Marisa Alcorta

Marisa has worked to support new farmers with training in farm economics, marketing, and production for two decades. She is the Apprenticeship Program Manager at the Center for Land-Based Learning’s California Farm Academy (CFA). Marisa is currently developing one of the first registered apprenticeships in agriculture in the state, which trains individuals for the occupation of a Beginning Farm and Ranch Manager. She also develops the curriculum for CFA’s Farm Business Incubator program, and acts as a mentor to incubator farmers.

Marisa worked for 7 years at the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s ATTRA Project with underserved farmers in California, helping them understand what it takes to achieve profitability. Apart from being a farm educator, Marisa has also farmed herself over the years, as an apprentice, a farm partner and a farm manager. In the past Marisa also managed a small farmer marketing cooperative in Ohio and helped launch one of the first successful farmers’ markets in her hometown of Austin, Texas.

Marisa received a B.S. in Plant Science from Cornell University, and a M.S. in Horticulture & Agronomy with an emphasis in Viticulture from UC Davis. She lives in Winters with her husband who is a partner at Terra Firma Farm, where they grow 200 acres of certified organic fruits, vegetables and nuts. Marisa joined the FarmLink board in 2018 to follow her passion for helping small farmers find a path to economic viability.