California Farm Bureau

What California Farm Bureau does

California Farm Bureau is a 106-year-old non-profit membership organization headquartered in Sacramento, California, founded in 1919 by delegates from 32 county Farm Bureaus meeting in Berkeley. It serves more than 26,000 farmers, ranchers, and families across all 58 California counties through a tiered structure that connects county-level affiliates to the state organization and the American Farm Bureau Federation. The organization operates as the state's largest agricultural advocacy body, providing policy representation, labor compliance support, insurance partnerships, and continuing education to its members.

The product and service portfolio spans advocacy, media, education, labor, insurance, and member benefits. Core publications include the weekly Ag Alert newspaper (published since 1921, 36,000 subscribers) and the quarterly California Bountiful magazine. Farm Bureau Extension, launched in 2021, delivers free continuing education webinars with DPR and CCA credits, while the wholly owned Farm Employers Labor Service (FELS) conducts roughly 2,000 worksite visits annually for labor compliance training. Advocacy infrastructure includes FarmTeam, a grassroots email/text alert platform that mobilizes member contact with legislators, and FarmPAC, the largest agricultural political action committee in California. Insurance and financial benefits flow through a 90+ year partnership with Nationwide (protecting $11.1B in member farm and ranch assets) and a network of 14+ Select Partners agencies. No proprietary technology platforms or AI/ML capabilities are described; the technical footprint consists of web-based member portals, email/text messaging systems, and webinar delivery.

The business model is a subscription/recurring membership model funded by annual dues across three tiers: Agricultural Membership for farmers, ranchers, and ag professionals (price not publicly disclosed), Associate Membership for consumers and supporters (price not publicly disclosed), and Collegiate Membership for students aged 16-24 ($25/year). Membership auto-renews annually, and dues are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions but may be deductible as ordinary business expenses. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer online, phone, and mail enrollment with community-led acquisition through the 58 county Farm Bureaus and event-driven engagement via YF&R, Leadership Farm Bureau, and FarmTeam advocacy alerts. Revenue is complemented by programmatic funding through the California Bountiful Foundation ($6.7M in managed research funding) and select government partnerships such as a $1.1M CDFW wolf-livestock compensation program.

Name

California Farm Bureau

Legal name

California Farm Bureau

Website

https://cfbf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

California Farm Bureau is a 26,000+ member non-profit agricultural advocacy organization founded in 1919, serving farmers and ranchers across all 58 California counties with policy representation, publications, labor compliance, insurance, and continuing education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Association Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory Compliance, Permitting & Audit Readiness (Food Safety, Environmental, Labor) (AFACAJAE)

Keywords

• Agricultural advocacy services
• Farm membership association
• Agricultural publications
• Farm labor compliance
• Rural health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from Agricultural, Associate, and Collegiate members. Being part of a county Farm Bureau automatically provides representation at local, state, and national (American Farm Bureau Federation) levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

California Farm Bureau is a membership-based agricultural organization that provides advocacy representation at local, state, and federal levels alongside publications, continuing-education programs, labor compliance services, and exclusive member discounts on equipment, insurance, and business services. Members enroll through Agricultural, Associate, or Collegiate membership tiers and access offerings such as the Ag Alert weekly newspaper, California Bountiful quarterly publication, Farm Bureau Extension training, Farm Employers Labor Service (FELS), and the Select Partners insurance network.

