In early November, the California Organic, Agroecological, and Regenerative Transitions (COAR) project team gathered at UC Merced to reflect on the first year of work and set goals for the new year. This gathering marked a key milestone in the project’s progress, demonstrating how policy-informed research can directly help farmers, scientists, and policymakers make tangible progress towards California’s ambitious climate goals. By keeping researchers and policymakers in close conversation from the outset, the project is generating knowledge that is directly applicable to the social and climate challenges facing California’s food and agricultural systems.