Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Use of District-Discretionary Measure K Funds - Supervisorial District 3
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant of district-discretionary Measure K funds, not to exceed $76,000, to Abundant Grace Coastside Worker to provide funding for its Full Circle Food Justice, Farm Apprenticeship, and Conservation Crew programs, and to support the Farmers’ Market Local Market Match Program, and authorizing the County Executive, or designee, to execute the grant agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years.
The Board of Supervisors (Board) held study sessions on Measure K expenditures and approved funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2023-25 budget cycle, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for one-time district-discretionary needs and projects. District 3 has submitted a request to use their district-discretionary Measure K funds as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
|
District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 3 (Supervisor Ray Mueller) - Abundant Grace to provide funding for its Full Circle Food Justice, Farm Apprenticeship, and Conservation Crew programs, and to support the Farmers’ Markets Local Market Match Program. |
$76,000 |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018. District 3 indicates that this organization is either a public agency operating within the County, or a nonprofit organization registered and in good standing with the California Attorney General. District 3 indicates that the sponsoring Board member, member’s family, and member’s supervisorial staff do not serve as an officer, director, or play a policy role for the grantee organization.
DISCUSSION:
This is a request to authorize a grant to Abundant Grace Coastside Worker (“Abundant Grace”), and resulting grant agreement, in an amount not to exceed $76,000, to provide funding for the Full Circle Food Justice, Farm Apprenticeship, and Conservation Crew programs, and to support the Farmers’ Markets Local Market Match Program. The County Executive’s Office will administer and manage the proposed agreement.
District-discretionary Measure K funding for this organization has previously been provided as listed below:
• On August 7, 2018, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding, in the amount of $20,000, for farm employment opportunities such as the Organic Farm Employment Project.
• On October 22, 2019, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding, in the amount of $40,000 for farm employment opportunities, as well as a $300,000 district-discretionary Measure K loan to support the purchase of a building to serve as a workforce development center.
• On November 16, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding, in the amount of $50,000, for the Full Circle Food Justice Program.
• On July 26, 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding, in the amount of $50,000, for the Full Circle Food Justice, Farm Apprenticeship, and Conservation Crew programs (with an exception to allow for repeat funding within the same budget cycle).
• On May 23, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding, in the amount of $150,000, for the Full Circle Food Justice, Farm Apprenticeship, and Conservation Crew programs (with an exception to allow for repeat funding within the same budget cycle).
Abundant Grace Coastside Worker serves over 120 people experiencing homelessness throughout the year with the Full Circle Food Justice Program, which addresses both workforce and employment needs along with tackling food insecurity. Through the Full Circle Food Justice Program, Abundant Grace also works in partnership with local organizations to distribute over 20,000 pounds of fresh organic fruits and vegetables for free each year to local low-income farmworker families on the Coastside. About 500 low-income residents receive free, fresh produce through this program annually.
In the Farm Apprenticeship program, a group of five participants meets one day per week for seven weeks to learn farm skills (such as greenhouse management, herb and flower growing, pest management on an organic farm, irrigation, tool, and machine maintenance), and many other skills that are transferable to other jobs(such as resume development, mock interviews, job searching and other supports to help people find jobs following the program). Participants are also provided weekly mindfulness meditation and a staff-guided, personal “future authoring” course (to think deeply about the next six months to a year, their priorities, what necessary changes to make to achieve their goals). All sessions are approximately 3 hours long and are staffed by Abundant Grace’s program manager and two farm managers, as well as special speakers.
In the Conservation Crew program, a group of five participants meet one day per week for 7 weeks to work in the wilderness areas of the farm, removing invasive species, planting trees, clearing trails, and restoring a pond. Participants learn about climate change, carbon sequestration, and hear from outside speakers from non-profit environmental groups. As with the Farm Apprenticeship program, Abundant Grace focuses on achieving group success and working together through individual struggles.
As part of these programs, participants who are actively experiencing homelessness within San Mateo County, or coastside residents who have received a housing voucher to reside in transitional or supportive housing, are eligible to receive a $50 stipend upon completion of a three-hour workforce development module for the Farm Apprenticeship and Conservation Crew programs. Many participants are cross-supported through County-funded projects like the Coast House Shelter, ABODE, and El Centro de Libertad. Abundant Grace collaborates regularly with these partners to holistically improve health outcomes and opportunities for residents.
This district-discretionary grant will be used to fund the Farm Apprenticeship and Conservation Crew programs, which provide hands-on apprenticeship and training to San Mateo County residents, offering each 7-week program 5-6 times each year, and produce the local, organic foods that are distributed to farmworker families in the Full Circle Food Justice Program.
Additionally, this grant will enable Abundant Grace to provide $11,000 of Certified Farmers Market (CFM) scrip to qualifying low-income coastside residents and seniors to access healthy, nutritious, and local foods. This is especially important for residents who may not meet income eligibility to qualify for CalFresh, WIC or other federally funded nutrition programs due the especially high cost of living in San Mateo County or citizenship requirements.
The CFM scrip is used in the Local Market Match Program, which doubles patrons’ personal funds or CalFresh benefits by providing proprietary scrip that can only be spent to purchase locally grown or created foods at Certified Farmers’ Markets. For instance, a low-income family that does not meet citizenship requirements would receive two dollars in CFM branded scrip for every dollar they contribute, resulting in $10 of their personal cash becoming $30 in farmers market scrip.
Historically the Local Market Match Program was funded through a grant from the USDA, funneled through the California Market Match Program. In January 2024, the Governor proposed fully defunding California’s Market Match Program, which resulted in California missing the window to apply for the FY 2024-25 USDA grant, creating a one-time need to ensure continuity of the program.
This district-discretionary grant will enable the organization to meet the currently unmet need or service gap within the County that involves providing fresh, local, nutritious food to low-income residents, providing crucial agricultural worker training and workforce development supports to homeless residents of the coastside while continuing to re-invest dollars into the local economy.
District 3 has informed the grantee organization that this grant is one-time only, and that the grantee organization will need to find other sources of funding going forward.
Total Measure K Request: Not to Exceed $76,000
The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an agreement providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds for the purposes stated herein. The County will disburse the funds to the following organization for the purpose described above:
Abundant Grace Coastside Worker
Eric DeBode, Executive Director
P.O. Box 702
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
(650) 458-7907
eric@abundantgracecw.org <mailto:eric@abundantgracecw.org>
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Description |
Target |
|
Provide Farm Apprenticeship and Conservation Crew programs to San Mateo County residents (including, if eligible, work training stipends), from November 2024-June 2025. |
Complete |
|
Operate Full Circle Food Justice Program to serve homeless San Mateo County residents year-round, and harvest and distribute 20,000 pounds of fresh produce to low-income families on the Coastside. |
Complete |
|
Provide the Certified Farmers Market scrip for the Local Market Match program for low-income residents to purchase fresh produce at Certified Farmers Markets in FY2024-25. |
Complete |
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2024-25 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget.