1. The Three E’s of Agriculture: Equity and Sustainable Food Systems
APA California Conference
September 25, 2017
Trish Kelly
Managing Director
Trish Kelly
Managing Director
September 25, 2017

2. Valley Vision Food and Ag Portfolio
Next Economy
Central Valley AgPlus Food and Beverage Mfgr. Consortium
Food and Ag Workforce Cluster
Food System
Sacramento Region Food System Action Plan
Healthy Foods Task Force
Farm to School Network
Related Projects:
Farm to Fork
Stockton Food Action Plan
Connected Capital Broadband Consortium
Community Health Needs Assessments
Food Waste to Energy

3. Agricultural Assets/Gaps
And yet…
90-160% increase in food served by food banks over 6 years
22.5 million pounds of food distributed by the region’s food banks annually
Increasing levels of overweight and obesity
$215 million could be added to the local economy from more participation in federal nutrition assistance programs
Our bounty…
$2.4 billion in farmgate value
More than 150 different crops
3.4 million tons annual tons of production
7200 farms and ranches; 1.3 million acres
More than 37,000 related jobs
More than $7.2 billion in economic value
Sources: Food System Action Plan, SACOG

4. Food System Action Plan
Integrates full spectrum of food system issues within a single policy framework
Identifies gaps and prioritize actions
Provides roadmap for regional and local action
More than 250 community stakeholders engaged
First-ever: food desert maps overlaid with major food access points including emergency food distribution sites (SACOG); nonprofit inventory; food distributed through emergency food system and gaps

5. Goal 1: Ensure the viability of the food and ag economy at all scales.
Goal 2: Increase the amount of locally-grown produce distributed to the regional food system.
Goal 3: Increase access to fresh, healthy produce, especially in underserved communities.
Goal 4: Increase consumption of healthy foods through access to food and nutrition education and knowledge.

6. Food System Action Plan Implementation
Food Access: Emergency Food Distribution System
Urban Ag Policies and Projects
Workforce Pathways
Other Food Access/Literacy Projects

7. Food Access

8. Emergency Food Provider Network
Four major food banks serving 22.5 million pounds of food, including 7.5 million pounds of fresh produce
Serving 245,000 people through 400 distribution sites, but gaps and inefficiencies
Moving to fresh produce model, more cold storage and hub capacity needed
Community Foundation funded feasibility study to increase efficiencies, build infrastructure capacity matched to food desert and hunger gaps

9. Emergency Food System Map – Sacramento County
>400 food service providers in the emergency food system network
Gaps in emergency food distribution in food deserts
Food banks as change agents - leading the way toward a fresh produce model
Organizational & infrastructure capacity needed to increase ability to handle fresh produce, address food insecurity, improve health

10. Urban Ag
Sacramento Urban Ag Coalition - City and County of Sacramento adopted urban ag ordinances; includes Incentive Zone, with tax incentives for landowners (vacant, blighted parcels)
Soil Born Farms and Yisrael Family Urban Farm are leaders – focusing on youth education to expand the movement, and giving residents tools to grow their own food
Soil Born – 55 acre American River Ranch site, runs a school garden program at 10 campuses in 2 school districts (in food deserts) supported by California Endowment Building Health Communities; sells organic produce at farm stand, through CSAs, and to stores, restaurants, etc.; Harvest Sacramento

11. West Sacramento Urban Farm Program
Managed by the Center for Land-Based Learning
Public and Private sites, 5 urban farms with 8 farm entrepreneurs
Sponsors: City, banks, grocery stores, private developers, and ag businesses
Leasing reduces barriers to entry but still costs for soil remediation, irrigation, water hook ups and other fees
Contributing to community redevelopment, environmental remediation, food desert access

12. Education/Workforce Development – Pathways out of Poverty
Valley Vision identifying career pathways in high demand occupations to address critical skills gaps, working with Los Rios Center of Excellence and SACOG
GAPS: next generation farmers and farm mangers; in-field and off farm technicians and mechanics; drivers; food processing, packaging and distribution workers; ag and food science technicians
More than 1,000 projected job openings a year
K-12, Strong Workforce Program pathways

13. More Cluster Urban vs. Rural Jobs

14. To Increase Local Food Production We Need Farmers
Developing 1st Certified California Ag Apprenticeship Program, building on current farm academy programs

15. Other Food Access, Food Literacy Strategies
Food hubs/food incubators: SACOG food hub case studies, Alchemist CDC incubator feasibility study for underserved communities (place-based job creation)
Sac City Unified School District Central Kitchen project, Healthy Food Task Force/School Wellness Policy
The Farm to School Network to help identify school district procurement capacities and needs for locally sourced foods (Procurement policies are a barrier)
Food Literacy Center – weekly after-school programs in elementary schools, new urban farm and Literacy Center

16. Contact:
Trish Kelly, Managing Director, Valley Vision 2320 Broadway, Sacramento, CA (916) web.pdf