Ecosystem Project
Rancho Corralitos
Focus Area Land Access
Partners The People’s Land Fund, Manzanita Capital Collective, Dirt Capital Partners, La Cultiva, and Kitchen Table Advisors
Location Central Coast
Project Started in 2021
In 2021, KTA collaborated with The People’s Land Fund and Dirt Capital Partners on the purchase of a 177-acre parcel of organic farmland in Watsonville with a plan to transfer ownership to a group of Latino and Latina immigrant farmers at a reduced cost. The land project, named Rancho Corralitos, was designed in response to severe barriers to organic farmland access reported by BIPOC producers in the Central Coast – an area denoted by high land costs and a limited availability of small acreage plots. Farmers that KTA partners with in the region seek secure land to support the stability of their businesses as well as to root in ecological stewardship of the land. However, land affordability in addition to cultural and language barriers stemming from deep systemic inequities can make ownership opportunities unreachable. By breaking down barriers to land access, Rancho Corralitos offers BIPOC farmers the opportunity to grow stable, thriving businesses and invest in regenerative farming practices that build climate resilience.
Ecosystem Building Snapshot: 2025
From the beginning, Rancho Corralitos was a deeply collaborative project, with each partner organization contributing diverse yet complementary strengths to the project. Dirt Capital contributed farmland acquisition expertise, while The People’s Land Fund managed legal filings and served as the holder of the loans. La Cultiva played an important role in managing and transitioning the property, while Manzanita Capital Collective provided funding for the project. Alongside these partners, KTA leveraged our connections to the local farming community, funders, and technical assistance providers, and guided our clients through land leasing and financial planning.Together, our organizations leveraged an integrated capital strategy that entailed equity financing, grants, and low-cost loans to purchase the land.
After years of preparation, at the end of 2024, a group of seven KTA client farmers transitioned onto the land full time, leasing smaller acreage plots for their farm businesses. As these farmers adjust to the new land, they continue to engage with KTA for support navigating the property. Meanwhile, KTA, the Cultiva, Dirt Capital Partners, Manzanita Capital, and The People’s Land Fund will continue creating a pipeline culminating in an eventual total land transfer, allowing eligible, interested farmers to fully buy and operate the land at a reduced cost.
In understanding the needs of regional Latino farmers and launching this cross-organization collaboration, our organizations were able to innovate around capital and farmland transfer models, shifting the landscape of organic farmland ownership in the Central Coast.
