Among the recipients of Kern County’s Catalyst Projects is the city of McFarland, Mujeres Activas, and the McFarland Community Foundation, which will receive a $359,000 fund to launch the North Kern Innovation Hub. This is a collaborative effort focused on closing the inequality gap in workforce equity, job creation, and economic development.
Kern County’s Catalyst Projects invested nearly $9 million in organizations across Kern County as part of the California Jobs First Initiative. The investment from these projects can help grow the economy, create jobs, and prepare for a cleaner energy future.
The funding supports projects in five key categories: farming and agriculture, clean energy and new technology, job training and workforce programs, small business support, and health and community support.
“In terms of the future, part of the catalyst grant funds is looking at and taking all of this research that we are doing as part of it and turning that into a formalized innovation, which would facilitate agricultural technology and research development there, facilitate workforce development initiatives, and really help to stimulate the growth of agricultural companies in the region,” said Paul Saldana, economic development manager for the City of McFarland.
Saldana also mentioned that part of the business plan for the development of the innovation includes a virtual location for people to come together and discuss all things involving research and development.
“Typically, innovation hubs would be a physical location where somebody can use labs or testing equipment or other types of things in order to look at future technologies. They can also access research and development that is taking place at universities, not just in California but across the United States. So, it is a place where folks can come together and do that type of activity, but it doesn’t necessarily have to start as a physical location. It actually can be a virtual location to start as those things are developed over the course of time,” said Saldana.
According to the Kern Coalition, the North Kern Innovation Hub’s primary goals are to create and establish 10 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with industry partners and to recruit 500 individuals to participate in community listening sessions.
“Our goal of establishing 10 MOU agreements with industry partners and engaging 500 individuals in community listening sessions demonstrates our commitment to measurable, equitable growth for underserved communities,” said the Kern Coalition in a statement.
Saldana also said that the City of McFarland is beginning to network partnerships and plans to continue that work over the next seven months. He also noted that preliminary activities will begin in March and continue into April.
City officials also plan to utilize a website to support community engagement and provide project updates.
“Once we get that website up, we will have a component where the community can not just monitor the activity, but also engage directly as well as sign up to get information on different elements that are taking place with respect to this project. There will be different forms and opportunities to do that,” Saldana said.
By connecting agricultural innovation and workforce development, city officials are confident the funding will provide a needed stepping stone for workforce development in the city of McFarland.
