California Food &

Justice Coalition

:: August 2010 Newsletter ::

IN THIS ISSUE:

:: CFJC News

:: Grants
:: Events and Announcements
:: In the News
:: Action Alerts
:: Resources
:: Jobs, Internships & Opportunities
____________________________________________________________
CFJC News

Executive Director Message

:: One of the questions I get over and over is “can you send me
data on how growing local helps with the challenges of climate
change?” As you might expect, there is at once a plethora and a
dearth of information. But we all need to understand the larger
context of the question.

In a March 2010 USDA Energy Use in the U.S. Food System Report
researchers Canning, Charles, Huang, Polenske, and Waters
discuss a piece of the puzzle supported by well organized data.

However a study of energy use alone does not tell the whole
story.
We exist with a food system that is broken in large measure,
arguably, because to various degrees we have all fallen prey to a
culture of the quick-fix, fear mongering, half-truths and in some
cases outright lies.

Efficiencies alone—whether of energy, economy or expediency

and scale—will not sufficiently meet the challenges we face
today.

If you are reading this e-newsletter it is likely that you understand

the predicament in which we find ourselves. What I have learned
from interviews and countless email messages is that throughout
the state, across the country and around the world people are
grappling with the absurdities of our 21st century food system.

Why is there hunger in the U.S. when nearly 40% of our food goes
to waste? How can a farmer anywhere in the world be
penalized—criminalized even—for collecting and sharing seeds
from his/her own crops?

Back to climate change. Let the pundits and individuals who

have the wherewithal and time to argue and complain about the
politics of climate change, food and economics have their final
moment on stage.

The future is with individuals, families, community groups, and

local policy makers. They—you are the ones who by example
prove that there is a fix for a system that seems to have forgotten
that the primary purpose of food is to nourish people, and not to
enrich a corporation.

CFJC is the place you can look to that reminds you that in the
face of the enormous challenges we face, you are not alone.

At CFJC our role is to help connect the dots—to remind

policymakers of the face of our communities, food workers, those
on the front lines and in the fields, in food processing plants and
restaurants, in grocery stores and at family dinner tables and in
school yards.
Yes, we need national policy and hence our work on the Farm Bill
2012.

But that effort is only as legitimate as it relates to families and

communities that sit around a dinner table.

By keeping it local we keep it real. And by keeping it real we

bring to the effort of re-creating our food system the skills of
mothers and families, of community and NGO workers, agency
staff and farmers, entrepreneurs and urban gleaners, restaurant
workers and store managers.

Re-creating the food system will no doubt require the legions of

individual stakeholders with their collective wealth of experience,
wisdom and knowledge.

This then is the face of food justice—a system that works for each
of us.

We’ve seen where the blind ambition of greed has taken us. Now
then, it is our time and our turn.

As we continue to create a just food system that works for

everyone we will of necessity have to address the challenges of
climate change, the economy and health in all its manifestations.
That’s what grownups are supposed to do.

And what better way to begin than by ensuring that our people
are nourished by the bounty of the earth.

Armando

CFJC Member’s Public Policy Call

:: The September CFJC Members’ monthly public policy is

scheduled for September 28th from 9:00-10:00 am PDT, and will
once again be hosted by the Public Health Institute’s
Dialogue4Health Web Platform. Sessions are open to anyone
working on food system and food justice issues, although we
hope you will take a moment to join/renew your CFJC
membership as well. Details and reminders for registering for the
webinar will be emailed over the next couple of weeks.

(If you are interested in receiving a copy of the notes from the
August 17th webinar please send your request to
yanieto@cafoodjustice.org.)

____________________________________________________________
Grants

:: Community Food Projects (CFP)—Competitive Grants Program

guidelines are available with a filing deadline of November 17,
2010. The RFA for this USDA funding opportunity for NGOs clearly
articulates eligibility online.

:: Peoples Garden School Pilot Project guidelines available for

2010. One organization will be selected for a cooperative effort
funded by a $1 million grant award from the USDA Food and
Nutrition Service. Completed applications are due by November
8, 2010.

____________________________________________________________
Events and Announcements

:: Watch for a Message about CFJC’s first Fundraiser of the Year

when the Bocanova Restaurant hosts a Sunday Harvest Dinner in
Oakland’s Jack London Square in late October/early November.
Details forthcoming.

:: World Food Day is October 16th—and what may be of special

interest this year, World Egg Day is October 8th

:: North Oakland Farmers' Markets workshop series beginning in

August 2010 are co-sponsored by Oakland Local, East Bay Free
Skool and the Arlington Medical Center. All workshops are free
and run from 12:00-2:00 PM.
:: 2010 Growing Greener School Grounds Conference September
24th & 25th in San Francisco.

