Posts Tagged: SAREP
Building institutional markets for plant-based proteins
This spring, the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP) is joining a nationwide effort led by the non-profit Health Care Without Harm to build new markets in the healthcare sector for locally produced plant proteins.
More than 39% of Americans are looking to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets (1). High-protein legume crops, like peas and beans, help meet this consumer demand for more “plant-forward” diets while also benefiting the environment through their role in building healthy farm soils.
Connecting producers of plant-based proteins to nearby hospitals through farm-to-hospital programs can be a win-win for participants — producers benefit from a new market while hospitals advance their mission to promote and protect community health through better diet-based interventions (2).
The success of a farm-to-hospital program hinges on building successful collaborations and sometimes requires restructuring existing contracts or exploring new ones.
“Local food purchasing can be challenging with hospital food supply chains,” says Gail Feenstra of UC SAREP. “But the interest is there: sourcing local fresh foods and plant-based protein is good for diets and for regional prosperity. Hospitals and producers sometimes need someone to help bring them together to figure out how everyone can benefit. That's where this project comes in.”
The project team, which also includes the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Colorado State University Extension and Ecotrust, will be organizing a series of events in the coming year connecting health care representatives with producers in their regions.
These “meet and greets” will give health care representatives an opportunity to share their needs for plant proteins and prepared products they'd like, and arrange special purchasing agreements with local producers.
Project participants will also receive support from Health Care Without Harm and be given access to a suite of Plant-Forward Future resources that will help them to be successful in implementing plant-forward menus.
UC SAREP is recruiting California-based producers, processors and value-added product manufacturers of plant proteins (especially dry pulses and fresh peas and beans) who are interested in learning more about selling to the health care sector.
As part of its mission of sustainability in regional food systems, UC ANR partners with communities to help ensure fresh, local food is finding its way to consumers through a growing number of channels, including farm-to-institution programs.
UC ANR offers free online trainings on direct sales and agritourism
The economic shocks brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed California's farmers and ranchers to quickly embrace new business practices — including creative new ways to sell directly to consumers. UC ANR and partners are offering an eight-part series of free virtual trainings to help producers build their businesses with agritourism and other direct-to-consumer sales.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a huge shock to California's food economy, forcing many of the state's growers to embrace new business practices and drop old ones as “shelter-in-place” directives rolled across the state.
But the pandemic's challenges bring new opportunities too. Consumers' interest in local food and local outdoor experiences has grown immensely, from community-supported agriculture (CSA) and other online ordering, delivery and on-farm pickup options, to visits to farm stands, U-pick operations and other family-friendly socially distanced outdoor activities.
Pivoting to these new marketing channels opens new revenue opportunities for farmers and ranchers across California and the nation. But each new marketing channel also demands new skills and connections.
To help build growers' skills to embrace these market channels, the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP) at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources is partnering with the Community Alliance of Family Farmers (CAFF) and expert growers across California to offer the free webinar series Agritourism and Direct Sales: Best practices in COVID times and beyond.
Through eight one-hour virtual trainings held this spring, participants will learn about best practices for implementing a variety of direct-to-consumer sales approaches. These trainings are offered to anyone interested in learning more about direct-to-consumer sales and agritourism. Topics and dates are:
Getting started with community supported agriculture |
Tuesday February 23, 11am–12pm PST |
Best practices for U-pick operations | Monday March 8, 3-4pm PST |
Operating a safe, healthy and successful farm stand | Monday March 22, 3-4pm PST |
Best practices for visitor interaction with animals | Monday April 5, 3-4pm PST |
Best practices for farm tours, workshops and farm-based education | Monday April 19, 3-4pm PST |
Online sales options and methods | Monday May 3, 3-4pm PST |
Creative marketing and staying connected with social media | Monday May 17, 3-4pm PST |
Community collaboration – farm trails, tourism partners and more | Monday May 24, 3-4pm PST |
Register at sarep.ucdavis.edu/agritourism2021.
