About

Yolo County’s farmers and farmworkers need secure, affordable housing on the lands they care for. 

California’s agricultural success depends on the labor of hundreds of thousands of farmworkers. About 90% of these workers are Spanish-speaking immigrants. Roughly ¾ are undocumented, and an estimated ⅓ live in overcrowded or unsafe conditions. 

A 2024 assessment of Yolo County farmworker health shows similar findings. It also reveals that nearly half of the county’s ag workers spend over half their income on rent — far exceeding the threshold for affordability. 

The report concludes that “farmworkers need permanent, affordable housing they can own.”  The same is true for next generation’s farm business owners, who say high land and housing prices are a primary barrier to establishing successful businesses. 

In fact, the lack of affordable housing in rural Yolo County affects just about everybody working in agriculture: 

1. Farmworkers live in crowded conditions and struggle to find housing close to work. When they do, rent eats up a dangerous amount of monthly earnings. 

2. It is increasingly difficult for the next generation of farmers to get established in agriculture – land and housing are among their greatest hurdles.

3. Without local housing stability for workers, established farmer-employers struggle to retain a dedicated workforce.

Casagraria, an emerging community land trust (CLT), seeks to address this problem by creating permanently affordable housing and equity for farmworkers and underserved farmers. CLTs are 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that acquire and steward land for community benefit—ensuring that housing remains affordable across generations. Qualifying (typically low-income or historically marginalized) residents can own their homes subject to resale restrictions, while the underlying land remains in trust.

Casagraria is the first community land trust we know of that is designed to support rural farmworkers and underserved farmers in California. This emerging CLT aims to: 

• Provide affordable housing on and near working farms

• Build equity for farmworkers and underserved farmers

• Foster the long-term health of the land and community

Conceived of by visionary Capay Valley farmer Paul Muller of Full Belly Farm, and guided by an advisory council of local farmworkers, Casagraria is preparing to launch its first two pilot projects! These projects together could provide as many as 9-10 affordable, equity-building homes for Capay Valley farmworkers. Read more in Projects.

By moving land to community ownership and housing to worker ownership, Casagraria is helping to root equity, resilience and belonging in California’s food system.