Oakland Food Policy Council - Latest Blog Entries

U.S. Mayors Joining the Discussion!

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:56:00 -0600

As the Oakland Food Policy Council is revving up its projects, mayors are mobilizing on a national level to discuss food policy on a larger scale, including increasing access to healthy food and increasing local food procurement and entrepreneurship in cities!

During the United States’ Conferences of Mayors, from Jan 18th-20th, civic leaders of cities with populations over 30,000 members met to discuss immigration reform, energy independence, youth violence, and notably, food policy. Among the 244 attendees of the Washington D.C. conference were Ed Lee of San Francisco, and Jean Quan of Oakland. According to the meeting’s agenda:

“The Food Policy Task Force will focus on issues including reducing obesity,

increasing access to healthy affordable food in low-income communities, and increasing local food procurement and entrepreneurship in cities. The task force will review issues and policy barriers to addressing food access, food security issues in urban areas including recommendations on increasing SNAP (Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program) participation via recommendations on best policies and practices, 2012 Farm Bill, support for

farmer's markets, food desert mapping and healthy food retail.”

While the conclusions made from the conference are unknown to the general public, the very presence of a Food Policy Task Force at such a large scale event represents something bigger; the fact that reforming our country’s food policy is taking a higher priority in governmental agendas. This also manifested in the conference’s awarding of Garden and Green Space Awards to five cities, giving grants to cities for the creation of innovative public gardens and green spaces, and recognizing mayoral stewardship in the development of urban greenscapes. Among the winners was Baltimore, Maryland, of special interest to this blog because of the city’s recent efforts to address food justice. As a recent blog post describes, Baltimore has been developing initiatives to increase food access, including launching a Virtual Supermarket Program.

The award singled out Baltimore’s Upton Edible Garden, a mayoral initiative that focuses on transforming thirty-two vacant, city owned lots into community vegetable gardens that can serve as sites for food education and discussion.

San Francisco also received recognition for the Quesada Gardens Initiative (http://www.quesadagardens.org/), a project to create a public gathering space in underserved communities for people to engage in gardening education as well as food swapping, distribution, and vending.

As we approach this highly charged electoral year with both a presidential election and a new Farm Bill, the ties we establish between community and government are more important than ever. If we expect our local governments to be responsive to our collective calls for food sustainability and reform, why not expect this to resound on a national level? Wider recognition and support of local projects in food education and accessibility is important, but what we need is the conversation about what community projects can can be adopted and become policy for Oakland, for California, and for the whole US.

Mayor Quan, we’ll expect you at our next meeting!

U.S. Mayors Joining the Discussion!

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:56:00 -0600

“The Food Policy Task Force will focus on issues including reducing obesity,

farmer's markets, food desert mapping and healthy food retail.”

Mayor Quan, we’ll expect you at our next meeting!

U.S. Mayors Joining the Discussion!

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:56:00 -0600

“The Food Policy Task Force will focus on issues including reducing obesity,

farmer's markets, food desert mapping and healthy food retail.”

Mayor Quan, we’ll expect you at our next meeting!

U.S. Mayors Joining the Discussion!

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:56:00 -0600

“The Food Policy Task Force will focus on issues including reducing obesity,

farmer's markets, food desert mapping and healthy food retail.”

Mayor Quan, we’ll expect you at our next meeting!

Up to the Challenge

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0600

Many changes are under way for Oakland in 2012. Some of these changes include an updated urban agriculture ordinance that will enable small scale commercial growing and selling of food within the city. We can also look forward to a year of mobile food events to highlight our local food talent in an afforable and accesible way. This is all great and much needed. Yet, there are many opporuntnities still to progress our vibrant food economy to the next level. A recent article on Shareable.com featured a list of creative ways to think about that next step in geberating industry from these policy achievments. Check it out.

Also, consider this. In October of 2011, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law AB361, the Benefits Corporation Act and SB201, the Flexible Purpose Corporation Act. The B Corp enables a legal structure with performance standards which:

Meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards;
Meet higher legal accountability standards;
Build business constituency for public policies that support sustainable business.

A Flexible Purpose Corporation permits companies to be formed with a merged for profit/nonprofit structure. This enables social entrepreneurs to seek funding for their corporations from both funding models- investments/loan and donation/grant. These new laws provide a solution to the probelm of director and officer liabilty for acting to advance anything other than shareholder interests as such entities will now be honoring their social policy and adhereing to the investment decisions of the shareholders.

The next challenge is to bravely pursue and support these new models of corporation.

Keep a Lookout in The New Year

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:17:00 -0600

Then new year bring many new initiatives! Keep an eye out for creative food trucks around Oakland. We'll let you know when there will be scheduled events for food trucks to make their delicious wares available around Oakland. Read more, here and stay tuned..

Mobile Food Project Approved!

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:02:00 -0600

The Oakland City Council has approved the Mobile Food Vending Project! At the start of 2012, we can now look forward to creative and delicious mobile food in select locations of Oakland. This new pilot program championed by Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan and Jane Brunner would begin to legitimize Oakland’s largely underground street food businesses. It also allows Oakland food entrepreneurs an opportunity to catch the wave of public interest in the mobile food dining experience.

Oakland Food Policy Council member, Shelly Garza, has pushed for mobile vending reform in Oakland for years. This is a great step toward a vision on healthy mobile food vending through out the city!

The pilot project will take place in Districts 1-4 only. All participating vendors must have required permits, business tax and health certificates. Events will take place in locations where other food options are scarce. Check back for even announcements so you too can partake in the fun atmosphere and great eats!

Baltimore's Creative Food Partnerships

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:47:00 -0600

Cities all over the country are addressing the lack of access to fresh and healthy food on the part of their residents, but few are in as much of a bind as Baltimore. Read more...

Fresh Food Financing

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:29:00 -0500

What is Fresh Food Financing?

Fresh food financing addresses limited healthy food access in underserved neighborhoods. Grants and loan financing assist with the development of grocery stores and other healthy food venues in areas where these resources are lacking. Fresh food financing (FFF) is an investment in communities which offers the following returns: local economic development, new sources of jobs and tax revenue, and most importantly, improved food access. FFF started as a state level program in Pennsylvania, but has spread to additional states where similar models are being implemented, and has been proposed by the Obama administration to become a national-level program.

The Need inOakland and The Bay Area

• Local cities still have areas that are considered food deserts; food access disparities are evident in Oakland where there is one supermarket for every 13,778 people living in the Oakland Hills as opposed to only one supermarket for every 93,126 people living in the Oakland Flatlands.

• The local food environment for Oakland as measured by a Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI) of 3.81 indicates that there are 3.81 times as many unhealthy food outlets as there are healthy food outlets within the city. Other Bay Area locations have even higher RFEI’s: Alameda County-4.61, Stockton-4.73, and Solano County-5.08.

• Oakland residents report not being satisfied with the food shopping options in their neighborhoods and would like to see more locally-owned businesses.

• The unemployment rate in Oakland in April 2009 was 15.5%, up from 7.8% in 2008; 19.4% of Oakland residents are living below the federal poverty level.

• Small local farmers need additional resources and markets for distributing their products.

• Food processing and distribution businesses have the potential to be important, job-creating industries within the Oakland food system, but economic challenges prevent further development in these areas.

Why FFF?

• Oakland’s retail food environment is comprised of many small to medium-sized stores; smaller investments in these outlets can support corner store conversions, allowing owners to sell more fresh produce.

• FFF can be applied to other businesses along the regional food supply chain, such as farmers and producers, processors, and distributors, to support additional sourcing of local foods to urban centers.

• FFF can support innovative healthy food ventures, like mobile vendors, specialty grocers, and farmers’ markets, all of which can contribute economic growth opportunities and additional local food venues.

• Programs like the Bay Area Growers Collaborative, which connects producers to institutional markets, could be expanded with FFF funds.

• Establishing local infrastructure for a FFF program will put the Bay Area in a good position to administer and leverage funds from a national-level program, if it is approved.

How Does It Work?

• A fund is established with public and private capital; matching funds are used to increase the fund’s value.

• A call for proposals is put out for businesses across different food sectors.

• Food businesses apply for funds and are approved based on their demonstration of potential impact on local underserved neighborhoods and the cost of their development project.

• Grants and loans are awarded by the fund manager, project progress is monitored, and results are evaluated.

What are the Impacts?

The Reinvestment Fund showed the following impacts of the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative:

• Improved community real estate values and resident retention in neighborhoods where new supermarkets were developed.

• Increased economic investment in other local sectors and indirect increases in tax revenues.

• The presence of supermarkets improved access to high-quality food and lowered prices for consumers.

The social returns on investment from FFF include:

• Reduced chronic disease expenditures

• Increased productivity due to better health outcomes

• Salaries gained from new jobs

The $190 million investment in the Pennsylvania FFF Initiative is estimated to be offset by a $2.3 billion social return on investment from these three outcomes.

Model Programs

Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative

New York Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH)

Louisiana Fresh Food Retail Incentive Program

Illinois Fresh Food Fund

PolicyLink Fresh Food Financing Initiative Fact Sheet

OFPC Signs on to the California Food Day Farm Bill

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:55:00 -0500

At the October 20^th meeting, the OFPC agreed to sign on to California’s Food Day Farm Bill Petition. The petition has been signed by numerous organizations and individuals across the state. It is spearheaded by organizations including the Environmental Working Group, where OFPC member, Kari Hamerschlag, works; Center for Science in the Public Interest, Roots of Change, Prevention Institute, California Center for Public Health Advocacy, and more. The petition will be forwarded to Governor Jerry Brown in an effort to make local, sustainable food production, nutrition, research and conservation programs a top priority for the 2012 Farm Bill. The Congressional Budget Office is set to release recommendations for the Farm Bill expenditures on November 1 and Congress will announce Farm Bill budget on Dec 23. With only a few days until the Budget Office announces its decisions for the Farm Bill fiscal delegations, people from all over the state, and country, signed on to Food Day’s petition to prioritize sustainable, affordable food production and distribution.

The US held its first National Food Day on Monday October 24, just one week after World Food Day, on October 16^th. Food Day was created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest under the pretext for 6 goals:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods.

2. Support sustainable farms and limit subsidies to big agribusiness

3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger

4. Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms

5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids

6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

Recognizing the need for reform in all aspects of food, from the planting of the seed to consumption of meals, Food Day offers people from across the country to sign on to the Eat Real agenda. CA Food Day representatives sponsored a petition to the 2012 Farm Bill to send directly to Governor Brown. The proposed items shift the current focus away from industrial farms and corn and wheat subsidies. Instead, it aims to shift the center to the local. Starting off with small investments in rural development, conservation projects, and organic, small-scale farms , the bill goes on to include the importance of local production to improve local economies, ensure equal opportunity employment, fair wages, and even extends to improving the population’s health, decreasing spending on healthcare throughout the nation. The CA Food Day Farm Bill recommendations were given to Governor Jerry Brown and will hopefully make their way to the top of the list to be presented before the US Congress Farm Bill planning process. As the largest provider of agriculture in the US, California’s actions ring strong amongst its residents and across the country. Movements and petitions have been sprouting at grassroots levels across the nation to give farmers the opportunity to grow a wide variety of produce that works with the local landscape, provides them and their workers with a sustainable income, and is safe and affordable to all.

The petition is an article that voices the concerns and needs for people from all tiers and aspects of the food system. It is a unifying document that addresses issues that affect every individual from the every step of the process. The action to sign on by the OFPC goes beyond the unification of Oakland professionals, but extends across the state to create a much needed bond for a new food system. The action to unite across localities, class, sector, etc within the state of California will make a mark upon the food movement in the United States to impact national decisions and even, international eyes. Bring your voice to your local Occupy movement and decolonize the food system: take it back to the local community and earth.

FMI visit http://www.ewg.org/release/californians-urge-healthy-food-and-jobs-focus-fast-tracked-farm-bill

Intertribal Friendship House Speaks at September OFPC mtg

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:58:00 -0500

Carol Wahpepah, Executive Director of the Intertribal Friendship House, presented at the September all-council meeting. The Intertribal Friendship House works with local, urban Native Americans to promote the health and prosperity of Native peoples through traditional and contemporary manners. The IFH seeks to educate all people by serving as a forum and to practice cultural traditions by serving as a ceremonial house. The IFH works to bring food justice to the local community through cooking, gardening, fitness and nutrition workshops. Bonney Hartley of IFH's partner Seva Foundation (Berkeley) presented with Carol about IFH's impressive gardening impact in just one year: 1,121 community members participated and more than 60 edible or medicinal plants were restored in a 728 square foot garden. IFH works closely with Native youth to reduce the health disparities that are so visible in urban, minority groups today by providing youth with an education to recognize their Native identity and address contemporary social issues. The Intertribal Friendship House has seen incredible progress and real change occurring with local Native peoples in terms of health and support. They have many goals planned for the future and will be an asset to the Oakland community and a partner to the OFPC.

To view the IFH's powerpoint presentation, click here.

Carol Wahpepah is the Executive Director of the Intertribal Friendship House, a Native American Community Center located at 5th and International Blvd. in Oakland. Under her leadership, IFH now has a 728-foot square foot garden, intergenerational health activities, including ones focused on cooking, and fitness. During her tenure Carol has helped develop and implement activities to decrease the high rate of diabetes, heart disease and behavioral health issues for the Native community.

She served as Director for the Oakland American Indian Education Center for 19 years before taking on her current position at IFH. She has been working in the Bay Area American Indian community for nearly 40 years and holds a Masters of Fine Arts Degree from the College of Arts, Oakland, CA.

Much Ado about the 2012 Farm Bill

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:04:00 -0500

The OFPC and California Food and Justice Coalition, along with HOPE Collaborative sponsored a Farm Bill workshop in August. The workshop looked at past and current Farm Bills and addressed where the Farm Bill is going and how it creates a cycle that impacts the land, farmers, consumers, urban, and rural.

What to look out for

The next Farm Bill is scheduled for 2012, with the goal of receiving President Obama’s signature before the November elections. That means that the House and Senate agricultural committees are pushing a tight schedule, hoping to get the Bill done and passed within the next year. The dow

nturn in the economy plus changes to the national agricultural system, including an incentive for new farmers and an increase in organic spending, opens up the platform for significant structural changes. Slow Food USA created a list of things to look out for with the new bill including:

More incentives to grow fruits and vegetables
An increase in the acceptance of food stamps and WIC benefits at farmers markets
A ban on using food stamps to purchase soda
A “whole farm revenue” concept for insurance v. single crop production
The expansion of a green payments option for sustainable farms and farmers

This list is comprised of national and local initiatives to increase access to local, organic produce by encouraging new and already-established farmers to go organic and promote nutrition and well-being to the public by raising awareness through already established programs. However, this list is reflective of economic changes that the US farm committees may not be willing to compromise.

The Farm Bill committee held a Rural development program which consisted of 11 hearings and resulted in an agreement to put out less spending for the 2012 bill. This means that the House Agriculture Committee will continue to focus its efforts on supporting subsidies for industrial corn, soy and CAFO producers and may result in a removal of all regulations on GMOs and environmental controls in order to improve the nation’s agricultural economy.

The recent Farm Bill saw a modest push for beginner farmers to build a sustainable and organic farm, but publicity for programs was low and the fine print for loans on seed cost, building maintenance and other start-up costs put a larger dent in the wallet of these farmers than hoped. Though there has been recognition for the rise in beginning and young farmers, the first time since the 1970s, as well as an increase in organic spending, the Agriculture Committee is not planning on making any dramatic changes to improve the sustainability sector of rural and urban agriculture.

What does this mean for urban residents?

The lack of aid coupled with the strict regulations for the sale of produce and meat products in urban zones is preventing farmers with access to direct sales in urban areas. This is having an impact not only on farmers, but also on urban consumers. Without direct access to customers, farmers are forced to go through middlemen, which often leads to price reduction of their produce due to competition with subsidized imports. Farmers that cultivate organic produce are faced with paying a large annual sum to become certified as organic, which will result in an increase in price, or remain labeled as conventional, creating more competition to be sold to consumers that prefer organic. Meat producers are also facing backlash from the government to sell their products to the public without inspection. All meat must be inspected first at the farm and then sent to FDA-approved slaughterhouses. The meat is then cut, packaged and inspected before being sold. These procedures can be costly and time consuming to the farmer. As a result, farmers, especially beginning farmers cannot earn enough money to remain a sustainable, working farm and may face debt or foreclosure.

With CSAs and other direct sales, the consumer is forced to go to the grocery store, where he or she will choose between the cheapest produce or pay the price for organic, if available and if affordable. The consumer will not know where the produce is coming from or how it was grown, nor will he or she know if it is even in season. In this manner, the farmer becomes removed from the consumer and is replaced by the middleman, who will likely reap the profits. For the low-income consumer, the produce he or she purchases will no doubt be the cheapest, and, most likely, the imports. Even more likely is that low-income consumers will purchase few fresh produce and more highly processed goods made from GMO-subsidized corn and soy.

