Central Coast Food System Network Matcher

Interactive map of 100 organizations across 6 Central Coast counties

🌱 Welcome to the Network Matcher

Purpose: This tool helps food system organizations and individuals across California's Central Coast discover potential partnerships by matching their needs with other organizations' available resources, and vice versa.

Goal: Strengthen regional food systems by facilitating connections between farmers, processors, distributors, nonprofits, educational institutions, cooperatives, and service providers—ultimately improving food access, sustainability, and economic resilience in our communities.

Coverage: Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties.

📖 Instructions

1. Explore the Map

Organizations are displayed as colored dots on the map. Each color represents a different organization type (see the legend below the map).

2. Click an Organization to See Connections

When you click on any organization dot, the tool will:

Draw lines connecting it to its top partnership matches
Display detailed match information below the map
Show any unmet needs that have no network partners

3. Understanding Connection Lines

Line colors show the relationship direction:

Orange: The partner can provide resources the selected organization needs
Green: The selected organization can provide resources the partner needs
Blue: Mutual benefit—both organizations can help each other equally

Line thickness and opacity indicate match strength—thicker, more solid lines mean stronger compatibility.

4. How Matches Are Scored

The matching algorithm calculates compatibility points based on:

Point System:

• High-priority need matched with Extensive resource = 10 points
• High-priority need matched with Some resource = 7 points
• Moderate need matched with Extensive resource = 6 points
• Moderate need matched with Some resource = 4 points
• Low-priority need matched with Extensive resource = 3 points
• Low-priority need matched with Some resource = 2 points
• Same county bonus = +5 points

Points are awarded in both directions: when the selected organization's needs match a partner's resources AND when the selected organization's resources match a partner's needs.

5. Export Data

Use the export buttons to download organization and match data in JSON or CSV format for further analysis.

📋 Join the Network

Want to add your organization or yourself to the Network Matcher? Complete our survey to be included in the partnership matching system.

📄 Download Survey (English) 📄 Descargar Encuesta (Español)

The survey can be completed by organizations or individuals. Return completed surveys to the network coordinator.

Organization Types

Farmer/Producer

Processor

Distributor

Nonprofit

Education

Cooperative

Service Provider

Network Connection Legend

Click any organization to see its network connections. Line color and thickness show match type and strength.

Orange Lines - Partner Helps Selected Org

Partner provides resources the selected organization needs

Green Lines - Selected Org Helps Partner

Selected organization provides resources the partner needs

Blue Lines - Mutual Benefit

Equal exchange of resources between organizations

Line Thickness = Match Strength

Thicker, more opaque lines indicate stronger matches with higher compatibility scores

Quick Stats

100

Organizations

Counties

2967

Potential Matches

About This Tool & Data

GitHub Repository:

pluricalifornia/cc-food-system-building-tool

Live Site: https://pluricalifornia.github.io/cc-food-system-building-tool

📁 Data Export Options:

Organizations (JSON/CSV) — All 100 organizations with their names, types, counties, locations, needs (with priority levels), and resources (with availability levels)
Matches (JSON/CSV) — Top 10 partnership matches for each organization, including match scores and the scoring methodology

CSV files can be opened directly in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet application.