About CAFA
"We have lacked a focused voice and this is a great chance to change that!"
-Joe Rominger, Hay Grower, Winters and CAFA Steering Committee Member and Treasurer
Alfalfa is grown on over a million acres in California, in nearly every agricultural county in the state. In 1997, California's alfalfa and hay production topped the $1 billion mark and underpins California $3.6 billion dairy industry. It impacts many other industries from cheesemaking to trucking, beekeeping to horseracing. Together with the "other hays" (sudangrass, small grains, and grass hay) the acreage of forages total more than 1.8 million acres in California. Yet, to date, growers have not had a representative voice in the state.
The California Alfalfa and Forage Association (CAFA) was formed in January, 1998 when a small group of producers launched the organization with the unanimous support of the California Farm Bureau Hay Committee. The org anization is grower-led, but members of support industries and others are encouraged to participate.
The goals of the of the organization are to:
- Educate the public about the importance and role of alfalfa and forages in California, including its environmental and wildlife benefits.
- Exhibit leadership for the industry as a whole and act as a communication link to the public, to public agencies, and to private industry for alfalfa and forage producers.
- Support alfalfa and forage research on issues of vital importance to growers of forage crops such as water use and water quality, pest resistance and pest control.
- Provide a wide range of specialized services to the hay and forage industries including newsletters, member directory, and web services.
