A smiling man wears glasses, a baseball cap, a light green denim jacket, and a Farm Aid badge around his neck.

steve schwartz

His Life Journey

Non-Profit Executive, Organic Farmer, Advocate.

The Son of a Holocaust Survivor

and a School Teacher.  

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Forming His Values from the Peace Corps to the State Capitol.

The image depicts the dome of the California State Capitol building in Sacramento, illuminated at sunset against a black background.
Peace Corps logo featuring a white dove inside a blue circle with red and white flowing stripes, and the words 'Peace Corps' in bold blue letters.
Green circular stamp with the text 'No Pesticides' repeated around the circle and diagonally across the center.
A collage of three vintage photographs showing groups of people, and a Peace Corps patch with an American flag design.

Steve served in the Peace Corps in Thailand where he taught rural villagers about sustainable farmimg.

After earning master’s degree with honors from the the University of Southern California, Steve served as a graduate fellow at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Then Steve rolled up his sleeves as a grassroots organizer for Democratic legislative campaigns across California. In the late 1990s, Assemblywoman Julie Bornstein recognized his organizational and public policy skills and hired him.

At the time, Steve was the State Capitol's youngest Chief of Staff. He later served as Chief of Staff to Assembly Member Virginia Strom-Martin, who represented the North Coast.

In the State Capitol, Steve worked to help pass some of nation’s toughest anti-pesticide legislation and laws to promote sustainable agriculture.

From an Organic Farm to a Table

to Setting the Table for Everyone.

Inspired by his Peace Corps experience and propelled by his parents’ values, Steve pursued a lifelong dream—becoming an organic farmer who championed land preservation. He built a business plan, leased land, sold at local farmers' markets, hosted agricultural tourism at his home, New Carpati Farm, for more than 20 years, and learned firsthand the rewards and challenges of farming.

Steve built a successful and thriving organic farm specializing Oyster and Crimini Mushrooms.

Still, Steve wanted to help others succeed. So in 1998, he founded the nonprofit California FarmLink to help farmers gain access to land and capital. Today, as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), FarmLink is nationally recognized for providing more than 900 loans and $100 million in financing to farmers who would otherwise not have access to capital.

Two men, one in a suit and tie, the other in a chef's coat, shaking hands over a plate of mushrooms in a restaurant or café.
Logo for California Farmlink featuring white illustrations of a plant with buds, a landscape with stripes, and a small house on an orange background.

Collaborating for Empowerment, Tolerance, and Peace.

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Illustration of four overlapping circles with religious and cultural symbols and a seated figure meditating above them, alongside the words 'Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative.'

Continuing his mission to grow a resilient and equitable food system, Steve founded the Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative, partnering with more than 600 faith communities and organic farmers to expand affordable access to local, farm-fresh foods. The organization has supported Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh congregations in creating community gardens and nutrition incentive programs for low-income families.

Display of colorful fresh vegetables at a market stall, including squash, yellow bell peppers, green cucumbers, multi-colored bell peppers, and red tomatoes, with signs indicating prices.
Text reading "Senior Farmer's Market Nutrition Program" with a graphic of various vegetables and fruit including cauliflower, corn, cucumber, banana, apple, grapes, and a pumpkin.

In 2021, Steve led a coalition that successfully secured California’s first-ever state augmentation of federal Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program dollars.

Today, he serves as the National Coordinator for FaithLands, supporting communities in 28 states as they grow food on land owned by religious institutions. He has served on the statewide board of the California Reinvestment Coalition (now Rise Economy), helping ensure financial institutions invest in low-income communities and communities of color.

An Advocate for Educational Equity and Local Control.

Steve Schwartz believes public education is the great equalizer—and he brought bold, results-driven leadership to his service on the Gravenstein Union School District Board. As Board President, he led decisive reforms: restructuring an inequitable dual-track program so every student received a high-quality education, expanding union representation for classified employees, and forging stronger community partnerships, including revitalizing youth sports programs.

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A Interesting Human Being and a North Bay kind of Dad

Steve is the proud father of Talia and Noa. He was also their soccer coach. Steve can have an engaging conversation in Spanish, Thai, and Laotian, and can order off a menu in Hebrew. He served on the boards of the International Farm Transition Network, Sonoma County Farm Trails, and the Marin Food Policy Council, and is a current board member of Congregation Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa

In case you’re wondering—Steve’s two favorite crops are shiitake and oyster mushrooms. Yes, they’re fungi—not vegetables—and he’s happy to tell you how to grow them and why that makes them so fascinating.

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Text reading '100% Organic Leadership' with a green leaf and plant graphic.