GLOSSARY OF TERMS

NOTE: All practices and attributes on the California Farm Directory are self-reported and CAFF is not responsible for verifying these claims. To authenticate the details on a farm’s profile, please visit the farm’s website or contact them directly.

Certified Organic: Farm is certified Organic by a third-party for food or agricultural products that have been produced according to USDA organic regulations, which define standards that “integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.”

Farming organically, non-certified: Farm is not certified by a third party program, but self-reports practices that are at or above the USDA organic specifications to integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.

Biodynamic: Biodynamic farming, a third-party certification by Demeter, involves managing a farm utilizing the principles of a living organism with minimal dependance on imported materials, instead meeting its needs from the living dynamics of the farm itself. 

No-Till: No-till farming is an agricultural technique–self reported, not certified–for growing crops or pasture without disturbing the soil through tillage. No-till farming decreases the amount of soil erosion while increasing water retention, soil biodiversity and carbon sequestration potential.

Permaculture: Permaculture is a set of design principles centered on whole systems thinking, simulating, or directly utilizing the patterns and resilient features observed in natural ecosystems. A self-reported approach, it can be applied to agriculture as well as to a variety of disciplines.

Climate Smart / Regenerative Farming Practices: Climate Smart Farming and regenerative agriculture refer to practices or systems that mitigate and adapt to climate change by reducing GHG emissions, sequestering carbon in the soil and plant biomass, improving ecosystem services and conserving natural resources. While certifications exist, this practice is self-reported in this Directory. 

Pasture-based: Animals spend their lives on pasture or range.

Grass-fed: Animals are fed a 100% grass and forage diet, raised outdoors on pasture or range.

Holistically Managed: Holistic Planned Grazing is the practice of continuously moving livestock through a land base according to the natural cycles of plant growth, recovery and resilience. 

Accepts EBT/CalFresh/SNAP: Customers may purchase from this farm using CalFresh, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, which provides monthly food benefits to individuals and families with low-income and provides economic benefits to communities. 

Agritourism: This farm offers on-site experiences such as farm tours, classes, camping and other farm stays. 

U-Pick: A You-Pick, U Pick or Pick-Your-Own farm operation allows customers to visit the farm and harvest the crops themselves.

3rd Party Food Safety Audited: Buyers sometimes ask farmers to get a 3rd party food safety audit for their produce. These farms have obtained a GAP or related audit from the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Food Safety Audit Program or from a private company.

Beginning farmers: Farm is owned and managed by a farmer(s) who is in their first 5 years of production.

Employee owned / Co-operative: Farm is legally owned collectively by the workers and/or is structured as a farming cooperative. 

Non-profit farm: Farm is organized as a 501c3 non-profit organization and offers services to the community beyond just the production and sale of food. 

Educational farm: Education is central component of the farm’s operation, offering classes, tours, internships, trainings, etc.

Woman-owned: Farm is owned and managed by a woman-identifying farmer(s)

Farmer of Color-owned: Farm is owned by a person(s) who is African American, Native Indian, Alaskan Native, Hispanic, Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

LGBTQ+ owned: Farm is owned by a person(s) who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.

Veteran-owned: Farm is owned by veteran of the United States military.

CAFF Member: Farm is owned by current member of CAFF: Community Alliance with Family Farmers