support small-scale, limited-resource and beginning farmers.
ALBA Organics sells local, organic, and farm-fresh produce at competitive prices. Our many proud and satisfied customers include:
- Stanford University Housing and Dining Services, Palo Alto
- University of California Santa Cruz Housing and Dining Services, Santa Cruz *
- Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove (Delaware North Corporation)
- Alisal School District, Salinas
- Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz
- Sutter Maternity and Surgery Hospital, Santa Cruz
- A & A Organics, Aptos
- Veritable Vegetable, San Francisco
- retail stores and fine restaurants
* ALBA Organics cooperates with the Monterey Bay Organic Farmers Consortium: local family farmers working together to supply fresh produce for 15,000 students at UCSC.
Why buy from ALBA Organics?
Reasons to buy from ALBA Organics: 1) you will receive local, organic, and source-verified “produce with an identity,” 2) you will support small-scale, organic farmers, most of whom are immigrants, 3) you may request that farmers “custom grow” specific products or produce varieties to fulfill your culinary vision, and 4) we partner with schools and universities to assure that students can visit the farm, and meet the people who grow your food!
What else does ALBA Organics make possible?
ALBA Organics also offers marketing education for farmers on a variety of sales strategies: farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture (weekly deliveries to individuals and families), and packing and sales for wholesale and retail distribution. In addition, the cold storage space is available free of charge to ALBA farmers selling at local farmers’ markets, and available on a fee basis to farmers selling to other distributors and/or wholesalers. Finally, ALBA Organics staff members are integral to our Small Farmer Education Program and numerous other educational activities at ALBA and elsewhere.
What does the future hold for ALBA Organics?
In late 2005 and early 2006, ALBA participated in the Community Foundation for Monterey County’s Business Ventures Institute. That process focused on assuring that we develop viable earned-income opportunities for ALBA, and ALBA Organics is central to that vision. We developed a detailed business plan, and we project total sales to increase from $335,000 in 2005 to more than one million dollars within four years. As a social venture enterprise, ALBA Organics also welcomes your investment to further its growth, expand its impact in culturally diverse communities, and provide the infrastructure necessary for our projected growth.
The punch line…
When you choose to buy from ALBA Organics, you are contributing to small farm success while also supporting the organization that makes it possible.
