About Us
At the Center for Land-Based Learning, we believe that young people have the capacity to think critically, make positive decisions, work together and lead their communities. Our programs target high school students because:
- There are so few experience-based programs in agriculture and environmental sciences for this age group.
- The mid-teens are developmentally the appropriate time to instill skills that help students make positive, informed decisions about their futures.
- It's the right time to introduce students to the resources and practical information that encourages post-secondary studies related to environmental sustainability
CLBL Programs in California
- Use farms, ranches and natural ecosystems as educational laboratories for inner-city, suburban and rural high school students;
- Impart appreciation for where food comes from and knowledge about environmental stewardship;
- Connect students to their communities while developing leadership skills and the ability to work cooperatively in diverse groups.
Information for Funders
IRS Form 990-2004 — 2004-2005 fiscal year (PDF download)
IRS Form 990-2005 — 2005-2006 fiscal year (PDF download)
IRS Form 990-2006 — 2006-2007 fiscal year (PDF download)
Click the logo above to view our GuideStar report.
Mission
Our mission is to engage youth in learning experiences on the land that foster respect for the critical interplay of agriculture, nature and society.
History
The Center for Land-Based Learning began as The FARMS Leadership Program, launched in 1993 by walnut farmer Craig McNamara.
Five high schools from Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, and Marin counties were selected to participate in the first FARMS program with a total of 30 students and six teachers.
Since then, we've initiated new FARMS Leadership Program sites across California, including sites in Orange and Sonoma counties, Riverside, the north state, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Fresno and Los Angeles. 
In 2001, we formed the SLEWS Program by partnering with Audubon California's Landowner Stewardship Program, effectively doubling the number of students we served annually.
The result of this dramatic growth and increased demand led to the formation of FARMS Leadership, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, in February, 2001. That same year, we moved to new headquarters at The Farm on Putah Creek in Winters, California.
In 2004, we changed our name to Center for Land-Based Learning to reflect our broader scope of programs. The Center continues to add new FARMS Leadership Program and SLEWS sites around California. At the Farm on Putah Creek we host tours, workshops and educational field days related to sustainable agriculture, natural resource conservation, and ecological restoration.
This growth (we now reach almost 2,000 students a year!) has been possible with partnerships and collaboration among schools, teachers, farmers and ranchers, universities and colleges, farm bureaus, resource conservation districts, and funding from local, state and federal sources.
SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS -- 2007-2008
CLBL honors and thanks all of its supporters. Our website lists corporate sponsors and public agencies and private nonprofits supporters as requested.
Corporate Support
PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS (partial list)
- Mary A Crocker Trust
- McNamara Family Foundation
- Mimi and Peter Haas Fund
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- Panta Rhea Foundation
- Resources Legacy Fund
- Richard Kunde & Saralee McClelland Kunde Fund of the Community Foundation Sonoma County
- San Diego Community Foundation
- Save-the-Redwoods League
- S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation
- The Irma Ceunis & Simone Wynant Foundation
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
- Audubon California Landowner Stewardship Program
- Cache Creek Conservancy
- California Conservation Fund
- Ecological Farming Association
- Putah Creek Council
- Second Harvest Food Bank, Orange County
- The Nature Conservancy – Northern Central Valley
- The Xerces Society
PUBLIC SECTOR
- County of Yolo – Department of Planning, Resources, and Public Works
- County of Yolo – ACTM Community Enhancement Fund
- Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District
- Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee
- San Joaquin Council of Governments
- Natural Resource Conservation Service – California Office
- Natural Resource Conservation Service – Plant Materials Center
- Natural Resource Conservation Service Field Offices – Tehama, Glenn, Butte, Yolo, Solano, San Joaquin/Stockton, Fresno, Napa, and Petaluma
- Solano County Water Agency
- University of California Cooperative Extension – Orange, Fresno, San Joaquin, Yolo, Solano, and Sonoma Counties
- US Fish and Wildlife Service
BUSINESSES/ORGANIZATIONS
- American Ag Credit
- Clover Stornetta Farms, Inc.
- East Bay Municipal Utilities District
- Farm Credit Associations
- Farming D/Woolf Enterprises
- Harris Farms
- Lundberg Family Farms
- Oliver’s Market
- Orange County Water District
- Orange County Fair & Exposition Center
- Resources Law Group, LLP
- Sacramento Natural Foods CO-OP
- Sacramento Valley Farm Credit
- San Joaquin-Stanislaus County Cattleman’s Association
- Sutter Health
- The J.M. Smucker Company
- Trader Joe’s
- Vino Farms
- Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS
- University of California, Davis
- University of California, Riverside
- California State University, Fresno
- California State University, Chico
- California Polytechnic University, Pomona
- Sonoma State University
- Santa Rosa Junior College
- Butte College
- San Joaquin Delta College
- Modesto Junior College
- West Hills Community College
- Reedley Community College
Resource Conservation Districts
- Butte County RCD
- Colusa County RCD
- Glenn County RCD
- Tehama County RCD
- San Joaquin County RCD
- Southern Sonoma RCD
- Solano County RCD
- Yolo County RCD
- Westside RCD
- FARM BUREAUS
FARM BUREAUS
- Yuba-Sutter Farm Bureau
- Fresno County Farm Bureau
- Orange County Farm Bureau
- San Joaquin County Farm Bureau
Trade Associations
- California Walnut Commission
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF
National Advisory Board
- Paul Dolan
- A.G. Kawamura
- Fred Kirschenmann
- Anna Lappe
- David Mas Masumoto
- Michael Pollan
- Will Rogers
- John Scharffenberger
- Howard-Yana Shapiro
- Nancy Shapiro
- Alice Waters
Board of Directors
- Bevery Becker (Chairman)
- Director of Development
- Pesticide Action Network of North America (PANNA)
- Geralyn Gorshing (Vice-Chairman)
- Senior Manager of Marketing
- CPS Human Resource Services
- Tony Delevati, CPS (Treasurer)
- Principal, Ullrich-Delevati CPA’s
- Jenny Lester-Moffitt (Secretary)
- Marketing & Sales Director
- Dixon Ridge Farms
- Craig McNamara (President & Founder)
- Owner
- Sierra Orchards
- Joanie Benedetti
- Director of Public Relations
- Clover Stornetta Farms, Inc.
- Andrea Clark
- Associate, Water Law
- Downey Brand Attorneys LLP
- Jay Cutler
- Retired
- Attorney-at-Law
- Sue Haderle
- CFO, COO
- Resources Legacy Fund
- Michael Honig
- Owner
- Honig Vineyard & Winery
- Annie King
- Professor, Department of Animal Science
- University of California, Davis
- Mark Linder
- Co-Founder
- Community Minded Partners
- Fatima Malik
- Student, International Agriculture Development
- University of California, Davis
Staff
- Mary Kimball, Director
- Nina Suzuki, SLEWS Sacramento Valley Director
- Neal Thayer, SLEWS Sacramento Valley Coordinator
- Susie Douglas, SLEWS/FARMS San Joaquin Coordinator
- Michael Barnes, Farm on Putah Creek Manager
- Karen Swan, FARMS Sacramento Valley Coordinator
- Claudia Sersland, FARMS Fresno Coordinator
- Nani Teves, SLEWS Northstate Coordinator
- Betsey Ballash, Bookkeeper and Administrative Assistant
Associated Staff
- Jason Sweeney, FARMS/SLEWS Sonoma Coordinator (in partnership with Southern Sonoma RCD)
- Gayle Cory, FARMS Orange Coordinator (in partnership with Orange County Farm Bureau)
What's New
