Blog
School may be out, but this fall, fresh produce will be in. A total of 12 Oakland schools will be hosting weekly produce markets to begin at the start of the school year. These are open to students, parents, and local community members who want to stock up on fruits and vegetables delivered from area farmers.
What started as a pilot program run by EBAYC in just two of their after school programs has expanded through collaboration with several organizations, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and OUSD Nutrition Services. According to program coordinator, Christine Cherdboonmuang, the idea of running these produce markets grew out of a community food assessment and survey conducted by EBAYC youth interns in the San Antonio neighborhood. The results showed that many residents were traveling outside of the community to purchase healthy foods. With the goal of addressing this issue and increasing local, healthy food access, the school produce markets were started at two area schools. After showing how these markets could attract a growing crowd of customers and were becoming an important part of their host schools, there were requests for placing markets at more Oakland schools. A new partnership with OUSD Nutrition Services and support from the Robert Wood Johnson Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Initiative allowed the project to scale-up last year.
Putting on these weekly produce markets requires the time and energy of many players to operate successfully. Each market is staffed by a manager hired by the school, who in many cases is the parent of a child at the school. Volunteer 
students and parents are responsible for setting up and breaking down the produce stands as well as assisting with the actual sales. Each school also has a designated market liaison. This staff member is responsible for promoting the program to faculty members and students, encouraging them to purchase produce and use the market as a site for creative lessons outside of the classroom. The most important part of the market is, of course, the produce. Food is delivered by farmers to a central OUSD location and then sorted for distribution to the different school markets. Some farmers make a special trip to deliver for the school markets, while others build in an extra stop on the days they are selling at area farmers’ markets.
Gehry Oatey, teacher and market manager at Melrose Leadership Academy, has enjoyed being part of this movement towards healthy foods for the students and their surrounding community. When he began working at the school five years ago, he incorporated a garden and cooking lessons into his activities with the children. Since then, the school has worked up to coordinating a thriving school produce market program. Running on Wednesday afternoons, the Melrose Leadership market bring in upwards of $500 in sales each week. This translates into a significant amount of healthy produce that is made available to students, their families, and neighbors. Mr. Oatey describes the best part of the market as people being excited about healthy foods. It provides an opportunity for customers to learn about which fruits and vegetables are in season and what it means to purchase organic produce. He also observes how the market has really added to the school’s overall environment, acting in a positive way to bring people together around healthy food.
The Oakland Farm-to-School Network is looking forward to a bright future. Coordinator, Christine Cherdboonmuang hopes to see the school produce markets’ continued growth with the addition of several more participating school sites over the coming years. Look for a school produce market near you this fall, when apples, tomatoes, and a whole host of other fresh produce will be in prime season.
The OUSD Produce Markets will begin operating this fall, the third week in September. For a full schedule of the market days and times see the OFPC Healthy Living page. The markets are also set to accept EBT cards this fall.
On July 7th the City of Oakland Planning Commission heard a presentation from the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) on adding a health element to the City’s General Plan. Public health staff members, Pam Willow and Dr. Muntu Davis, highlighted the connections between land use planning and health. They cited truck routes and asthma rates, public transit and access to medical care, liquor store concentration and crime, and street planning and pedestrian safety, all as examples of how planning decisions directly impact the community’s health. Eric Angstadt, Deputy Director of CEDA (Community and Economic Development Agency) introduced the speakers and explained that they are asking the commission to work with the ACPHD to seek funding and develop strategies for incorporating a health element.
The planning commissioners expressed support for the idea, many stating that this action is long overdue. In addition to hearing the public’s opinion about the health element proposal, Commissioner Michael Colbruno was interested in hearing more about solutions to the health issues the City is currently facing. The public health department emphasized that including a health element would allow more of these solutions-based conversations and collaborations to take place and allow for health to be considered in all future planning decisions.
During the open forum, community members were invited to voice their opinions about the proposal. There were representatives from diverse organizations including the Oakland School Food Alliance, the Alcohol Policy Network, Transform-- a Bay Area public transportation advocacy group, a local children’s gymnastics program, and the Oakland Food Policy Council (OFPC). OFPC member, Heather Wooten, and OFPC coordinator, Alethea Harper, both took a few minutes to speak to the Planning Commission. Heather spoke about her work with Public Health Law and Policy and their capacity as a resource for information on how health elements have been implemented in other cities and communities throughout the country. While funding for such a planning process is a concern among the commission members, Heather pointed to the fact that adopting a health element would put the City in a unique position to receive additional state and federal funds for its planning efforts. Alethea’s comments focused on possible policy solutions to food system problems, including supports and protections for urban agriculture; establishment of a Fresh Food Financing Fund; and streamlining regulations for farmers’ markets. Alethea stated that the Oakland Food Policy Council is eager to help develop these solutions, and having a comprehensive plan and vision for Oakland as a healthy city will help attract resources to each possible solution. Alethea also underscored the point that good food, places to exercise, and a clean environment are the basis of good health, both mental and physical.
There was general excitement among the commissioners, several referred to the work around sustainability, urban agriculture, and health that is already taking place in Oakland. They want to be able to use the expertise of people working on these projects in order to implement larger scale programs to improve the health of City residents. But what are the next steps for this movement towards a health element? The ACPHD staff will need to present their proposal to the Oakland City Council to establish the collaboration between the Planning Commission and the ACPHD. When we know more about the date and details of this presentation to City Council, we will share them with you. It is important to continue showing our support for a health element in the General Plan.
By Beth Sanders
Not only is Jennifer McTiernan a motivated individual with a passion for improving the Connecticut foodshed and the health of its people—she also has a stoic, philosophical side. When asked about words of wisdom she can impart on fledgling food policy councils around the country, McTiernan quotes the late Roman Lucius Anneaus Seneca: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”.
Preparation is the First Step
No one knew exactly whether the goals of the New Haven Food Policy Council (NHFPC) would gain momentum when it was initially established in June of 2005. But what they did know is that deliberate preparation—such as getting a city 
ordinance passed to support their group’s formation, ensuring a diverse representation of appointed council members and selecting the issue of childhood nutrition to begin making policy recommendations—was a safe bet to begin working. The NHFPC began by identifying an area of focus – childhood nutrition and school food – and then writing a policy primer report to explain the current state of school food in Connecticut, accompanied by ideas on how students can receive healthier lunches from local farms. Several ambitious recommendations were published, including an increase in the federal government’s reimbursement rates to school lunch programs, revision of federally mandated nutrition standards, and promoting Connecticut Public Schools to participate in the state’s Farm-to-School program.
“For a long time, we sat through the NHFPC meetings, came up with things to do, defined our priorities, and created ways for the council to come together”, recalls McTiernan, who was instrumental in the policy council’s formation and served as Founding Chair. “We were coming up with lots of activities to engage in, but I started a lot of meetings not being sure about what we would actually end up doing.” She acknowledges that a lot of members in other food policy councils around the country may be asking themselves similar questions as to what their organizing efforts will later accomplish.
The Opportunity Arises
A lot of hard work was already underway before McTiernan and her colleagues realized that the effort had not been made in vain. The clue was the ubiquitous billboards across New Haven and the growing newspaper articles on how union workers, parents, students, and school employees were urging the City to cut all ties with the private food contractor, Aramark. The tension over the company’s management of food services and facilities maintenance was coming to a boil, in large part because of a national campaign launched by the Los Angeles-based Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The company had a twelve year history of menus offering “chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, chicken bits, and all the previous on a bun" with infrequent fresh vegetables, and many parents were fed up. Advocates were starting to question whether there was a link between this practice and the rising trend of childhood diabetes and obesity rates.
It was at this moment when McTiernan realized that this was the council’s golden opportunity to help tip the scale. “It was amazing after spending all that time building our food policy council, we were ready for that moment”, she remembers. The NHFPC proceeded to become an important voice in the community’s conversation about healthy, school food and the best way to promote it by attending public hearings and writing an op-ed in The New Haven Register. They also worked to develop recommendations, as part of the policy primer, for a self-management food system model structured specifically for the New Haven school system. Thanks to their preparation, the NHFPC was able to bring an important perspective to the table at a time when the city was deciding what the school food service program should look like and how it should operate. Victory was achieved in May of 2008 when the Board of Education voted unanimously to designate in-house food service for the district, effectively rejecting the three outside bidders—including Aramark.