This is the same for meat- local, well-raised and vegetarian-fed meat will be too costly for low-income consumers, resulting in an increase in the purchase of industrial cuts. Low-income consumers will find harmful results in their health, including an increase in diabetes and cancers, leading to an increase in federal spending for hospital/health visits. Farmers are attempting to rebuild connections to these consumers through innovative sales, including urban farm sales from the source, where the consumer visits the farm and building new urban farms throughout low-income neighborhoods. Supporters of a new Farm Bill are encouraging a change to what can and cannot be purchased with SNAP/food stamp and WIC benefits, as well as attempting to implement health education programs into schools and communities to change eating habits.

Without access to fresh, cheap produce, consumers lose connection to their farmers and vice versa. The boundaries between the rural and urban sectors remain well-defined in order to keep the middle man prosperous and the market well regulated. Farmers markets have proved a successful way for farmers to meet their consumers and sell directly, but they also require a fee to ensure the use of the space and constant regulation of the goods being sold, and thus result in selling at high prices. Farmers that sell at farmers markets are often not labeled and some people may even find them to be untrustworthy, thus resulting in a lack of trust and support between the farmer and consumer. However, the increase in the number of farmers markets that accept SNAP/food stamps and an increase in WIC farmers market spending money is resulting in greater support for our local farmers.

The Farm Bill of 2012 may not lead to direct changes, but will hopefully result in an increase in access to better nutrition and the sustainability of organic, local farms. In addition to the Farm Bill, local initiatives are creating changes to positively impact communities and rebuild relationships between consumers and their food.

FMI on the workshop, visit the California Food and Justice Coalition's blog and Anthropology news' article.

Breaking news from PolicyLink: Healthy Food Financing Initiative is Open for Business!

Wed, 11 May 2011 17:29:00 -0500

Great news from PolicyLink! The federal-level Healthy Food Financing Initiative is a reality!

Here is a copy of the message from PolicyLink:

Today, for the first time ever, the federal government is requesting proposals for Healthy Food Financing Initiative grants and loans to help open new fresh food outlets -- supermarkets, farmers' markets, and expanded convenience stores -- in low-income and under-served communities.

The Notice of Funds Availability (as the new federal announcement is called) serves notice that $10 million will be available from the Department of Health and Human Services for the program.

Improving healthy food access for low-income families has been a loudly stated goal from the highest levels in the Obama administration --including directly from President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Leadership and determination from the administration and Congress have brought us today's wonderful news.

This exciting development was also made possible through years of policy work and advocacy from equity advocates nationwide, starting with community leaders who have pushed for decades for access to healthy food in low-income communities and communities of color, and also including The Reinvestment Fund, The Food Trust, and PolicyLink.

The federal effort is modeled on a successful and proven program in Pennsylvania that has already helped create or expand 88 fresh food outlets, create or retain more than 5,000 jobs, and bring healthy food access to 400,000 residents who didn't have access before.

Leaders in Congress and the Obama administration clearly listened to the voices of residents, grocers, health experts, economists, and other community leaders forging a chorus in support of HFFI.

And the best may still be yet to come: bipartisan legislation supporting HFFI was introduced last year and should be reintroduced again soon. The Treasury Department is expected to move forward with its version of the program soon; USDA is expected to release its own NOFA shortly, and Congress is right now debating additional HFFI funding for 2012.

Visit us for more information on the HFFI.

Click here for more information on the Notice of Funds Availability.

Thank You,
PolicyLink

Workshops on Local Government and Local Policy

Thu, 05 May 2011 18:13:00 -0500

“Where does the money go? How do they move it around?”

“Why does it seem to take so long to make change?”

“Why do they keep cutting funding?”

“Why don’t people see government as so many moving parts? They seem to think it is one broad brush.”

“What are the boundaries of local power? Where does city end, state begin?”

These are just a few of the things that participants in our recent local government & policy workshops say baffle them about city government. The Oakland Food Policy Council co-hosted this two-part workshop series with the HOPE Collaborative, and both sessions were facilitated by EBASE (East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy). The Alameda County Public Health Department provided meetings space for both workshops.

