Posts Tagged: Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative

Share your favorite Extension methods March 27

Academics and staff who want training, networking and new extension ideas are invited to join the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative panel for a webinar featuring lightning presentations by UC ANR colleagues showcasing valuable extension tools. They will provide practical demonstrations and explain how they use the tools to engage with clientele.

When: Wednesday, March 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Where: The webinar will be via Zoom. Login details will follow registration.

Register at  https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=42298.

Why: To generate durable and accessible resources for professional development of extension and outreach methodology skills. To cross-pollinate ideas between academic discipline social circles within the broader ANR community.

Who should attend:

• New academics for training and networking

• Seasoned academics who want new ideas

• Community educators engaging with Californians through UC ANR's statewide programs

If you are interested in presenting or have ideas for presentations, please submit your ideas at https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=42272. 

“My Favorite Extension Methods” webinar will be recorded and posted at https://ucanr.edu/sites/Professional_Development/Webinar_Archive/#Spotlight.

 

Food waste, nutrition in prison focus of webinars Feb. 22, 29

The UC ANR Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative Panel will be hosting two 90-minute public webinars in February about food waste (Feb. 22) and nutrition in correctional systems (Feb. 29). UC ANR staff and academics, collaborators and partners and the public are invited to participate in the free webinars.

The UC ANR Sustainable Food Systems Emerging Issues Webinar Serieswill first cover food waste on Feb. 22.

“The Sustainable Food Systems strategic initiative panel aimed to highlight innovative solutions to emerging issues within the food system from field-to-fork,” said Danielle Lee, UC Nutrition Policy Institute director of communications and research engagement. 

“Over one-third of all available food in the U.S. is uneaten through food loss or waste – totaling up to over $160 billion – which has negative impacts on food security and the climate,” she said. “Households could save over $370 per person each year by reducing or preventing food waste. Additionally, when uneaten food ends up in the landfill, it generates greenhouse gases, and landfills are now the third largest producers of methane in the U.S.”

“California's adoption of SB 1383 aims to solve these problems,” Lee said. “You'll meet experts who are implementing consumer education and organic waste recycling programs aligned with SB 1383.”  

The second webinar, on Feb. 29, will focus on nutritious foods for residents of correctional facilities.

“We also wanted to touch on novel, local food distribution systems that can be used to support nutrition security through improved access to affordable, healthy and nutritious foods for underserved communities,” Lee said.

“We chose incarcerated people as our case study population for two reasons – the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is the single largest public purchaser of food in the state and studies have shown that 63% of incarcerated individuals rarely or never have fresh vegetables and 55% rarely or never have fresh fruit.”

California has two policies that can support institutional procurement of fresh produce – AB 822 and AB 778.

“The Harvest of the Month program is an innovative solution to implementing these policies while supporting improved nutrition security for incarcerated individuals,” Lee said. “Prison gardening programs can not only provide therapeutic benefits to residents, but also reduce recidivism rates and serve as workforce development opportunities to better prepare residents for returning to their communities post-incarceration.”

Part 1 - Harvesting Solutions: A Trio of Perspectives on Addressing Food Waste from Field to Fork

Thursday, Feb 22, at 10-11:30 a.m. PT

To minimize food waste, three experts explore factors influencing food loss and waste, delve into innovative recycling techniques, and explore statewide initiatives targeting household food waste. Experts in postharvest handling, food waste recycling and community education will share research findings and strategies.

Agenda:

• An overview of food waste in fruits and vegetables
  Deirdre Holcroft, Holcroft Postharvest Consulting
• Exploring means to extract embodied energy and lower greenhouse gas emissions in food waste recycling
  Michael Cohen, UC Cooperative Extension organic materials management and agri-food systems advisor for Santa Clara County
• The opportunities in statewide programs in reducing household food waste: Results from UC ANR household food practice needs assessment
  Yu Meng, UC Cooperative Extension youth, family and community advisor in Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial counties

Part 2 - Farm to Corrections: Cultivating Justice through Nutrition and Gardening Initiatives

Thursday, Feb. 29, at 10-11:30 a.m. PT 

Experts share insights on groundbreaking initiatives for justice-involved individuals' access to California-grown produce and nutrition and gardening education. Innovative initiatives such as a “Harvest of the Month” program by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in collaboration with the Nutrition Policy Institute and Impact Justice aim to increase access to fresh, locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables and trauma-informed nutrition workshops. They also highlight the impact of UC Master Gardener projects on rehabilitation and workforce development.