Product overview

California Farm Bureau operates as a membership-based agricultural organization offering a unified platform of advocacy, publications, educational programs, and member services. The core membership structure includes three tiers: Agricultural Membership for producers, Associate Membership for supporters, and Collegiate Membership for students. Key products include the Ag Alert weekly newspaper for agricultural and collegiate members, the California Bountiful quarterly publication for associate members, and the Farm Bureau Extension educational platform providing free CE courses. The organization delivers advocacy tools through FarmTeam (grassroots alerts) and FarmPAC (political action committee), supports workforce development via the Farm Employers Labor Service (FELS), and fosters future agricultural leaders through Leadership Farm Bureau, Young Farmers & Ranchers, and the Scholarship Foundation programs. Additional services include the Rural Health & Safety Program and Select Partners insurance network. The Voice of California Agriculture Podcast provides ongoing audio content on agricultural issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agricultural Membership Annual membership tier for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals providing access to the Ag Alert weekly newspaper, Farm Bureau Extension continuing education, member discounts on equipment and services, and advocacy representation at local, state, and national levels. Price is not publicly disclosed.
• Associate Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 36,000 Ag Alert subscribers, 62,000 monthly website page views, 61,000 social media followers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Farm Employers Labor Service (FELS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021FELS helps members address tight labor markets and safety regulations, making 2,000 worksite visits annually to provide training and consultations. Reached over 1 million video and audio impressions providing guidance on California farm labor regulations compliance.
• Nationwide InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationwide is the official insurance and financial services provider of California Farm Bureau, protecting $11.1 billion in farm and ranch assets for members. Partnership includes Select Partners program connecting members with local insurance agents. Nationwide has been committed to Farm Bureau for over 90 years.
• Select Partners Insurance AgenciescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of 14+ local insurance agencies across California counties (Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Imperial, Lake, Mendocino, Merced, Napa, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Yuba-Sutter) that understand agriculture and are endorsed by county Farm Bureaus. Agencies pledge to provide best consultative service and solutions.
• California Bountiful FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation managed $6.7 million in research funding, assisting 178 farmers and ranchers with programs including Healthy Soils Program supporting conservation on 38 citrus farms, and Expanding our Roots mentorship for 40 beginning farmers and ranchers.
• SyngentaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Farm Bureau Extension Continuing Education Series webinars in 2026, offering DPR and CCA credits for members.
• Almond Board of CaliforniaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner with Farm Bureau Extension to provide online CE courses through Almond California Learning Hub, making past sessions available for on-demand viewing.
• California Department of Fish and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia Farm Bureau partnered with CDFW for $1.1 million program to compensate ranchers facing livestock loss from wolf attacks, providing critical protection for livestock producers.
• American Farm Bureau FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia Farm Bureau is a state-level member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, enabling Voice of Agriculture to be amplified at local, state, and national levels.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)minorOthersUSDA allocated $9 million to support stranded California peach growers; collaboration on New World screwworm response and eradication efforts.
• Ag in the ClassroomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate program helping students understand agriculture and food sources. Educational outreach to schools across California.
• University of California Cooperative ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership; the university and its Cooperative Extension Service prompted the founding of Farm Bureau in 1919, with Humboldt County creating the first California county Farm Bureau in 1913.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farm Bureau Federation: The national umbrella organization of which California Farm Bureau is a state affiliate. Highly comparable: same membership model, same advocacy function, same publications and educational programs, just operating at the federal level across all U.S. states.
• National Farmers Union: A national agricultural organization advocating for family farmers and ranchers through state chapters. Comparable in mission and advocacy function to CFB, though historically more progressive on policy and structured differently at the state level.

Direct peers

• Texas Farm Bureau: A large, state-level general farm bureau serving Texas farmers and ranchers with a comparable membership, advocacy, insurance, and publication model. Directly comparable in structure and value proposition, though operating in a different state.
• Iowa Farm Bureau: A major state farm bureau with a similar multi-tier membership, advocacy, ag publications, and member benefits stack. Comparable as a state-level general farm bureau, though Iowa's commodity mix and political environment differ from California.
• Illinois Farm Bureau: Large state-level farm bureau with the same county-state-national structure, member benefits, and advocacy focus. Functionally a direct peer to California Farm Bureau in terms of operating model and member services.
• Florida Farm Bureau Federation: A state-level general farm bureau with the same county-state-national structure, insurance partnerships, and member benefits model as CFB. Directly comparable in operating model, though operating in a different state and agricultural mix.

Regional players

• Western Growers Association: A California- and Arizona-based trade association representing specialty crop producers. Comparable as a regional agricultural advocacy organization in California, though focused on produce/fresh commodities rather than the broad agricultural constituency CFB represents.
• California Cattlemen's Association: A California-based livestock trade association providing advocacy and member services to cattle ranchers. Comparable as a California-focused agricultural advocacy organization, though narrowly focused on cattle versus CFB's broad agricultural remit.
• California Agricultural Council: A California-based agricultural trade association representing farmer-owned cooperatives and commodity groups. Comparable as a California ag advocacy organization, though with a more cooperative-business focus versus CFB's individual farmer/rancher membership base.

Others

• Cooperative Extension (UC ANR): The University of California Cooperative Extension Service, which actually prompted the founding of California Farm Bureau in 1919. Comparable as a provider of agricultural research, education, and extension services to California farmers — an adjacent enabling institution rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cafarmbureau
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CalFarmBureau
• Facebookfacebook.com/cafarmbureau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-farm-bureau-federation
• Instagraminstagram.com/cafarmbureau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Farm Bureau