In the first session, Introduction to City Government, participants learned about how Oakland city government is structured, what kinds of decisions are made by local government, how local policies are made, and how residents can influence the legislative process. At the end of the workshop, participants worked in small groups to practice writing testimony on a variety of food policy issues. One participant gave heartfelt testimony in favor of expanding mobile vending in Oakland, explaining that her father was a mobile vendor and that is how he raised her and her sisters and put all of them through college. She went on to say that we should create guidelines for what constitutes “healthy” mobile vending, and use it as a tool to create access to good food in underserved neighborhoods.

Click here to see photos from the Local Government workshop!

In the second workshop session, Advocating for Sustainable and Equitable Food Policies, participants used their new skills from the Introduction to City Government workshop to explore case studies of how the policy process plays out and how to develop an advocacy strategy. Participants worked in small groups to practice developing an advocacy strategy to support new zoning and operating standards for urban agriculture and a Fresh Food Financing Initiative. Each group had to consider the goal of the policy; who makes decisions on the issue; who can influence the decision; what leverage we might have; who our supporters might be; who might be in opposition; what financial commitment (if any) the policy would require from the city; and specific next steps to take. After the session, one participant said that “breaking down the process into steps made engaging with the city government less daunting,” and another said “I feel like this one of those situationswhere the more you learn, the more you realize there is to learn. I feel empowered to learn more.”

Click here to see photos from the Local Policy workshop!

Wish you could have been there? You can download the following resources:

Handout: Council Committees
Handout: Council District Map

And sign up for our listserv to find out about future workshops!

Urban Ag Zoning a widespread trend

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:16:00 -0500

Grown in the City, the self-proscribed place to go for “everything you need to know about food grown in the city,” has just launched another interactive online tool. Joining their Food Sovereignty Map and Food Policy Council Map, the Urban Ag Zoning Map allows users to fill in information on new urban ag zoning initiatives in their local regions while simultaneously tracking the greater national trend. Urban Ag initiatives range in their end goals, but generally aim to allow residents of densely populated urban areas to grow their own food. The hope is that this will not just promote healthier food choices but that community members will come together to share their experiences as urban gardeners. [Source]

FYI for those of you wanting to get started on your own zoning reform initiatives, this map is a wonderful tool because it links to each U.S. state and then by each local ordinance. Not only is this a great way to disseminate information on this topic more broadly, it’s also just simply encouraging to see this becoming such a widespread, national trend.

Click here or on the image above for a direct link to the map!

Sign on to the OFPC's Statement on Urban Agriculture

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:47:00 -0500

Photograph by Amy K. Senese

The Oakland Food Policy Council has identified support for and expansion of urban agriculture (UA) through local policy and coordination as one of our top goals.

Broadly, UA encompasses the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, plants, flowers or herbs, and/or raising animals and livestock in cities. Oakland is already home to a thriving community of urban farmers and gardeners who contribute to our city’s culture, health, environment, and economic vitality.

However, our planning process identified a number of areas where Oakland residents could benefit from clearer, updated, and streamlined local policies related to urban agriculture – especially in our zoning code. The widely publicized case of Ghost Town Farm, which was recently cited for lack of compliance with Oakland’s current zoning codes, highlights the need for an open dialogue about what sort of regulatory framework for UA activities we want to have here in Oakland. We would like to use this opportunity to generate public discussion about policy barriers and opportunities related to UA and to continue to urge the City to expedite the revision of existing zoning that in some cases hinders UA in Oakland. Most important, we are interested in promoting a positive and productive dialogue where our policymakers, city staff, and residents can work together to chart a course for the future of UA.

We have put together a "Statement on Urban Agriculture," and we invite you to read it and add your signature!

You can find the full text of the Statement below. Follow this link to sign on:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ofpc-ua/

Please help circulate this to your networks - the time is ripe to craft regulations that protect and expand UA, while ensuring that it will consistently be practiced in ways that are compatible with surrounding uses. The OFPC has already compiled suggested zoning code language (including a matrix of zones and UA activities) which we have shared with the City of Oakland Planning & Zoning Department, and we encourage you to contact your City Councilmember to encourage them to support these important policy changes.

Click here to add your signature!

