Programs · Sierra foothills
Find the track for
the work ahead.
Five support tracks for working land, from producer readiness and water systems to markets, workforce, and restoration.
Choose a starting point
One operation.
Different kinds of support.
Explore who each track suits, the support involved, and what it helps prepare.
Track 01Accepting inquiriesProducer Readiness & TransitionA support path for producers preparing resilience projects, practice changes, and program-ready applications.
Who it’s for
- Beginning farmers and ranchers
- Existing operations changing practices
- Land stewards preparing for cost-share applications
How we can help
- Practice selection and site-fit review
- Program readiness review across state and federal sources
- Application package assembly and regional partner routing
What we help prepare
A practical transition roadmap.
Track 02PilotInfrastructure & WaterA planning track for water resilience, irrigation modernization, pumps, storage, and infrastructure upgrades.
Who it’s for
- Growers upgrading irrigation or pumps
- Ranches improving storage and distribution
- Operations preparing water-efficiency baselines
How we can help
- Pump, meter, drip, and storage project scoping
- Baseline collection for water and energy use
- Vendor quote organization
What we help prepare
A clearer infrastructure scope.
Track 03Accepting inquiriesMarkets & Regional InfrastructureA track for producer-side market readiness, aggregation needs, handling infrastructure, and regional food-system coordination.
Who it’s for
- Producers entering new sales channels
- Small farms improving packaging or processing readiness
- Partners building regional aggregation or buyer pathways
How we can help
- Market-readiness assessment
- Packaging, storage, and logistics scoping
- Buyer, aggregation, or regional partner context gathering
What we help prepare
A market-readiness path.
Track 04In developmentWorkforce & Technical AssistanceA track for workforce development coordination, technical assistance navigation, workshops, and producer support capacity.
Who it’s for
- Producer groups needing training
- Partners coordinating technical assistance
- Operations that need help moving from idea to application
Planned support
- Workshop, field day, and cohort design
- Technical assistance coordination
- Application support workflows
What we help prepare
A support plan with ownership.
Track 05PlannedEcological RestorationA developing track for hedgerows, riparian buffers, soil rebuilding, and habitat restoration.
Who it’s for
- Land stewards planning habitat or riparian work
- Operations improving soil, edges, or water retention
- Partners developing restoration programs
Planned support
- Restoration concept scoping
- Partner and technical review routing
- Practice sequencing
What we help prepare
A restoration concept that can mature.
Accepting inquiries and Pilot tracks are open for initial conversations. In development and Planned tracks are still taking shape. Project fit, available support, and timing are reviewed individually.
Not sure where to begin?
Tell us what needs to change.
You don’t need to choose a track first. A few details give SARF a useful starting point.
- Location
- Your county and operating context.
- Project goal
- The practice or problem you want to address.
- Timing
- The season, deadline, or next decision.