For more information:
Penny Leff, UC SAREP, paleff@ucanr.edu, 530.902.9763 (cell)
Funding for this webinar series was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant #AM200100XXXXG177. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.
/span>Small-scale growers meet virtually to discuss organic agriculture
Over 150 current and prospective organic growers gleaned practical information shared by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources experts at the “Introduction to Small-Scale Organic Agriculture” workshop held virtually on Dec. 15, 2020. While most attendees were from inland San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles and Orange counties, a handful were
“I attended this workshop and it was very helpful to hear different aspects of organic farming from experienced people,” one attendee from Sri Lanka said in an email.
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) Director Gail Feenstra and Deputy Director Sonja Brodt kicked off the day with a presentation on program goals and resources. SAREP supports the goals of growers by developing more sustainable agricultural practices and effective regional food systems. They described a new online self-directed training program for organic specialty crop farmers in California and those in transition at https://ofrf.org/beginning-farmer-training-program. They also discussed marketing and business management.
Houston Wilson, director of UC ANR's new Organic Agriculture Institute, provided an overview of the program and pointed out that organic farming is expanding throughout California and includes more than 360 commodities. UC ANR will continue to take a lead role in developing and extending research and extension to this important sector, he said.
UC Cooperative Extension sustainable food systems advisor Rachel Surls discussed legal basics such as permits, licenses and regulations. UC Cooperative Extension organic agriculture specialist Joji Muramoto talked about the importance of soil health, a very popular and important topic. Other UC Cooperative Extension presenters covered nitrogen management (small farms advisor Margaret Lloyd), irrigation management (irrigation specialist Amir Haghverdi), integrated pest management (IPM advisor Cheryl Wilen), and plant diseases (plant pathology specialist Alex Putman).
“Thank you for the great workshop and resource links you provided for workshop materials and beyond! I have already downloaded and started to incorporate information from a few of the UC ANR pest management guidelines and legal and marketing links,” wrote an attendee from Chino. “Tips from peers are always great, too.”
During the afternoon portion of the workshop, five California organic farmers shared tips from their experiences. Carol Hamre (123 Farm, Cherry Valley) spoke about her trials and successes regarding vertebrate pest control and drip irrigation. Grace Legaspi (Tiny Leaf Micro Farm, Temescal Valley) talked about the art and science of growing microgreens. Lisa Wright (RD Flavorfull Farm, Riverside) discussed the importance of planting the right varieties in the right seasons. Arthur Levine (Huerta del Valle, Ontario) stressed the importance of collaboration and working synergistically as a team, and the importance of inclusiveness in all practices. Richard Zapien (‘R Farm, UC Riverside) shared inspiring stories and opportunities regarding the popular and successful UC Riverside community garden he manages.
“I am very glad to attend this workshop as a Bangladeshi,” wrote a grateful attendee from half way around the world. “Really, I have learned many things about organic farming in this workshop. I am working in the Tree nuts sector in Bangladesh but I have only cashew nuts plantation and processing factory…. I want to make an organic farm on 25 acres of land to cultivate vegetables, fruits, livestock, and fishing. Thanks again.”
Following the workshop, an extensive list of UCANR and external resources on topics covered during the workshop was provided to attendees https://ucanr.edu/sites/smallscalefarming/RESOURCES_/.
“I wanted to thank you for such a great webinar,” replied another Southern California participant. “I am a farm business advisor with the non-profit Kitchen Table Advisors and I learned a lot myself. Thank you for providing this list of resources. I look forward to the webinar recordings and slides, which I hope to be able to share with some of my farmer clients.”
The efforts of our co-sponsors also led to the overall success of the workshop. Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) Manager Mandy Parkes, co-moderator, discussed district irrigation and soil testing resources and handed out gift certificates throughout the day. Evelyn Hurtado from IERCD volunteered to translate the workshop recordings into Spanish and Maggie O'Neill shared membership information and resources from the San Bernardino County Farm Bureau. Other co-sponsors included the Riverside County and Orange County Farm Bureaus. The California Certified Organic Foundation promoted the workshop and heightened awareness of UC ANR's programs and activities in the field of organic agriculture.