Statement on Urban Agriculture
April 2011

1. Update zoning for UA to include a broader and more diverse range of food growing practices. Under the most recent citywide zoning update that is about to take effect, “Crop and Animal Raising Agricultural Activities” are allowed in all residential and commercial zoning districts with a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). The OFPC is working with the Planning Department to draft new UA definitions and amend the UA sections of the Zoning code in order to both clarify and streamline how different types of UA activities are regulated. Instead of one blanket policy that applies to all kinds of UA regardless of scale or intensity of activities, we are proposing definitions (and appropriate operating standards) for three types of UA that will help determine where UA can be practiced in Oakland:

- Residential UA is any form of plant and animal raising activity on a private residential property by an individual or family with the primary purpose of household consumption (regarding sales of Residential UA surplus, see the next point below). We propose that residential gardens be allowed as-of-right (with no additional permits or fees required) in all residential zones.

- Civic UA must be organized and operated by a Community Group, which may include local civic associations, public agencies, non-profit agencies, gardening clubs, homeowners associations, or even a group formed for the purpose of establishing a garden. We propose that civic gardens be allowed in all residential zones, and in most commercial zones (it may be appropriate for some commercial areas, such as our downtown, to require a CUP).

- Commercial UA use is distinguished from Civic UA by the intensity of site cultivation, the size of the site cultivated, and the primary purpose of the site’s use, which is growing vegetables, plants, flowers or for sale (including for-profit and non-profit enterprises). We propose that commercial UA be permitted in Commercial and Industrial Zones, and in residential zones with a CUP.

We welcome comments from the public regarding these definitions and zoning regulations.

2. Update zoning for sales of raw agricultural products to allow for small-scale entrepreneurial activities. Currently, selling raw, unprocessed agricultural products such as produce is regulated by a number of different laws, including Oakland’s zoning code (briefly, where selling can take place) and by city business permitting and licensing (who is allowed to sell). Generally, commercial activity (like selling produce grown onsite) is not allowed under current code in residential zones.

The OFPC supports modifying our code to allow some sales of raw agricultural products in residential zones. Prohibiting produce sales in residential zones may limit both the healthy food access benefits of urban agriculture and the small-scale entrepreneurial opportunities that it provides to residents. A number of cities, such as San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, Cleveland, OH, and Kansas City, MO have recently relaxed prohibitions on sales in residential areas and allowed gardeners to offer their bounty for-sale with appropriate operating standards in place. Additionally, we recommend that any CUP process take into account size and scale of the UA operation (considering such issues as gross sales), and offer a tiered cost structure.

In addition to the priority policy recommendations above, there are several other areas where updated policies could benefit Oakland’s urban farmers and gardeners, including raising animals and livestock. For example, Seattle’s new urban agriculture zoning increased the number of chickens permitted per household and added other allowed animals, including potbelly pigs. The OFPC also strongly supports the integration of animals into urban food production systems because they provide products that can improve the diets of Oakland’s residents (e.g. fresh milk, honey, eggs, and meat). Some urban farmers collect wool and goat hair for cottage industries. Finally, manure is an important fertilizer source for sustainable, ecological food production that is not reliant on petroleum-based chemical fertilizers.

The time is ripe to craft regulations that protect and expand UA, while ensuring that it will consistently be practiced in ways that are compatible with surrounding uses. The OFPC has already compiled suggested zoning code language (including a matrix of zones and UA activities) which we have shared with the City of Oakland Planning & Zoning Department, and we encourage you to contact your City Councilmember to encourage them to support these important policy changes.

The OFPC is prepared to help facilitate this dialogue in any way needed. We, along with all those who have signed this letter, believe that the recommendations outlined above will make for a healthier, more vibrant Oakland.

Click here to add your signature.

* * * * *

Taking it to the streets: A discussion

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 23:23:00 -0500

For the past two weekends volunteer surveyors have been taking on the task of attempting to uncover, through question and conversation, what it is that Oaklanders really want in their grocery stores and what their interests and desires are when talking food.

Asking someone to take ten minutes from their day to take a survey, usually results in quick “no’s”, “im busys”, and “come back laters”, but this time. . . there were mostly “nothing will change anyways”. Getting someone to open the door proved to be the first obstacle as we tried to discover what East Oaklanders value from their grocery stores, but then there appeared an unexpected hurdle: getting people to think that their answers mattered enough to take the time to speak with you. Many of the question on the survey were something like “Do you want to buy organic food that is reasonably prices?” and “Do you think that it is difficult to find healthy food in your neighborhood?”, questions that sound as if they would have obvious answers (wouldn’t YOU like to buy reasonably priced organic food?), yet most answers came with the added “but” at the end. Most East Oaklanders obviously feel it very important that the places where they go to buy food are safe, close to home, give back to the community, pay fair wages and sell healthy affordable produce, yet they had little faith in the possibilities for this to happen. It seemed as if people were tired of asking for food (fair?). Many people would reply to my questions with “it would be nice….but it ain’t gonna happen”. After many conversations that I and several other surveyors had with Oaklanders is clear that people are frustrated. The survey only serves to stir some conversation, but these frustrations need to be talked about, and it was obvious that people have comments on the situation. Surveys can only facilitate discussion, and it seems to me that there is plenty to dialogue, not just discuss.

