Berkeley Farmers’ Markets
Welcoming Portia Bramble, Our New Food and Farming Program Director
Published June 1, 2026 · Written by Ecology Center
The Ecology Center is delighted to welcome Portia Bramble as our new Food and Farming Program Director.
Portia joins us after nearly two decades of leadership at the North Coast Growers’ Association, where she served as Executive Director from 2008 to 2026. Under her leadership, NCGA grew from a grassroots organization with a $100,000 budget into a $2.5 million regional food systems leader operating nine certified farmers’ markets, the Harvest Hub cooperative food distribution program, and agricultural training and educational programs serving more than 150 farmers and ranchers across California’s North Coast.
For those who familiar with the broader landscape of food and farming work in California, Portia is not a new name. She is a founding member of the California Alliance of Farmers’ Markets and the California Market Match Consortium, two statewide coalitions the Ecology Center convenes. She currently serves as Chair of the CDFA Certified Farmers’ Market Advisory Committee, a role she has held since 2024 after more than six years on the committee. She has been a leading voice in shaping California’s nutrition incentive policy, including advocacy that led to the $35 million state appropriation for the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) in 2024.
In her new role, Portia will lead the Ecology Center’s Food and Farming work, including the Berkeley Farmers’ Markets, the Farmers’ Market EBT Program, the statewide Market Match program. And she will continue to grow the California Alliance of Farmers’ Markets as it builds capacity for farmers’ markets across the state. She brings deep expertise in federal and state grant management, food hub development, equity-centered programming, and coalition-building, as well as long-standing commitments to Tribal food sovereignty partnerships and food access in rural communities.
“Joining the Ecology Center is a natural next chapter in work I have been part of for many years,” Portia said. “The Ecology Center has anchored statewide Market Match and the California Alliance of Farmers’ Markets since their inception, and I have been a partner in both. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring my experience from California’s North Coast to this role and to support the Berkeley Farmers’ Markets while continuing to work alongside the farmers, advocates, and communities who are building a healthy, just food system across California. I am humbled by the opportunity to work with such a dedicated team at an organization with a values-aligned mission I wholeheartedly support.”
Portia holds an M.A. in Social Sciences from Cal Poly Humboldt and a B.A. in Global Politics and Environmental Policy from Pitzer College. She recently completed Harvard’s Leadership, Organizing, and Action executive leadership course. She currently lives in Humboldt County and will work in a hybrid capacity, splitting her time between Berkeley and the North Coast.
We’re excited to welcome a leader with Portia’s depth of experience and collaborative approach to guide our Food and Farming work. Her leadership will strengthen our programs and partnerships, advancing both our on-the-ground services and our policy efforts to help build a healthy, sustainable, and just food system for the East Bay, California, and beyond.
Please join us in welcoming Portia to the Ecology Center community. You’ll see her at the markets, hear her in policy conversations, and experience firsthand her thoughtful, committed approach to this long-term work, building a food system that serves our communities today and for generations to come.