Agenda:

• Produce during and after prison: Increasing justice-impacted individuals' access to California-grown produce and nutrition education
  Carolyn Chelius, UC ANR Nutrition Policy Institute; Heile Gantan, Impact Justice; Lance Eshelman, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations
• UC Master Gardeners Prison Gardens Projects
  Missy Gable, director of the UC Master Gardener Program

Learn more and register at https://ucanr.edu/sites/StrategicInitiatives/Sustainable_Food_Systems/Events.

 

Engage with program teams and workgroups in the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative

How are ANR Strategic Initiatives connected with program teams and workgroups? Learn about the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative and the important role of allied program teams and workgroups. How do these different parts of our organization function? How do they connect? What's the best way to get involved? And how can participation result in new collaborations, peer mentoring, research projects, and publications?

Learn from a panel of UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists about how they participate in program teams and workgroups. This one-hour event organized by the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative panel is open to everyone. It will be especially helpful for newer ANR academics as they explore UC ANR and the many ways of connecting with colleagues.   

Join us on Monday, Nov. 13, from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom: 

https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/92346020490?pwd=Um9aRlYrdlozOHAxdXpTaXhuRzF2dz09 

Meeting ID: 923 4602 0490

Passcode: 335930

For more information, contact Rachel Surls at ramabie@ucanr.edu.

Sustainable Food Systems SI seeks new panel members

Two new members are being recruited for the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative (SFS) panel.

 

 

The SFS Initiative is one of five UC ANR Strategic Initiatives that help unify, communicate and advocate for the work we do in UC ANR. The Sustainable Food Systems SI encompasses UC ANR's work in sustainable production, intensive agriculture systems, safe food processing, and enhanced food access. 

 

The SFS panel tasks include contributing to UC ANR's strategic plan, identifying themes and priorities for the future, identifying research and extension gaps, providing input on staffing, and highlighting important work in UC ANR related to sustainable food systems. We identify time-sensitive opportunities based on strategic priorities, convene meetings, engage stakeholders, and foster dialogue. 

 

Appointments to the panel are for two- or three-year terms. The two individuals appointed will start their term in January, 2023.

Anyone within UC ANR or with an Agricultural Experiment Station appointment is eligible to apply.  

 

Applications are due Nov. 15, 2022.  Please apply at 

https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=39314.

 

For more information, please contact Rachel Surls, UC ANR Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative Leader and UCCE  sustainable food systems advisor for Los Angeles County, at ramabie@ucanr.edu.

UC ANR goes to Washington

“We visited offices of 26 of California's 55-member congressional delegation in two days!” said Lucas Frerichs, government and community relations manager. 

On March 6-9, a UC ANR delegation attended the 35^th Annual Council on Agriculture Research, Extension and Teaching (CARET) meetings in Washington D.C. CARET is part of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). They also made congressional visits to explain the importance of science and research to California.

“Our primary purpose for the visits was to show the members of Congress all the good work UC ANR is doing throughout California, whether it's through our Cooperative Extension efforts, 4-H Youth Development program, nutrition programs, Integrated Pest Management, Master Gardeners, etc.,” Frerichs said, “and the value that Californians receive from the money Congress allocates to the university for UC ANR programs.”

Vice President Glenda Humiston was joined by AVP Wendy Powers, UCB College of Natural Resources Dean Keith Gilless, UCR College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences Dean Kathryn Uhrich, Nutrition Policy Institute Director Lorrene Ritchie, UC Cooperative Extension Specialist Clare Gupta, Chief Innovation Officer Gabe Youtsey, and Frerichs. Industry partners Bill Frost, former UC ANR AVP; Cher Watte, executive director of the California Asparagus Commission; Mike Mellano, fresh cut flower grower; Dina Moore, Humboldt County rancher; and Jean-Mari Peltier, managing partner of Environmental Solutions Group, served as CARET delegates from California.

The group split up into teams to visit the offices of Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, agriculture committee members, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and other California representatives.

Although no U.S. secretary of agriculture had been confirmed at the time of their visit, members expressed their support for agriculture.

“One thing that members of Congress – Republicans and Democrats – can certainly agree on is that the support for agriculture and the University of California is strong,” Frerichs said.

Read more about the CARET visits in Powers' ANR Adventures blog. 

Read more