What We're Discovering

Understanding the Landscape

Why This Matters

How ORCA Can Help

Through pre-apprenticeship assessments, ORCA is finding that many California farm-to-school programs may not have complete documentation of inputs, testing, or safety protocols

These programs operate across 24+ agencies with overlapping requirements—which can be challenging to navigate without specialized support

ORCA is exploring how our apprenticeship program or our standalone program can help districts strengthen their operations while meeting agency expectations

Current Compliance: Programs serving children must meet today's requirements across 24+ agencies—enhanced documentation and safety protocols protect everyone

Program Sustainability: Understanding requirements across multiple agencies helps programs thrive long-term and avoid problems

2030 Preparation (Bonus): While meeting today's requirements, programs can simultaneously establish baseline data that will be valuable when climate-smart agriculture standards take effect

ORCA is assessing the feasibility for a farm-to-school support—either through apprenticeship programs or standalone technical assistance

We work collaboratively with districts, farms, and agencies to understand current practices and explore strengthening opportunities

Our approach: meet today's regulatory requirements first, then prepare for 2030 standards

Let's Explore Together

We'd like to understand your program better and see if ORCA can be helpful. Let's start with a conversation.

Understanding the 24+ Agency Landscape

California farm-to-school programs interact with many different agencies across federal, state, and local levels. Coordinating across these jurisdictions can be challenging—especially for programs that grew organically.

Federal Level

(5 agencies)

EPA Region 9 - Compost/biosolids standards

FDA - Food Safety Modernization Act enforcement

USDA Food and Nutrition Service - School meal programs

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service - Organic certification

USDA Food Safety Inspection Service - Outbreak response

State Level

(12 agencies)

CDFA Farm to School Program - Procurement, educational gardens

California Department of Education - Meal programs, funding

California Department of Public Health - Food safety

Department of Pesticide Regulation - Pesticide use, residues

CalRecycle - Compost facility regulation

State Water Resources Control Board - Water quality

California Air Resources Board - Composting emissions

Cal/OSHA - Workplace safety for staff

Department of Industrial Relations - Labor law

California Department of Social Services - CalFresh coordination

Department of Health Care Services - Public health

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment - Risk assessment

Local/Regional Level (7+ agencies per county)

County Environmental Health Departments - Food facility inspection

County Agricultural Commissioners - Local pesticide enforcement

Regional Water Quality Control Boards - Local water quality

County Air Quality Management Districts - Local air emissions

County Office of Education - Work permits

County Public Health Departments - Local health oversight

Local Fire/Building Departments - Facility safety

Total: 24 agencies minimum (5 federal + 12 state + 7 local/regional)

Additional agencies may be involved depending on specific program activities

ORCA's Observation:

Through our assessment work, we're finding that coordinating across these agencies can be challenging—especially for programs that started small and grew organically. Many excellent programs simply haven't had time to build comprehensive documentation systems that address all these jurisdictions.

Educational Resources

Featured blog posts to help you understand the landscape

Is Your Soil Safe?

6 min read

The Hidden Liability

7 min read

Gateway Reading (Start Here).

A community conversation about compost safety, input sources, and why testing matters. Accessible introduction for anyone concerned about soil quality in food production programs.

Technical Deep-Dive

(For Those Ready to Understand the Details)

The 2030 Transformation

10 min read

Technical Deep-Dive (For Those Ready to Understand the Details)

20 min Read

Understanding heightened duty of care when programs serve children, the "exemption trap" of FSMA compliance, and how insurance coverage can be voided by undocumented practices.

How California is catching up to European agricultural standards, why data-driven enforcement is inevitable, and what apprentices as "translators" means for farm-to-school programs.

Real lab analysis showing 5,000 ppm aluminum, 270:1 ammonia:nitrate ratio, enzyme suppression mechanisms, and what "passing all EPA standards" actually means for soil biology and vulnerable populations.

Common Questions

Is this going to be expensive?

Question:

Answer:

We're still assessing the best service model and exploring funding options. Many districts may qualify for state grants that support workforce development and compliance assistance. Let's have a conversation about your specific situation.

How long does the assessment process take?

Question:

Answer:

Initial conversations are informal and quick—usually 30-60 minutes. If you decide to move forward with partnership, the timeline depends on your needs and what already exists. Some districts have most documentation in place; others need to build from scratch.

Question:

What if we're just starting a farm-to-school program?

Answer:

Perfect timing! It's much easier to build proper systems from the beginning than to retrofit them later. ORCA can help new programs start with best practices in place.

Question:

Answer:

ORCA is currently working directly with regulatory agencies to assess the feasibility of creating either an apprenticeship program or standalone technical assistance program for farm-to-school operations.

When working with schools, ORCA operates with full transparency about regulatory obligations: If ORCA becomes aware of issues that could pose safety risks to students, staff, or community—especially when children are involved—ORCA has a legal obligation to notify the appropriate agency. This isn't about enforcement or punishment; it's about ensuring children's safety, which is everyone's shared priority.

ORCA's approach is collaborative: we work with districts to identify and address concerns before they become problems. The goal is always to help programs strengthen their operations, not to create regulatory trouble. But we cannot and will not ignore safety issues involving children—and we're upfront about that from the start.

Will ORCA report problems to regulators?

Question:

Answer:

This is exactly why documentation systems matter. When any staff person leaves—founder, manager, coordinator—their replacement shouldn't have to start from scratch or continue practices they don't understand. ORCA helps programs build systems that survive staff transitions at every level, not just founder retirement.

Our founding teacher/coordinator is retiring soon. What happens to the program?

Question:

No. ORCA is exploring multiple support models: apprenticeship placement, standalone technical assistance, or hybrid approaches. We'll work with you to determine what makes sense for your district.

What about organic certification—doesn't that cover safety?

Organic certification is valuable but focuses primarily on inputs and prohibited substances. It doesn't cover heavy metal accumulation, PFAS contamination, or many other safety concerns. ORCA's approach complements organic certification by addressing areas organic standards don't fully cover.

Question:

Question:

Answer:

Is this really necessary for small programs?

California's requirements apply regardless of program size. However, the level of documentation and testing can be scaled appropriately. Small programs benefit from understanding what's expected and building simple systems that protect everyone.

Answer:

Do we need to have apprentices to work with ORCA?

Answer: