Climate Smart Agriculture for Small and Urban Farmers; 25 days till GrowRIVERSIDE!

May 18, 2015 | Robert Puro

Droughts, above average temperatures in winter and unexpected frosts. The climate is in an unprecedented state of flux and unpredictable weather is having an outsized impact on farmers and their ability to produce food efficiently. Riverside farmers as well as farmers across the country and world face similar challenges related to climate change and must look to adopt new practices and technologies to farm smarter.

To learn more about how farmers and agriculture communities can develop long-term strategy and production improvements that can help to mitigate the risks of changing climate conditions, A.G. Kawamura, a local farmer and former secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, will give a talk entitled “Climate Smart Agriculture for Small and Urban Farmers” at the upcoming GrowRIVERSIDE: The Future of Local Food Conference on June 11 – 12 (with community day on June 13) at the Riverside Convention Center in Riverside, CA.

Register now to hear A.G. Kawamura discuss the role Climate Smart Agriculture will play for small and urban farmers by clicking on the link below:

Register here: http://growriverside.eventbrite.com

A.G. Kawamura is a third generation fruit and vegetable grower and shipper from Orange County. He is co-chair of Solutions From the Land, a non-profit organization that collaborates with farmers, ranchers, foresters and stakeholders to implement climate smart land management practices and strategies. Through his company, Orange County Produce, LLC, he is engaged in building an exciting, interactive 21st century 100 acre agricultural showcase at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, CA. AG served as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture from 2003-2010. Read More

A Case for Economically Viable Small Farms that Benefit Community and Economy; 28 day till GrowRIVERSIDE!

May 15, 2015 | Robert Puro

Across Southern California, a new breed of small farmer is emerging to not only take advantage of the growing demand for local food, but also to connect urban communities to their food. These farmers are nimble, resourceful and pushing the limits often working on backyard plots within or on the outskirts of cities that are less than 1-acre in size. Yet they are creating economically viable business models by growing salable produce on every inch of their land.

To learn more about how farmers are successfully growing on small lots and how this type of small plot agriculture might benefit your city and community, or even find a place in your own backyard, you won’t want to miss the GrowRIVERSIDE Conference breakout session entitled “Developing Urban Farms that Benefit City, Economy and Community” featuring:

Hop Hopkins, co-founder of PANTHER RIDGE FARM, is a certified Arborist, a Master Gardener, has his Basic Permaculture Design Certificate and is a certified Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) instructor. He received his BA from New College of California as a graduate in the Culture Ecology & Sustainable Communities program. He and his wife, Adalila Zelada-Garcia, steward a quarter of an acre of land inhabited with chickens, honey bees, and multiple compost piles. Hop is an active member of the Urban Agriculture Working Group of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council.

Rishi Kumar is an ecological designer, urban farmer, and educator. Since 2011, he has operated The Growing Home, an urban farm and model of suburban sustainable living based near Los Angeles. Rishi’s work has been featured by the Los Angeles Times, GOOD Magazine, KPCC, KPFK, KCRW, and the urban farming documentary “Urban Fruit”. Rishi has a background in Computer Science, with degree from UC San Diego.  He has apprenticed at Vandana Shiva’s Navdanya Farm in Dehradun, India. Rishi is a Master Gardener and Permaculture Design Certificate holder.

GrowRIVERSIDE is only 28 days away, so click on the link below to reserve your spot to hear Rishi Kumar and Hop Hopkins discuss how you can leverage small plots from your backyard to a vacant lot to create thriving urban farms that benefit the city, economy and community:

http://growriverside.eventbrite.com

Additional Confirmed GrowRIVERSIDE Speakers:

A.G. Kawamura – Former Secretary of the California Dept. of Food and Agriculture (2003 – 2010)
Cheryl Garner – Executive Director of Dining, Conference and Catering Services at University of California, Riverside
Tracy Kahn – Curator of the UCR Citrus Variety Collection
Bob Knight – Founder of Inland Orange Conservancy and Old Grove Orange, Inc.
Fortino Morales III – UC Riverside Community Garden Coordinator
Kathleen Reed – Sustainable Food Program Manager for Kaiser Permanente
Justin Scott-Coe – Public Affairs Director for Monte Vista Water District
Mark Winne – Co-founder of the Connecticut Food Policy Council
Ramiro Lobo – UCCE Small Farms & Agricultural Economics Advisor
Gene Giacomelli – Director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) at University of Arizona
Robert Egger – Founder and President of L.A. Kitchen
Dwight Detter – Local Forager for Whole Foods Market
Viviana Franco – Executive Director of From Lot To Spot
Robert Tse – State Broadband Coordinator for USDA CA Rural Development
Pierre Sleiman – Founder of Go Green Agriculture
… And more!

Register here: http://growriverside.eventbrite.com

 More information on the conference: http://growriverside.com

Farm-to-school luminary to discuss local food in school lunches; 29 days till GrowRIVERSIDE!

May 14, 2015 | Robert Puro

Curious about how Riverside Unified School District’s (RUSD) Nutrition Services team is leading the way in the farm-to-school movement to provide healthy and fresh local to 43,000 students spread across 31 schools located in the district while simultaneously helping local farmers to grow their businesses and the local economy?

Then you won’t want to miss RUSD Nutrition Services Director Rodney Taylor’s keynote address at the upcoming 2nd Annual GrowRIVERSIDE Conference: The Future of Local Food on June 11 – 13 at The Riverside Convention Center with Community Day on June 13.

Currently RUSD students enjoy access to locally-sourced salad bars and experiential learning opportunities in agriculture and nutrition and much of the farm-to-school program’s success in Riverside has been spearheaded by Rodney and his team.

In 1997, Rodney led a similar effort in the Malibu and Santa Monica school districts. But while those areas are known for their affluence, Riverside has more economic challenges. So when he wanted to increase healthy food options for public school students in Riverside, there was no shortage of doubters.

Rodney did not see why healthy eating in public schools should be difficult anywhere. His goal is and always has been a simple one: “To get kids to consume their fruits and vegetables.” Through achieving this goal (and then some), he has proved his doubters wrong.

Rodney Taylor is the recipient of numerous honors and awards. In 2013 he received the Center for Ecoliteracy’s “ Leadership Award”, The California Endowment’s “Health Heroes” Award, Loma Linda University Award for “The Promotion Of Healthy Lifestyles—For Outstanding Commitment To The Public’s Health,” The Riverside Human Relations Commission “Heroes Award” and the N.A.A.C.P. “Education Award,” just to name a few.

GrowRIVERSIDE is only 29 days away, so click on the following link to reserve your spot to hear Rodney Taylor discuss the future of local on RUSD students across the region:

 http://growriverside.eventbrite.com

Additional Confirmed Speakers

Kathleen Reed – Sustainable Food Program Manager for Kaiser Permanente
Justin Scott-Coe – Public Affairs Director for Monte Vista Water District
Mark Winne – Co-founder of the Connecticut Food Policy Council
Fortino Morales III – UC Riverside Community Garden Coordinator
Tracy Kahn – Curator of the UCR Citrus Variety Collection
Celeste Cantu – General Manager at Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA)
Ramiro Lobo – UCCE Small Farms & Agricultural Economics Advisor
Gene Giacomelli – Director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) at University of Arizona
Robert Egger – Founder and President of L.A. Kitchen
Dwight Detter – Local Forager for Whole Foods Market
Viviana Franco – Executive Director of From Lot To Spot
Robert Tse – State Broadband Coordinator for USDA CA Rural Development
Erika Block – Local Orbit
Bob Knight – Founder of Inland Orange Conservancy and Old Grove Orange, Inc.
Pierre Sleiman – Founder of Go Green Agriculture
… And more!

Register here: http://growriverside.eventbrite.com

More information on the conference: http://growriverside.com

What is the Future of Local Food in Riverside and Beyond?

May 11, 2015 | Robert Puro

To help answer this question and explore solutions to create a vibrant marketplace for local agriculture in Riverside and cities and counties across the country, please join us at The Riverside Convention Center on June 11-12 for the 2nd Annual GrowRIVERSIDE Conference: The Future of Local Food with Community Day on June 13.

What are the objectives of GrowRIVERSIDE?

• To create a vibrant local food marketplace in which a greater percentage of the food available in restaurants, supermarkets, schools, hospitals and other institutions comes from local growers;
• To develop an infrastructure of local food production, distribution and marketing that generates new jobs and benefits the community and local economy
• To aid aspiring farmers and entrepreneurs leverage agricultural assets to grow businesses that benefit the local economy and community;
• To insure access to healthy local food for all

Register here: http://growriverside.eventbrite.com

Who will be there?

