20-Year Impact Report



Dear Friends and Supporters,

On behalf of the dedicated and visionary board, and the tireless and talented staff of the Center for Land-Based Learning, I am very proud to announce the release of our 2013-2014 Annual Report. Because the fiscal year coincided with the 20-year anniversary of our programmatic and organizational history, this Annual Report also serves as a 20-year Impact Report.

And my oh my, what impact this organization has had on the lives of tens of thousands of Californians in the last 20 years. To borrow a line from our introductory letter (from Founder Craig McNamara, Board Chair Andrea Clark, and myself),

We've been so busy making an impact, we haven't had much time to chronicle our efforts along the way.

In this report, you will read about the early days of the FARMS Leadership Program (our first program, created by Craig and Julie McNamara in 1993), to the personal and professional impact that Land-Based Learning's many programs have made upon participants' lives (Cristal Verduzco, FARMS Leadership, and Jay Cuff, California Farm Academy).

Profiles by partners such as LangeTwins Winery, who have hosted our SLEWS Program students for over a decade in creating wildlife habitat on their land, to a map of all of the counties (25!) in California that Land-Based Learning now serves with our youth and adult learning programs. Finally, you will enjoy seeing a timeline of our growth, shown in pictures, from 1993-2014. We could not have done it without all of you along the way - our partners and our donors. From Dinners on the Farm to capacity-building investment, your support has made the difference, and has made it possible to create the next generation of farmers and educate thousands about agriculture and the environment.

For us, it all comes down to cultivating opportunity. For the land. For youth. For the environment. For the economy. For the future of agriculture. Our work has never been more necessary than right now.

Thank you, and we hope that you enjoy this report as much as we have enjoyed the work and fulfillment along the way.




MK