Words of Wisdom for Blossoming Food Policy Councils
McTiernan’s success story serves as an inspiration to all food policy councils that may be in the initial phase of organizing themselves and finding their footing to engage the local community. “The take-away message is that you can’t start setting up a council at the very moment something of importance arises”, she states. The story could have a different ending, however, if there was careful preparation for that moment: “even if it’s only the second public hearing you have attended, that’s fine if you’ve found your direction.” Recalling how the City of New Haven decided to prioritize fresh, healthy school food by bringing the operation of the food service program in-house, McTiernan believes, “Maybe they wouldn’t have come out with the same priority if it weren’t for the food policy council. By investing in building an infrastructure and creating legitimacy, food policy councils can position themselves to be ready to be effective advocates when the moment of opportunity arises. Developing a relevant mission statement is an excellent starting point and a way to be prepared to address important issues that come up. It serves as a mandate to support advocating for what will help make a healthier, more sustainable food system.”
Jennifer McTiernan was the founding director of CitySeed, a non-profit organization she started that launched a network of farmers markets in New Haven and addresses local as well as national food policy issues. She is currently living in Berkeley, California, with her family, and preparing to attend Yale Law School to continue her work on food policy and law issues. To read more about CitySeed and the New Haven Food Policy Council, see cityseed.org.
Sources
http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Government/pdfs/NHFPCminutes012408.pdf
http://www.cityseed.org/programs/council/NHFPCSchoolFoodPolicyPrimer.pdf
http://www.cga.ct.gov/coc/obesity_forum_documents.htm
http://www.ctfoodblog.com/?tag=jennifer-mctiernan
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2008/03/aramarks_missin.php#008564more
http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/university-news/2007/03/30/ysfp-sustains-speaker-series/
Local gardeners who have abundant harvests should know that there are many creative ways to share their bounty. Regardless of whether you’re just tired of making endless loaves of zucchini bread or you would like to share your produce fortune with a fellow community member, consider donating to the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Many food banks are striving to provide more fresh food to their clients and Alameda County is no exception. Between 2005 and 2009, they increased their distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables from 1.2 million pounds to 7.6 million pounds annually. You can help to further increase these numbers by giving your own fresh produce through a donation to the food bank.
The Alameda County Food Bank is registered with Ample Harvest.org, a newly formed, national organization that is hoping to connect enthusiastic gardeners across the country with their local food pantries. The goal is to increase the offerings of fresh produce to those needing food assistance, while also reducing waste of unwanted produce. AmpleHarvest.org allows emergency food providers to register for a free listing on their website. Here, gardeners can search for feeding programs that will accept their donations of extra fruits and vegetables.
The Food Bank gladly accepts donations from backyard gardens. Food Resource Manager, Glenn Ruley, explains that local gardeners are welcome to bring in their own freshly picked, boxed or bagged produce. They often see seasonal fruit as well as zucchini and winter squash come in from area donors. The Food Bank serves more than 275 agencies throughout the county, many of which are based in Oakland. Clients from all of these programs could benefit from additional fresh produce distributed by the Food Bank. For more details on how to donate your own garden-fresh food, contact Glenn Ruley, Food Resource Manager, Alameda County Community Food Bank, at 510-635-3663 ext. 326.
You step up to the counter, order your soup and sandwich, but instead of being told the price you must pay, you are simply handed a receipt with the suggested price for your meal. You walk past the cashier, pick up your order, and proceed to the donation box at the end of the line. How much will you put in the box? The suggested price? More than what your meal was quoted for? Or less?
If you are a customer at the St. Louis Bread Company, a new non-profit community 
café supported by Panera Bread, this is just the situation you will encounter. The idea is pay what you wish. According to CEO Ron Shaich, this is not just another social responsibility publicity scheme for the growing franchise-- the intentions of Panera here are true. They are looking to provide meals for those who truly cannot afford it with the support of others who can spare a little extra change, all while having everyone dine in the same location. The new café opened up in Clayton, Missouri and is the first of what Shaich hopes to be many community cafés located near other Panera Bread restaurants across the country. With plans to expand the concept if it encounters success, there is still no official word on where the next community café will set up shop. For those wondering what the possibilities might be here locally, the nearest East Bay Panera establishments are in Hayward and Alameda.
Community cafés and kitchens are growing, yet they rely on regular customers—both paying and non-paying—in order to be successful. These are not your typical soup kitchens, they are meant to bring together community members as they break bread and in some cases, help each other out. One non-profit, One World Everybody Eats (OWEE), which operates its own pay what you wish restaurant in Salt Lake City, is helping others bring this practice to their communities. OWEE provides resources, including business plan guides, for those who want to start up their own community kitchens. The opportunities to “pay what you wish” may become more frequent if the momentum of OWEE and companies like Panera continues to grow.
