Welcome to Ag Innovations Network
Ag Innovations Network brings people together to build a food system that works for all. We are facilitators of crucial conversations, conveners of meetings that matter, and enablers of change.
Our role is unique. We care deeply about creating a more economically viable, socially just, and environmentally sound way to grow and distribute food. We believe the best way to accomplish that goal is to create opportunities for individuals, farmers, businesses, and communities to better understand the changes that are needed and discover solutions that make sense. Our work is about bringing more democracy to decision-making about the future of food and farming.
We have three central programs:
- The Alliance Project: A growing network of California county-based alliances of food system stakeholders that meet monthly to work together to strengthen farms, improve access to good foods, and improve the infrastructure to support regional food distribution. These groups make policy recommendations and create local projects.
- The Roundtable Project: We convene and facilitate two California-based coalitions of statewide agriculture, environmental, and community organizations that are focused on finding shared policy solutions for the food system. The California Roundtable on Agriculture and the Environment focuses on issues that are of common concern to agriculture and environmental organizations including Farm Bill reform, climate change, land use, and food safety. The California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply focuses on the critical challenge of water use and availability for farms, cities, and the environment.
- Facilitation/Consulting Services: We offer facilitation and consulting services globally for organizations and government entities that are seeking to engage stakeholders, run more effective conferences, and understand the challenges facing the food system. Our core competency is cutting-edge facilitation and meeting design.
Thanks for visiting us. We hope you find our work and our site of benefit.
The Latest From the Field
News from our Alliances
Announcing Our New San Diego Food System Alliance Coordinator
May 2012 We are pleased to announce the selection of Keryna Johnson as Ag Innovations Network’s new Alliance Coordinator for the San Diego Food System Alliance.
Read More »San Mateo FSA hosts a school garden awards ceremony with Margo True from Sunset Magazine
The Alliance hosted the first School Garden Award Ceremony on 4/28, celebrating and recognizing school garden educators and students throughout the county.
Read More »Save the Date: Field to Fork, July 19
Mark your calendars for the second annual Field to Fork fundraiser for House Farm Workers!
Read More »News from our Roundtables
Ag Water Resource Center
Dec. 2011 On December 8, 2011, CRWFS launched a new and expanded online Agricultural Water Stewardship Resource Center.
Read More »Cultivating Civility - A New Approach to Old Water Wars
July 2011 This op-ed by Roundtable member, Dr. Juliet Christian-Smith of Pacific Institute, describes the power of consensus-building bodies like the California Roundtables.
Read More »CRWFS Releases Ag Water Stewardship Recommendations
June 2011 On June 22, the California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply released a set of recommendations to shift thinking and spur appropriate action to balance the water needs of both farms and aquatic ecosystems.
Read More »News and Events
A New Concern For California Citrus Lovers
May 2012. One of the most feared diseases of citrus fruits has for the first time been discovered in California. Citrus greening, otherwise known as Huanglongbing or yellow dragon disease, is a fatal and incurable bacterial infection of citrus that is transmitted by the tiny Asian Citrus Psyllid bug. The infected tree was found in Hacienda Heights, a suburb of Los Angeles.
Read More »Marin Agricultural Housing in the News
Apr. 2012. Dan Schurman, CEO of Ag Innovations Network, has been working with stakeholders in Marin County to improve the quality and quantity of housing for farm workers. The project was recently applauded in a Marin Independent Journal editorial, Housing program for Marin ag workers deserves support. Click to download a pdf version of the article.
New Project to Address Regulatory Coordination
Mar. 2012. Ag Innovations Network is launching a new project to reduce the environmental regulatory burden on specialty crop producers, while simultaneously preserving California’s ecosystem services.
Read More »Ag Water Stewardship Resource Center Launches
Dec. 2011. On December 8, 2011, the California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply launched a new and expanded online Agricultural Water Stewardship Resource Center to assist growers and ranchers, water suppliers, and others in making effective farm water management decisions.
Grist Covers Ag Innovations Network and the James Beard Food Conference
Oct. 2011. Thanks to Kerry Trueman of Grist for her coverage of the recent James Beard Foundation Food Conference facilitated by Ag Innovations Network’s president, Joseph McIntyre. Her article is a good read.