Experts in local food business creation; water management professionals to address growing in a drought; practitioners in food marketing and distribution; farmers adept in growing profitably on small plots of land; community food access experts; and more!

Featured Keynote Speakers

Register here: http://growriverside.eventbrite.com

Additional Confirmed Speakers

Kathleen Reed – Sustainable Food Program Manager for Kaiser Permanente
Justin Scott-Coe – Public Affairs Director for Monte Vista Water District
Mark Winne – Co-founder of the Connecticut Food Policy Council
Fortino Morales III – UC Riverside Community Garden Coordinator
Tracy Kahn – Curator of the UCR Citrus Variety Collection
Celeste Cantu – General Manager at Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA)
Ramiro Lobo – UCCE Small Farms & Agricultural Economics Advisor
Gene Giacomelli – Director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) at University of Arizona
Robert Egger – Founder and President of L.A. Kitchen
Dwight Detter – Local Forager for Whole Foods Market
Viviana Franco – Executive Director of From Lot To Spot
Robert Tse – State Broadband Coordinator for USDA CA Rural Development
Erika Block – Local Orbit
Bob Knight – Founder of Inland Orange Conservancy and Old Grove Orange, Inc.
Pierre Sleiman – Founder of Go Green Agriculture
… And more!

Register here: http://growriverside.eventbrite.com

More information on the conference: http://growriverside.com

Fight Drought with Compost, University of California, Riverside Expert Says

May 5, 2015 | AJ Hughes

It’s no secret that Southern California is suffering from prolonged drought, and according to a University of California, Riverside (UCR) professor and conservation specialist, compost can be used as a potent drought-fighting tool.

“Compost is a good source of organic matter, helps retain nutrients and helps conserve water,” says David Crohn. “Adding compost to sandy soil helps it to hold more water, which makes water management easier.” Read More

GrowRIVERSIDE Homegrown Riverside Recipe Contest

May 5, 2015 | seedstock

The “Homegrown Riverside Recipe Contest” is entering its inaugural year. The contest seeks to highlight the abundance of local food in Riverside and inspire new recipes and ways of cooking throughout our greater Riverside community. The “Homegrown Riverside Recipe Contest” aims to connect chefs, food entrepreneurs, cottage food providers and home cooks. Contest winners will be announced at the GrowRIVERSIDE Conference. The 1st place winner will have their recipe featured for distribution at Community Day on June 13. Applications will be received according to the contest instructions and rules from now until the end of May!

Contest Rules and Details:

Home cooks are encouraged to submit a recipe that features at least one (1) local item of produce purchased at a farmer’s market or farm stand in Riverside or San Bernardino Counties. Read More

‘Dinner in the Grove’ to Highlight Importance of Local Food and Farmers to Riverside Unified School District

May 1, 2015 | seedstock

Farm-to-school guru and Riverside Unified School District director of Nutrition Services Rodney Taylor oversees the daily food needs of 43,000 students, but on May 16, Taylor and his culinary team will prepare and serve food to 60 guests at the 2nd Dinner in the Grove, which benefits GrowRIVERSIDE.

This event, set at Fox Farm in Riverside, will support the upcoming GrowRIVERSIDE conference, slated for June 11-13 in Riverside, California. Additionally, the dinner will celebrate the RUSD Nutrition Team’s accomplishments and continuing efforts in feeding healthy, local food to students in the district, as well as Riverside County’s rich citrus and agricultural heritage.

RUSD Nutrition Services won’t merely prepare the food—Taylor and others on his staff will speak on the importance of local food and farmers to the district. Host farmer Scott Berndt of Fox Farm and Lana Hapeman of Hapeman Ranch will also speak about the importance of preserving urban farmland in Riverside and elsewhere. Read More

Commercial Kitchen Incubator Grows Small Food Startups in Southern California

April 29, 2015 | seedstock

Starting a small food business isn’t easy; high start-up costs and strict regulations can prevent even the savviest of small food entrepreneurs from realizing their dream. If you live in California’s Coachella Valley, however, starting a small food business has gotten a bit easier thanks to ShareKitchen, a commercial kitchen incubator in Cathedral City.

Angela Janus started ShareKitchen in 2012 after years of watching her friends in the food business struggle to get good ideas off the ground. Janus, who had 25 years of experience in the hospitality and food industry, recognized that there were many barriers to starting a small food business, some of which were too hard for small food entrepreneurs to overcome on their own. Read More