The PowerPoint presentations and recordings in English will be posted on the UCCE San Bernardino County website: https://ucanr.edu/sites/smallscalefarming/ by Feb. 15, 2021, and the Spanish translations later this winter. Next year, if conditions allow, actual farm visits will be included.
UC ANR helps accelerate cultivation, marketing of the perennial grain Kernza
As part of its mission of sustainability in agriculture, the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP) is interested in crops that hold environmental and economic promise — such as moringa, the drought-tolerant “superfood” grown by Central Valley farmers, or elderberry, offering carbon sequestration and pollinator benefits when planted in hedgerows.
In this vein, UC SAREP is part of a recently awarded $10 million grant from USDA focusing on the adoption of a perennial grain, Kernza®, as a means to shift U.S. agriculture towards reduced tillage and increased carbon sequestration.
The Kernza-CAP project is led by Jacob Jungers of the University of Minnesota. The project team includes researchers, farmers, educators, industry leaders, policy experts and climate scientists at 10 universities and 24 non-profit and farm and food organizations nationwide.
Kernza is the trademark name for the grain bred from intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium), a non-native perennial forage grass from Eurasia introduced to the U.S. in the early 20th century.
While intermediate wheatgrass has been grown for decades in the U.S. as a forage crop, its use as a commercial grain crop for human consumption is new. Breeding efforts with Kernza have focused on traits to make intermediate wheatgrass a profitable grain crop, including increased seed yield and seed size. (Kernza is traditionally bred and is not a genetically modified crop.)
Kernza has strong potential to benefit the environment and increase farm income by producing both a premium grain and a high volume of quality straw.
As a perennial, Kernza can be harvested for several years in a row, avoiding the cycle of annual tillage resulting in carbon loss, erosion and soil degradation. The deep roots of the crop — up to 10 feet in depth — is naturally occurring, promoting carbon sequestration and increased water infiltration and mimicking native prairie grasses.
Research and early production trials have shown that Kernza can reduce seed, fertilizer and machinery costs for farmers. And, because its grain is high in protein, fat and fiber, it can be used to make flour, crackers, tortillas, bread, pasta, granola, cereal, beer and whiskey.
Kernza is being strongly promoted to early-adopter growers as a dual-use crop for grain and forage. But because it is a new crop, strong relationships with businesses in various agricultural sectors are needed to expand early adoption of processing, transporting and incorporating Kernza into farmers' operations and food products.
“A big stumbling block for getting emerging crops like Kernza off the ground is the capacity to build a community of growers, processors and sellers who can form that new supply chain,” says Gail Feenstra, UC SAREP director and Kernza-CAP team member.
“SAREP's role in the Kernza-CAP project is as something of a ‘matchmaker,' connecting the market potential in California to the nationwide Kernza coalition. We'll be convening growers, millers, bakers and brewers to figure out practical steps for adoption,” says Gwenaël Engelskirchen of UC SAREP. “In the later years of the project, we'll be looking for growers who might be interested in trialing Kernza in California.”
The Kernza-CAP project launched on Sept. 1, 2020. Results from the five-year project will include new cultivars that yield more grain and enhance critical ecosystem services, a better understanding of those ecosystem services, best practices for Kernza growers, supportive policy and educational tools, and multiple operating regional supply chains meeting increased national market demand for Kernza.
More information on Kernza, the project partners, updates and reports on research findings, additional press materials, and field day demonstration information can be found on kernza.org/kernzacap.
The Kernza trademark is owned and managed by The Land Institute, a non-profit research organization based in Salina, Kansas that is playing a critical role in developing Kernza and other perennial crops. This work is supported by AFRI Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agricultural Program (SAS-CAP) grant no. 2020-68012-31934 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Concilios de políticas alimentarias emergen como modelos para abordar las brechas en las políticas locales.