:: Sol Food Festival invigorates the California Central Coast. The

Sol Food Festival is a one day (10/2/10) community created
festival to raise awareness of the Sustainable, Organic and Local
food systems of Santa Barbara County.

:: Webinar: Policy Approaches to Healthy Corner Stores

registration open for September 14, 2010 event on Public Health
Law & Policy website.

:: Free Trainings for School Personnel & Community Partners are

scheduled throughout California this fall. Register online for these
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables: A Centerpiece for a Healthy School
Environment trainings at a venue near you.

:: Milwakee, WI joint conferences September 10-12—GFJI

Gathering in conjunction with the Growing Power—Urban
Agriculture and Small Farms conference. Pre-conference
intensive leadership facilitator training September 8-9 registration
also open.

:: Women in Sustainable Agriculture conference November 1-3,

2010 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont—setting the
stage for future success.

:: Healthy Food in Health Care Leader workshop September 20-

22, 2010 at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vermont
includes farm tours and presentations in alliance with the
University of Vermont.

:: Online learning Opportunity from Cornell University for

diversifying and beginning farmers. If you are comfortable with
learning via computer this series may be of benefit.

:: Online learning Opportunity Starting in the fall of 2010, Ryerson

University’s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education
will be offering a course series through online learning in urban
agriculture as part the Certificate in Food Security.

:: Farm & Food Leadership Conference in Austin, TX September

13-14th, 2010. The two-day event focuses on policy and regulatory
issues affecting agriculture and our food supply, including the
next Farm Bill, food safety issues, raw milk, Codex, NAIS, water use
issues, Slow Money, and more.

:: Food, Culture, & Justice: The Gumbo That Unites Us All, the
conference that gives you the opportunity to see first-hand the
unique regional and multi-cultural approach to food organizing
taking place in New Orleans October 16-19th.

:: Urban Aquaculture Track at Growing Power Farm Conference-

Sept 10-12th in the Milwaukee State Fair Grounds. For more
information and to register online:
www.growingpowerfarmconference.org

________________________________________________________________
In the News

With so much in the news we can only give a sample of what is

arriving daily in our email inboxes:

:: Action Alert or News? This story of heroism and despair has

been floating around the internet for a couple of weeks. It
reminds us that we all have a stake and a say in the future of our
planet.

:: GIPSA Hearing in Ft. Collins drew nearly 2,000 from across the
country to hear from Attorney General Eric Holder, Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack and a panel of stakeholders about
proposed Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration
rules.

:: Appreciate how much each of us can still learn, no matter how

expert we are in our comfortable “silos” courtesy of this posting in
Civil Eats by Elizabeth Snyder.
:: New Orleans is site of this year’s CFSC conference, and Judy
Walker of the Times-Picayune gives her perspective on changes in
cuisine since Hurricane Katrina, five years ago August 29th.

:: Genetically Engineered Fish? There is a vigorous debate about

why and how soon we can expect GE fish and animal products
to show up on plates in the U.S. This article in the Guardian sets
the table for discussion here.

:: Some Positive News that’s come out of Michelle Obama’s Let’s

Move effort, and which it seems most communities could join;
actually we could modify and adopt locally as our own. Our local
chefs have a lot to offer and perhaps we should be asking and
giving them a chance to help out.

:: Walmart as the Future of Local Food? This Grist article also

contains links to the Community Food Enterprise Report and other
resources at Wallace Center Winrock International.

:: Fair Food Network launches Double up Food Bucks in Detroit.

When SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) eligible
recipients use a SNAP Bridge Card to shop for food at a farmers'
market, the amount of money that is spent is matched with
Double Up Food Bucks bonus tokens which can then be
exchanged for Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables.

:: Every Small Victory should be celebrated on the road to a just

food system. Read about what Ohio farmers have decided,
perhaps after seeing how California has moved to ameliorate
conditions in factory farms.

:: In Case You Missed It, the Senate passed by unanimous

consent a reauthorization of the child nutrition bill S3307. What
you may not realize is that the legislation proposes to redirect
funding from SNAP (foodstamp) programs. This is a must watch
situation that may prove to be a bridge too far in relentless efforts
to take away basic human necessities.
________________________________________________________________
Action Alerts

:: Questions Abound Concerning the Food Safety Modernization

Act of 2009, S510. This may well be one to watch in process—
reading the small print and discussing the ramifications. Be alert
for ongoing discussions and amendments as they are proposed.

:: CFJC Takes a Stand for the first time in memory against two
ballot initiatives in California—Proposition 23 and Proposition 26. In
the first, much of what was accomplished by AB 32 (California
Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006) would be undone. In the
second, the definition of “taxes” would be amended to include
many regulatory fees that pay for services we require.

