San Mateo County FSA Blossoms
SMFSA meeting at the Farm Bureau Offices
The San Mateo County Food System Alliance has been breaking ground for the Food System Alliance movement since its formation in November 2006. As the first Food System Alliance in California, the group has sought to bring together all the parts of the San Mateo County food system into a cohesive group capable of creating an ever healthier and more vibrant local food economy.
Throughout 2007 the group worked hard to hear and understand the very different perspectives on food and farming in the County from the views of “coast-side” farmers and fishermen to “bay-side” community service workers struggling against poverty and obesity. This is the first Alliance in California to seat both the County’s Agricultural Commissioner and its Public Health Officer, creating an unprecedented opportunity to link local food production to healthy citizens.
In its first year of operation the group developed its constitution and implemented an effort to get San Mateo County Mayor’s to sign-on an appeal for US Farm Bill Reform. As the group enters its 2nd full year of operation it has set three areas where it wants to focus its efforts:
- Promoting integrated health and nutrition education programs at all local elementary schools.
- Enhancing the connection between local producers and large institutional buyers of food.
- Encouraging increased local food production by looking at land use patterns in the County.
The San Mateo FSA is a new model for how citizens can get involved with making the County a great place to live, work, and eat for everyone.
Farm Bureau and Food Bank Meet to Explore Opportunities to Collaborate
SMFSA meeting at the Farm Bureau Offices
In July, 2008 the Board of Directors of the San Mateo County Farm Bureau met with management of the Second Harvest Food Bank of San Mateo County. The group toured the Food Bank’s facility in San Carlos and discussed opportunities for growers to provide fresh produce to the Food Bank for distribution to agencies serving the needy in San Mateo County.
Hunger is a serious problem in California
These discussions were productive. The group identified areas requiring further study and development of additional information. Since the meeting, the Food Bank has provided the Farm Bureau with a schedule of food deliveries to agencies serving the Coast-side region of San Mateo County (Montara-Half Moon Bay-Pescadero). The expectation is that Food Bank trucks will pick up produce from growers and packaging facilities in the area on their return trip to the San Carlos facility.
The Farm Bureau is exploring development of a centralized location on the Coast-side for collection of fresh produce for subsequent pick up by the Food Bank’s trucks.
The group also discussed how growers could contract with the food bank to sell all or a portion of their crop to the food bank at a pre-agreed price. This arrangement would provide a more certain market for a portion of the grower’s crop.
San Mateo County abundance.
This collaboration grew out of a regular monthly meeting of the San Mateo County Food Systems Alliance at the Second Harvest Food Bank in April, 2008. Unlike other Alliances, the San Mateo group early on decided that it would rotate its meetings between locations around the County. The members felt this would be a good way to learn more about the different needs around the large and diverse county. What they did not know was that it would lead to new connections between members! Food Bank employee, Terry Witzel arranged for a tour. While walking through the distribution center, San Mateo County Farm Bureau staff member Tim Frahm, had the idea that it would be good for the Farm Bureau board to visit and meet at the Second Harvest Facility. This would give Farm Bureau board members a chance to explore how the two organizations might work to address to food security issues in the County. This is a small but wonderful example of how a Food System Alliance brings unusual partners together to explore change. We will keep you posted on outcomes.