Central Coast Farms
Production Food Safety Policy & Regulations Technical Assistance Alternative Enterprises Ag Liaison
Central Coast Farms
Your research and extension source for small and urban farmers

Our Mission

As part of UC Cooperative Extension, our mission is to enhance the quality of life and the environmental and economic well-being of the people of California through research and education.

Our Farm Advisors and staff provide outreach, technical assistance, and networking opportunities to small and beginning farmers, limited resource farmers, and local food system stakeholders in the region. Some of our outreach topics include: crop production, soil health management, irrigation and nutrient management, integrated pest management, alternative enterprises, and marketing.

We provide technical assistance with federal, state, and local regulatory compliance requirements (FSMA, ILRP, SGMA, CalDPR, and various county permits). We also provide technical assistance with submitting applications for and on-farm implementation of federal, state, and local incentive programs (CDFA HSP and SWEEP, ARI) and disaster relief programs.

Our program staff are fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish.

Who we Serve

Farms with diverse and specialty crops

Our farmers and the fruits and vegetables they grow are as diverse as the region we live in. These crops are marketed through various channels and reach consumers locally and worldwide.

Small and moderate-sized family farms

We use the term small farm broadly to describe farming operations whose research and extension needs are not served by traditional extension programs, such as highly diversified farms, farms with value-added products or direct marketed produce, and limited-resource, beginning, and historically underserved farmers.

Photo by Melati Citrawireja/Berkeleyside

Urban, suburban, and rural farms

In our metropolitan region, farmers operate in rural, suburban, and urban areas. Urban farms often have non-farming neighbors and rely on strong community relationships. These farms’ broad goals include economic viability, environmental sustainability, community development, healthy food access, and food sovereignty. (Photo by Melati Citrawireja/Berkeleyside)

 

Meet our Program Team

Dr. Lucy Diekmann

lodiekmann@ucanr.edu | 408-282-3104

Lucy is the Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Advisor for Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. She works with community-based organizations, local government and agency partners, food system networks, and urban farmers and gardeners.

Lucy’s Google Scholar Page

Dr. Aparna Gazula

agazula@ucanr.edu | 408-282-3127

Aparna is the UC Cooperative Extension Small Farms & Specialty Crops Farm Advisor for Santa Clara, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties. She works with small and diversified farms in the region to help them improve their competitiveness and agricultural productivity, thus supporting their sustainability and viability.

Aparna's Google Scholar Page

Julie Morris

jfmorris@ucanr.edu | 408-201-0674 | cell: 831-245-5367

Julie is the Agricultural Liaison for Santa Clara County. As a member of the UC Cooperative Extension team, Julie will facilitate and expedite agricultural projects in Santa Clara County by supporting economic and community development of local farms and ranches.

View Julie's CV
 
 

Meet Our Program Staff

Becca Xu

Community Education Specialist

becxu@ucanr.edu | 408-686-3678

Becca has a BS in International Agricultural Development from University of California-Davis, and a Master in Business of Food from Cornell University. Her current interests include supporting small farmers with integrated pest management, healthy soil and water usage efficiency programs. Becca is fluent in English and Mandarin. Becca also enjoys spending her free time hiking, going to farmers market, and drawing. 

 
 
 
 

Cici Cui

Community Education Specialist

czcui@ucanr.edu | 408-478-5767

Cici has a BS in Biological Systems Engineering from University of California-Davis. During her time in college, she worked for UC Davis Pantry which helped address food insecurity, as well as getting hands on experience in sustainable agricultural practices when working at food engineering lab. Her current interests include supporting small-scale, diversified, and socially disadvantaged farmers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Cici is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

 
 
 
 

Michelle Petersen

Community Education Specialist

miapetersen@ucanr.edu | 408-201-0684

Michelle has a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing Management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She serves as the Small Farms Program Food Safety Educator in the region. Her professional objectives include assisting small farms on the implementation of produce safety methods to meet FSMA compliance regulations. Her specific areas of interest include innovative traceability systems, increasing consumer safety and minimizing enterprise liability. Michelle provides extension outreach to new and underserved farmers including language support for Spanish growers.

 
 
 

Karla Cornelio

Staff Research Associate

ktcornelio@ucanr.edu | 408-201-0652

Karla has a MSc. in Horticulture and Agronomy with a specialization in crop production from University of California-Davis. She has worked in technical positions in greenhouses, small farms, and in the landscaping or commercial horticulture industry since 2016. Her current interests include supporting small farmers with their irrigation and nutrient management practices, and providing technical assistance for Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) compliance requirements.

 
 

Meet Our Fellows & Student Assistants

 

Lauren Pong

Grizzly Corp Fellow

lopong@ucanr.edu | 408-201-0675 

Lauren has a BS in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California-Berkeley. During her undergraduate years, Lauren engaged in research exploring the relationship between soil health and landscape contexts in Bay Area farms. Her current interests extend into climate adaptation and supporting local farmers to sustainability thrive in our shared agro-food system. Lauren is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

 
 
 
 

Aaron Barry

Aaron is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering at Portland State University. He helps Aparna with various ongoing Small Farm projects, rodent control, and miscellaneous field trials.

Granville Goza

Granville is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona. He helps Aparna with various ongoing Small Farm projects, rodent control, and miscellaneous field trials.