Farm and Food Access Reports
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By Nathan McClintock and Jenny Cooper  |
This 2009 report examines the potential for urban agriculture on Oakland's public land. The report identifies 1200 acres of vacant and underutilized public land that could potentially be used for food production. If only half of this land were cultivated using intensive ecological farming methods, the authors conclude that these “commons” could contribute at least five percent of the city’s recommended vegetable needs to the local food system, a significant step towards Oakland’s goal sourcing a third of its food locally. The report also emphasizes urban agriculture’s potential contributions to Oakland’s sustainability goals. In addition to producing fresh and nutritious food, urban farming creates green jobs, and provides and other environmental services, green space, and educational opportunities. Visit urbanfood.org for more information on the project.
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Funding Opportunities for Investing in Family Farm-Centered Food Systems Produced by Farm Aid
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Inspired by Farm Aid President Willie Nelson, who has always said family farmers are the backbone of the nation and the bottom rung of our economic ladder, we are proud to offer this guide as a resource to individuals, businesses, organizations, and local and state governments seeking to create thriving family farm-centered food systems in their communities, revitalizing the economy of America as a whole.
The Funding Opportunities for Investing document highlights pools of federal money that can be harnessed to create thriving local and regional food systems with family farmers at their center. We are proud of this report, but even more proud of the farmers and entrepreneurs it showcases, who are transforming our food system, rebuilding economies, and strengthening our country from the ground up. Click here to download a copy of the report.
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Sustaining Our Bounty: An Assessment of the State of Farming and Ranching in the San Francisco Bay Area [PDF], summarizes the challenges and opportunities of the region’s $1.9 billion a year agriculture industry, calling for new strategies to support its future prosperity. A key may be to enable farmers and ranchers to capitalize on the growing demand for locally-produced food from the region’s seven million consumers. In March, along with our partners, Greenbelt Alliance and Sustainable Agriculture Education, we will convene a regional conference to design strategies to sustain Bay Area agriculture. |
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By Sam Newberg
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Downtowns and urban neighborhoods are seeing new grocery store development, with a revolution in store design, location in mixed-use projects, parking solutions, and role within neighborhoods. In addition, in 2011 there will be tremendous churn in the grocery market, with much of it focused on cities. With traditional grocers like...
Click here to view this content. |
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Harnessing the Power of Supermarkets
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In this report, public Health and supermarket experts explore grocery store marketing practices to promote healthier and lower-calorie foods. Read the full report here. |