En un creciente número de comunidades, los concilios de políticas alimentarias (también llamados “sistemas de alianzas alimentarias”) han surgido con el fin de abordar las brechas existentes en las políticas locales que se enfocan en los alimentos. La mayoría de las comunidades cuentan con transportación, vivienda y políticas sobre el uso de la tierra, pero las políticas alimentarias con frecuencia no existen. Los concilios de políticas alimentarias (FPC, por sus siglas en inglés) son una forma importante de reunir a los miembros de la comunidad con el gobierno local para promover la salud social, económica y medioambiental de los sistemas alimentarios locales.
Los concilios de políticas alimentarias están conformados por representantes de muchos sectores del sistema alimentario, incluyendo granjeros, distribuidores, minoristas, operaciones de servicio de alimentos, instancias gubernamentales (como salud pública, servicios sociales del condado y departamentos condales de agricultura) y organizaciones comunitarias que trabajan en el sistema alimentario. Algunos FPC también desarrollan una estrecha colaboración con las oficinas condales de Extensión Cooperativa de UC para facilitarles su trabajo.
Los FPC apoyan una variedad de políticas y programas relacionados con los alimentos y agricultura, incluyendo acceso a alimentos saludables, planeación del uso de la tierra, obtención local de alimentos, desperdicio de alimentos, desarrollo económico y alimenticio, procesamiento local de alimentos y reglamentos relacionados con las granjas urbanas o huertos comunitarios, solo por nombrar algunos.
Una breve historia de los concilios de políticas alimentarias
Los FPC surgieron a finales de los 1980 cuando los movimientos sobre agricultura sustentable y alimentación/nutrición empezaron a poner más atención a los sistemas alimentarios comunitarios. Los primeros FPC fueron creados a través de resoluciones de organismos gubernamentales locales (Clancy et al 2008). En ese tiempo, tendían a formar parte del gobierno, más como comisión de planeamiento o de servicio social. Cuando el movimiento local alimentario empezó rápidamente a expandirse en los años 2000, muchos activistas y organizaciones locales empezaron a crear los FPC como una forma de reunir a un grupo más diverso de participantes en el sistema alimentario. Esta nueva generación de FPC fueron organizados típicamente fuera del gobierno como una organización no lucrativa o una coalición comunitaria. Estudios sobre los FPC, incluyendo los nuestros, han determinado que toman formas muy diversas de organizaciones y tratan temas muy variados, lo que significa que es difícil hacer generalizaciones sobre sus objetivos y resultados. Sin embargo, esto puede ser muy apropiado, dado el objetivo duradero de los FPC de diseñar políticas alimentarias de acuerdo con las características específicas de lugares particulares.
Un proyecto de investigación de UC ANR observa la forma en la que trabajan los FPC
Mientras que los FPC se encuentra cada vez más en el radar de aquellos que intentan promover un cambio en el sistema alimentario, nosotros todavía no contamos con mucha evidencia documentada sobre el trabajo actual de los FPC (though see Harper et al. 2009, Fox 2010 and Borron 2003). En respuesta a ello, un equipo de Extensión Cooperativa de UC (Clare Gupta, Julia Van Soelen Kim, Dave Campbell, Jennifer Sowerwine, Gail Feenstra y Kate Munden-Dixon) iniciaron un estudio comparativo de 10 concilios de políticas alimentarias de California en el 2016. Queríamos saber esto: ¿cuáles son las redes y relaciones de las que los FPC forman parte? ¿Y, de qué forma estas redes y relaciones influencian lo que un FPC puede lograr? Nosotros como investigadores de UCCE, estamos especialmente interesados en entender la naturaleza de las relaciones entre los FPC y los investigadores universitarios, incluyendo Extensión Cooperativa de UC.
