A second round of funding is likely to be offered later this year to cover expenses from fiscal year 2022. CCOF will notify the community when those funds areThe Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund—named to honor founding CCOF member Barney Bricmont—is the only fund in the nation that provides direct financial assistance exclusively to organic producers who suffer financial losses due to extreme hardship.
The CCOF Foundation awarded $169,500 in grants in 2021!
This is the highest amount of financial assistance given by CCOF to organic producers who have experienced hardship since the fund’s inception in 2007. Grants were awarded in $2,500 to $5,000 amounts, and special consideration was given to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
Hardship assistance was given to organic producers suffering at the hand of the COVID pandemic, as well as those affected by fires, smoke, drought, and other extreme weather events.
One of the beneficiaries of this fund in 2021 was Sea to Sky Farm, a beloved member of the Santa Cruz food community. Chris and Dana Laughlin grow organic fruit, vegetables, and herbs at farm sites in the redwood forests and along the Pacific coastline. When fires swept through the Santa Cruz mountains last year, the Laughlins lost their fruit orchard, equipment, and farm facilities. Financial assistance from the Hardship Assistance Fund helps makes it a little bit easier for farmers like the Laughlins to recover and continue farming.
For more information on CCOF’s Hardship Assistance program, please see: https://www.ccof.org/page/bricmont-hardship-assistance-fund.
Thank you to the 2021 Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund’s supporters:
Aaron Lucey and Genevieve Albers
Bonterra Organic Vineyards
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Cally Haber
Cathy Calfo
CCOF North Coast Chapter
CCOF North Valley Chapter
CCOF Pacific Southwest Chapter
CCOF Processor/Handler Chapter
Corey Brandon and Ilsa Dohmen
Dana Ford
Forager Project
Heath & Lejeune
James Cockrell and Becky Blythe
John and Renee McKeon
Meluka Honey
Michael Eckstein
Michelle and Jeff Huckaby
Nisha Carrow
Organically Grown Company
RAW Farm, LLC
Steve Lustgarden and Susan Kauffman
Tami Weiss