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Open to Community, GrowRIVERSIDE Gathering on Thursday, May 7 to Focus on Value-added Food Business
April 23, 2015 | seedstock
On the heels of the success of the first GrowRIVERSIDE Community Gathering comes the second in the series of gatherings, which will take place on Thursday, May 7 at Stewarts Boathouse at Fairmount Park from 6:00pm – 8:30pm and focus on the development of value-added local food businesses. Register here for the free event: http://growriversidegathering.eventbrite.com
The event will feature a panel discussion with local Riverside value-added food business owners and presentations by Angela Janus, Founder of ShareKitchen, on how the company’s incubator program works to help value-added local food businesses grow and thrive in Riverside, and Nick Melquiades of the Riverside Food Co-op, who will discuss how the group works with the community and provides new market access for local farmers.
There will also be an open forum discussion in which attending community members will have the floor to discuss any local food initiatives that they are working on and how others in the community can get involved.
USDA Under Secretary, former CA Agriculture Director to Address GrowRIVERSIDE Conference in June
April 21, 2015 | seedstock
(from right to left) A.G. Kawamura, former Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (2003 – 2010); and Edward Avalos, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at USDA
Riverside, CA April 21 – Edward Avalos, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, and Arthur “A.G.” Kawamura, former Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, have been added as featured speakers for the 2nd Annual GrowRIVERSIDE Conference: The Future of Local Food, conference organizers announced today.
The inclusion of these nationally known experts intensifies an already strong line-up of sustainable urban agriculture experts, city planners, farmers and others slated to speak at the June 11-13 event. Presented by Seedstock in partnership with the City of Riverside, the conference fosters the growth of a sustainable local food and agriculture system that directly benefits Riverside as well as provides blueprints that communities across the country can utilize, officials said. Avalos and Kawamura join Mark Winne, a nationally recognized expert in community food policy and systems, as conference featured speakers. Read More
Q&A: City Councilmember Andy Melendrez on the Importance of Sustainable Food and Agriculture to Riverside, CA
April 16, 2015 | AJ Hughes
Riverside City Councilmember Andy Melendrez is a supporter of GrowRIVERSIDE and of sustainable food and agriculture in the city. (photo courtesy of Clarissa Cervantes/Riverside City Council)
Riverside City Councilmember Andy Melendrez is a supporter of local foods, and is enthusiastic about educating Riverside residents on the importance of local and sustainable food and agriculture.
In an effort to provide more education to the public about the importance of sustainable agriculture in Riverside and the surrounding communities, Melendrez started a lecture series on healthy sustainable living.
Seedstock caught up with Melendrez to ask him his thoughts about food and agriculture in Riverside, his hopes for the GrowRIVERSIDE conference, and more.
Seedstock: Why did you decide to launch a lecture series? How is that going, and what are your future plans for these lectures? Read More
Riverside Food Systems Alliance Aims for Formal Adoption of Local Food & Ag Policy
April 15, 2015 | AJ Hughes
Members of the Riverside Food Systems Alliance meet regularly. On April 16, the Alliance will present an action plan regarding the promotion of local food and agriculture to the Riverside City Council for formal adoption. (photo courtesy of Diana Ruiz)
When consultant Richard Conlin attended the inaugural GrowRIVERSIDE conference in 2014, he talked to people about the many ideas involving Riverside’s Greenbelt that never materialized. Conlin, who has a history of helping members of a community and stakeholders hammer out policies, offered to help make some of these ideas a reality. They accepted his proposal, which resulted in the Riverside Food Systems Alliance (RFSA).
The RFSA started meeting last September, and on April 16, it will present its action plan to the Riverside City Council for formal adoption. Read More
Future of Local Food Reminder: Register now for the GrowRIVERSIDE Conference in June
April 14, 2015 | seedstock
GrowRIVERSIDE: The Future of Local Food presented by Seedstock in partnership with the City of Riverside will assist cities in examining and developing solutions to develop and strengthen their urban agriculture and local food infrastructure. Experts in farming small plots, new business creation, local food marketplace development and community food access will come together to offer solutions on how Riverside can become a model for other cities to follow.
Topics of focus include:
- Urban Farming Business Models that Benefit Community and Economy
- Accelerating your Food Business Enterprise
- Community Food Systems
- Growing with Less Water
- The Power of Compost
- Hydroponic and Aquaponic Systems and their Role in the Future of Local Food
- Local Food Marketing
- Food Policy
- Funding a New Food Business
- Food Access
- Climate Smart Agriculture
GrowRIVERSIDE Conference to Explore Indoor Farming Opportunities from Hydroponics to Aquaponics
April 9, 2015 | seedstock
As water supplies dwindle, cultivatable land grows scarce and more expensive to purchase and market demand for local food continues to grow, indoor farming utilizing hydroponic and aquaponic technology will increasingly play a role in food production. To examine the economic, community and environmental benefits of developing indoor farms in or on the fringes of cities, the 2nd Annual GrowRIVERSIDE Conference: The Future of Local Food will host a session entitled “Launching an Indoor Farming Enterprise.” The session will feature thought leaders and experts from the indoor farming space including:
Pierre Sleiman is the founder and CEO of Go Green Agriculture, an innovative company that grows produce inside high-tech greenhouses using hydroponics. Go Green’s mission is to setup greenhouses across the country to provide local jobs and fresh, delicious, and nutritious produce to the community. Pierre has become involved in the mission of accelerating the movement towards local and sustainable farming and fostering interest in youth to choose agriculture as an exciting career. Read More
Healthy Riverside Initiative Emphasizes Local Food, Looks to Make County # 1 Place to Live in U.S.
April 9, 2015 | seedstock
Local food and agriculture is a major component of the Healthy Riverside County Initiative, designed to assist residents of Riverside County, California live healthy lives.
The initiative’s roots started growing in April 2011, when the Riverside County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to encourage all county departments to support healthy lifestyles.
In June 2012, Riverside County CEO Jay Orr included this mission of improved health in a larger vision: to make Riverside County the No. 1 place to live in the United States. One of the goals incorporated into this vision was to improve health in the country through policies, initiatives, systems and partnerships. Read More
No Green Without Blue: Riverside, CA Public Utility Emphasizes Water Conservation in Urban Ag
April 2, 2015 | seedstock
Riverside, despite its status as a sizable city, still produces a large amount of citrus fruit. Green Riverside and Blue Riverside strive to care for the land and to conserve water so Riverside can keep producing citrus will into the future. (photo courtesy of Alicia Albertson/City of Riverside)
The City of Riverside, California is committed to being green, but city officials know that in order to do this, Riverside must also be blue.
And with yesterday’s announcement of the state’s first-ever water restriction, it’s fair to say the city is ahead of the curve.
In this spirit, Riverside is engaged in two related and synergistic initiatives, Green Riverside and Blue Riverside.
Green Riverside was born when a group of businesspeople in the city created a strategy for growth in Riverside. This strategy revolves around environmental innovation and sustainability that includes all city entities, including government, business and residents. Read More
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