Salinas & Pájaro Valley Small Business Initiative

El Pájaro CDC joined the Salinas and Pájaro Valley Small Business Initiative along with Agriculture and Land Based Training Association (ALBA) and the Business and Community Partnership. ALBA established the initiative with the goal of providing business education, business incubation and assistance, and policy education and advocacy to a larger audience in the Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Because of the primarily agricultural based economy, seasonal work leaves many people looking for other forms of income throughout the year. This Initiative recognizes this need and seeks to find ways to reach the community to ensure economic sustainability throughout the year.

Why was this Initiative Created?
In the past migrant workers have travelled to the Pájaro Valley during agricultural season and then left to do other work during the rest of the year. This migratory pattern has changed in recent years. People have continued to stay in the Pájaro Valley during the non-agricultural seasons, causing higher levels of poverty in the region. United States Census Data estimates poverty levels in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties as high as 11-14%, though poverty levels are reported even higher in the smaller communities of Watsonville, Gonzales and Salinas as high as 17%. These statistics can often be attributed to the temporal nature of agricultural work.

How Does the Initiative Offer Help?
Because of the need to boost the economy by providing jobs during the non-agricultural season, the Initiative provides support to business entrepreneurs in the rural economy. Wealth creation is especially pertinant in this area because of the high level of poverty, the seasonal nature of agricultural work, and the need for micro-enterprise and small business development. Through this partnership we are able to reach an expanded community to provide business training and technical assistance to farmers and other business entrepreneurs in a greater area. We work in connection with ALBA to provide business training to farmers that are either starting or already own a small farming business.

Impact of the Initiative

• Support to Small Business Farmers
• Support to underserved groups seeking to start a business
• Encourage Networking between Farmers and Business Owners
• Job Creation
• Job Retention