Founded in 1998, the Multiethnic Small Farm and Community Development Corporation (MESF CDC) has as its mission to address the needs of historically-underserved multiethnic and women small farmers and communities in the California Central Valley area. They provide various services such as technical assistance for community and economic development strategies as well as education and training for leaders, USDA field staff, and citizens in enterprise zones and other rural communities. MESF CDC serves as a learning laboratory for comprehensive community development in rural areas with high levels of poverty and as an extended outreach mechanism for USDA agencies, including Rural Development, Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation, and for members of the Multiethnic Center Community Lending Consortium.