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Riverside, CA Restaurateur Ronaldo Fierro Talks Benefits and Challenges of Sourcing Food Locally

February 24, 2015 | seedstock

Salted Pig in Riverside sources as much local food as it can to serve to patrons.

Rinaldo Fierro, owner of The Salted Pig discussing local food in Riverside. (Photo courtesy of The Salted Pig)

Riverside restaurateur Ronaldo Fierro believes in locally-produced food—it tastes good, it’s good for the economy, and it’s important for the health and vitality of Riverside, California, and its residents.

Owner of The Salted Pig, a downtown Riverside gastropub, and W. Wolfskill, a Riverside craft cocktail bar, Fierro has always strived to source ingredients as locally as possible.

“Since the beginning, our goal was to use local produce,” he says. Fierro defines local as within a 30-mile radius of downtown Riverside. Read More

USDA Announces $9 Million to Support Community Food Projects Program

February 19, 2015 | seedstock

post_usdalogo WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced the availability of $9 million in funding to assist low-income individuals and communities in developing local and independent food systems. NIFA is funding the grants through the Community Food Projects program (CFP), authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill).

“Community Foods Projects provide the opportunity for low-income communities to become more self-reliant and take control of their own food systems,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA director. “These projects create food systems that are economically equitable and socially and environmentally sustainable, providing real solutions for communities most in need.”

The Life of a Local SoCal Forager: Dwight Detter Explains How Products Get onto Whole Foods’ Shelves

February 16, 2015 | seedstock

Dwight Detter. Photo courtesy of Whole Foods Market.

Dwight Detter, who will be leading breakout sessions on local food marketing and buying at the upcoming 2nd Annual GrowRIVERSIDE Conference, is a food forager.

But he’s not spending his days gathering nuts and berries from the forest. Instead, he’s sourcing local producers for Whole Foods Market in southern California.

Detter shares his region with two other Local Foragers; together they help select the products and the producers for 40 Whole Foods stores. He likens his role to a worker bee supporting the hive (in this case, the hive is a Fortune 500 company with $14.2 billion in revenue in 2014).

City Councilmember Chris MacArthur Channels Citrus Background into Enthusiasm for Local Food

February 11, 2015 | seedstock

Riverside City Councilmember Chris MacArthur, a founder of GrowRIVERSIDE, has a unique perspective on local food and agriculture because of his citrus farming background. He is excited about the upcoming Grow Riverside conference in June. (photo courtesy of Chris MacArthur)

Riverside City Councilmember Chris MacArthur not only has a background in citrus farming, but he has channeled his enthusiasm for local agriculture into being a founder of GrowRIVERSIDE and promoting the GrowRIVERSIDE conference, in partnership with Seedstock.

Seedstock recently asked Councilmember MacArthur about his vision for local agriculture in Riverside, his hopes for this year’s GrowRIVERSIDE conference, slated June 11-13, 2015 and more.

What is your vision for local food in Riverside?

I envision a robust city and region-wide farm-to-fork network from farmers/growers to restaurants. The supply chain should extend from farmers/growers to schools, hospitals, universities, local groceries and food retailers and active farmers’ markets and fruit/vegetable stands in the greenbelt. This will provide access for all of our residents to locally grown food (including residents who live in food deserts). Read More

GrowRIVERSIDE “Dinners in the Grove” Series to Kick-off on March 14; Get Your Tix Now!

January 29, 2015 | seedstock

Imagine a dinner in a grove under the stars, sipping on a cocktail infused with local Riverside citrus, eating food sourced from the farm down the road, all prepared by a notable local chef. Well, come March this “dinner in a grove” idea will be a reality.

Introducing a unique dinner series to support GrowRIVERSIDE and celebrate the City of Riverside’s citrus heritage and locally grown produce, “Dinners in the Grove – A Farm-to-table Dining Experience” will literally take place in different orange groves across the city over the next couple of months.

The first “Dinner in the Grove” will take place on Saturday, on March 14, 2015 at Fairlawn Farms. Read More

Building ‘Links in the Chain’ of Food Innovation at California Baptist University

January 28, 2015 | AJ Hughes

Image courtesy of California Baptist University

California Baptist University in Riverside, California is a vital part of Riverside’s local and sustainable food efforts through its Food Innovation Center, which opened in September 2014.

Part of the university’s Department of Health Sciences, the 4,000-square foot space provides extensive classroom, laboratory and kitchen space.

Ronald Ellis, president of California Baptist, and Charles Sands, dean of the university’s College of Allied Health, envisioned a cutting-edge facility for training students, according to Margaret Barth, program director. She came to California Baptist to lead the new center. Read More

USDA Partnering to Conduct Grant Workshops to Support Local Foods

January 27, 2015 | seedstock

post_usdalogo WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced a partnership through the Agricultural Marketing Service Technical Assistance (AMSTA) Project to conduct workshops that will help potential grant applicants understand, develop, and submit their Federal grant applications for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program.

“The Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program is a key to USDA’s efforts to revitalize rural economies by supporting local and regional food systems,” said AMS Administrator Anne Alonzo. Read More

From Farm to Fork and Back Again: New California Law Seeks to Close Food Waste Loop

January 19, 2015 | AJ Hughes

California State Capitol. Source: Wikimedia Commons

California’s regulations governing organic food waste became more stringent on September 28, 2014, as Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1826 into law. The law requires commercial generators of food waste to have it composted or transformed to energy via anaerobic digestion.

One of the main impetuses for AB 1826, according to San Francisco Department of the Environment commercial zero waste senior coordinator Jack Macy, is keeping organic waste out of landfills. Read More