If you would like more information about the survey, please contact Sabrina Wu at sabrina (at) hopecollaborative (dot) net .

New Oakland Food Trail map available now!

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:16:00 -0500

Oakland is the historic home to a wide array of food producers and the Oakland Food Trail map is a great way to help you discover them. The map includes over 45 food-related companies that are doing business in Oakland (and where you can find them). The best part? The map's creators also made sure to place an asterisk next to businesses that sell food on site. The Food Trail is a great way to spend a day exploring Oakland and its food opportunities—grab your map and a bike (or take a stroll) and go in search of tasty treats made by and for locals to enjoy!

Click here for the map!

Reserve your spot now for two workshops on local government and food policy!

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:25:00 -0500

Have you ever wondered how local policy is made, how our City government is structured, or how to get more involved in the policy process? Sign up for one or both of the workshops in our two-part series on local government and local food policy! Check out the descriptions below, and RSVP soon.

This is the first in the OFPC's new series of educational workshops. If you have ideas for future workshop topics, please get in touch! And depending on demand, we may be able to offer this same local government series again in the future.

April 6, 5-7pm Training: Intro to City Government
Learn about how Oakland city government is structured, how local policies are made, and how you can influence them.
Hosted by HOPE Collaborative and Oakland Food Policy Council
Facilitated by EBASE
Location: 1000 Broadway, 5th Floor, Room 5000A, Oakland, CA
Limited spots available! You must RSVP to Alethea Harper by April 1 at alethea@oaklandfood.org or 510-654-4400 x233.

April 13, 5-7pm Training: Advocating for Sustainable and Equitable Food Policies
Use your new skills from the Intro to City Government training to explore case studies of how the policy process plays out and how to develop a strategy. We will focus on zoning and operating standards for urban agriculture, “Environmentally Friendly Purchasing Protocols” for City of Oakland, “Fresh Food Financing Initiative,” and expansion of mobile vending.
Hosted by HOPE Collaborative and Oakland Food Policy Council
Facilitated by EBASE
Location: 1000 Broadway, 5th Floor, Room 5000A, Oakland, CA
Limited spots available! You must RSVP to Alethea Harper by April 8 at alethea@oaklandfood.org or 510-654-4400 x233.

We are looking forward to offering more workshops in the future and welcome your suggestions as we plan. Please leave a comment about this blog to let us know what workshop topics would be most valuable to you.

Help an Oakland high school win USDA's Recipes for Healthy Kids Challenge

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:38:00 -0500

Help Skyline High School win the vote in a Recipes for Healthy Kids competition! Click here and look for the Vote button.

More details:

What do chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), a group of Skyline High School students, an Oakland chef, a nutritionist, and Michelle Obama have in common? If we are referring to Obama’s Let’s Move campaign’s partnership with the USDA’s Recipes for Healthy KidsChallenge, then how about that Skyline’s Recipe Challenge team made the semifinals with their winning Spanish Chickpea Stew recipe? From over 340 healthy school lunch recipes submitted from across the nation, Skyline’s Recipe Challenge team’s recipe was one of fifteen chosen to advance to the semifinals. In the next month or two, USDA judges will visit Skyline High School to taste the recipe and judge the team for a chance at competing in a national cook-off alongside White House chefs in New Orleans.

Currently, the winning fifteen recipes are competing in a popular vote on the Recipes for Healthy Kids Website (www.recipesforkidschallenge.com). To vote for your favorite recipes:

1) Go to http://www.recipesforkidschallenge.com/submissions/598-spanish-chickpea-stew to review our recipe.

2) Click on the “Vote” button.

3) Sign up for an account – sorry about this, but it is how they are controlling duplicate votes.

4) Verify your account by clicking on the link sent to your e-mail address provide. This will cast your vote.

5) That’s it, except to feel good about helping us win $1500 for our school food service operations.