________________________________________________________________
Resources

:: Analysis by EWG on the proposed $1.5 billion giveaway in

disaster relief provides a good example of one of the ways our
current system is not working.

:: Perhaps We Can Learn from our neighbors to the north, in this

study of Food Justice by the BC Food Security Gateway in
Canada.

:: Appreciate The Effort put into this website to try and help our
schools to offer what is better for our children. There many efforts
and much research on how we can continue the change in our
behavior patterns.

________________________________________________________________
Jobs, Internships & Opportunities

California

:: Membership and Communications Associate position open

with National Farm to School Network. Located at Occidental
College with the option to work remotely, the position is open until
September 3rd.

:: Food Corps/Americorps positions open and the Letter of Inquiry

period expires on Friday, September 17th for potential host sites.
Follow the same link to learn about a conference call on
September 2nd to pose questions and get answers.

:: Paid Internship Opportunity with Old Grove Orange, in

Redlands, CA. Email resume and cover letter to
news4knight@hotmail.com

:: Full Circle Farms in Sunnyvale, located on Santa Clara Unified

School District land, is recruiting for farm crew and educator
(Americorps) positions as part of the Silicon Valley Health Corps
partnership.

:: California FarmLink seeks an Equity Building Programs Manager

to work full-time at the organization’s headquarters in Sebastopol,
CA. California FarmLink is a non-profit organization working to
promote family farming and preserve. The EBPM is an exempt
salaried position.

:: Prevention Institute in Oakland has inter-disciplinary

employment opportunities. Program Coordinator and Program
Assistant positions are located in the Oakland office.

:: Slide Ranch in Muir Beach is recruiting live-in environmental

education interns. Slide Ranch teaches visitors the impact choices
have on food, health, and the environment, through hands-on
activities and independent exploration of the farm and coastal
wild lands.

:: Director for the Berkeley Edible Schoolyard position open with

the Chez Panisse Foundation. The Edible Schoolyard is a program
of the Chez Panisse Foundation. The ESYB Director is responsible
for the leadership, development, and management of the ESYB
program.
Job Opportunities Outside California

:: Working Lands Alliance Project Director position open in New

England with interviews beginning the week of September 20th.
The American Farmland Trust (AFT), is looking for an energetic self-
starter to staff the WLA office in Connecticut.

:: Capitol Hill Policy Analyst with the National Sustainable

Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) position open in Washington, D.C.
Minimum of three years Hill/lobbying or agricultural policy
experience required. Winter internships also available.

:: Outreach & Volunteerism Manager position open until filled at

Growing Hope, a gardening, urban agriculture, farmers' market,
and food access nonprofit in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Volunteer
internship and Americorps positions available as well.

:: Director, National Project on America’s Food System with the

Center for Science in the Public interest position open until filled.
This opportunity is located in Washington, D.C.

:: UVM Extension .80 FTE Assistant Professor position to teach

agricultural financial management subject matter to diverse
audiences in a non-credit, informal and off campus setting that
contributes to institutional investments in a transdisciplinary effort
focused on Food Systems. Applications due by October 1, 2010.

:: Food Policy Specialist- Multnomah County, Portland OR.

Interested individuals should send their resume and a short
statement of interest to: Sonia Manhas, Program Manager
Community Wellness & Prevention / Office of Public Health Policy
& Advocacy. sonia.manhas@co.multnomah.or.us

:: Consultant Health Promotion position in Toronto open until

September 13, 2010. Consultant works closely with Toronto Food
Policy Council to develop and implement Toronto Food Strategy.
:: Farm to School Coordinator needed in Philadelphia. The
Coordinator works with a program team to provide training and
technical assistance, communications and outreach services,
and an advocacy voice to promote and expand the farm to
school movement in the six-state Mid-Atlantic region (Virginia,
West Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C.
and Pennsylvania).

:: Chef/Food Services Director available in New Orleans. Edible

Schoolyard NOLA is a signature program of FirstLine Schools. The
program is based on the highly successful original Edible
Schoolyard program founded by Alice Waters in California.

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The California Food and Justice Coalition is a statewide

membership coalition working to ensure
the basic human right to healthy food while advancing social,
agricultural and environmental justice.
We collaborate with community-based efforts in California
working to create a socially just, ecologically
and economically sustainable food supply. We envision a
California food system in which all activities,
from farm to table, are equitable, healthful, regenerative, and
community-driven.

California Food and Justice Coalition

2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite F, Berkeley, CA 94702
Phone: 510-704-0245
FAX: 510-548-8896
http://www.CAFoodJustice.org <http://www.cafoodjustice.org/>
<http://www.cafoodjustice.org/>
email: info@CAFoodJustice.org

CFJC is a fiscally-sponsored project of the Ecology Center.