Para responder a estas preguntas, entrevistamos a 60 miembros de FPC de diferentes concilios de políticas alimentarias en todo California. Les preguntamos sobre el tipo de trabajo que realizan con sus concilios, su relación con otros participantes en el sistema alimentario local y la forma en la que encuentran información relevante para las prioridades de sus concilios. También encabezamos grupos de enfoque con los miembros para explorar las mismas preguntas. Además, analizamos documentos producidos por y sobre los FPC. También participamos en una “observación participativa” — en el argot investigativo para el proceso de participación con los grupos e individuos como una forma de conocer de primera mano lo que hacen. Por último, combinamos las historias que escuchamos de nuestros entrevistados con información numérica proveniente de un sondeo de casi todos los FPC, conocidos en California. Esperamos que al hacer esto desarrollemos una mejor imagen de las estrategias de los FPC para obtener información relevante, desarrollar conexiones y crear un impacto.
Los resultados de nuestra investigación
Se puede encontrar un reporte completo de nuestros hallazgos en el sitio Web UC SAREP, pero a continuación compartimos algunas aportes y estrategias importantes para el éxito de los FPC:
- Los participantes consideran que compartir información es una de las funciones más valiosas de la actividad de los FPC. Ello fomenta la colaboración y transforma el pensamiento del participante en una visión más holística del trabajo sobre políticas alimentarias.
- Los miembros, quienes son “intermediarios del conocimiento”, incluyendo los asesores de Extensión Cooperativa, están conectados a muchas fuentes de conocimientos y pueden acudir a ellas para proveer información que pueda ajustarse a las necesidades de sus concilios.
- Las experiencias de la vida real son con frecuencia tan persuasivas ante los legisladores, como lo son las estadísticas. Los FPC citan el valor de integrar la información numérica (como la información cuantitativa) e historias (como la información cualitativa).
- No existe un enfoque igual para toda la membresía de los FPC. Algunos FPC ven el cambio al sistema alimentario como un proceso que envuelve un consorcio amplio e inclusivo de participantes. Intentan reunir a participantes con diversos valores (como un “enfoque de perspectiva amplia”). Otros FPC hacen énfasis en atraer a aliados que compartan valores fundamentales y un compromiso por una abogacía en favor de un cambio en los sistemas alimentarios (como un “enfoque de perspectiva menor”).
- Pequeños subgrupos dentro de los FPC pueden lograr un significativo cambio en la política. Un subgrupo específico de un FPC (como grupo de trabajo; grupo especial, campañas) puede trabajar con aliados claves para abogar a favor de una prioridad política en particular —el concilio entero no tiene necesariamente que participar completamente.
- Los FPC cuentan con líderes fuertes. Estos líderes cuentan con una vasta experiencia y conexiones en la comunidad y una buena vibra para los diferentes matices que forman parte de una organización política efectiva.
En general, descubrimos que el trabajo de los FPC a nivel local y estatal están marcando una significante diferencia en nuestro estado, proveyendo una forma profunda de desarrollar sistemas de políticas alimentarias y un cambio. Nuestro reciente artículo en el Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development destaca específicamente la forma en la que el gobierno local y los FPC colaboran para darle forma a las políticas y programas en diferentes contextos locales. Esté atento a más resultados sobre nuestro trabajo.
Participe
Nos encantaría escuchar de su parte si nuestros hallazgos hacen eco en su propio concilio de políticas alimentarias, o si tiene alguna idea que nos pueda servir en nuestras futuras investigaciones.
¿Le gustaría participar en los sistemas de desarrollo de políticas alimentarias? ¡Únase a un concilio de políticas alimentarias! Para más información vea los reportes de Food First or Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future's Food Policy Networks.
Menciones
Clancy, K., Hammer, J., & Lippoldt, D. (2008). Food policy councils-past, present, and future. In Remaking the North American Food System: Strategies for Sustainability (pp. 121-143). University of Nebraska Press.
Borron, S.M. 2003. Food Policy Councils: Practice and Possibility. Congressional Hunger Center Hunger-Free Community Report.
Fox, C. 2010. Food Policy Councils: Innovations in Democratic Governance for a Sustainable and Equitable Food System. Los Angeles Food Policy Task Force unpublished report.
Harper, A., Shattuck, A., E. Holt-Gimenez, Alkon, A., and F. Lambrick. 2009. Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned. Food First: Institute for Food and Development Policy