Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Is Farming with Reclaimed Water the Solution to a Drier Future?

    A California farm has successfully grown crops with the use of post-treatment water which the historically dry state has plenty of. Coco San Sustainable Farm is built on land that is reclaimed and uses free reclaimed water to irrigate its abundant produce. If wastewater reclamation was put into effect by the states $50 billion agricultural industry, it would relieve the water-strapped state’s constant water struggles.

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  • California Farmers of Color Need More Support During the Pandemic. Can Private Efforts Help?

    The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the ways in which the food system is broken, but governments, NGOs, and philanthropists are working to address the discrepancies by connecting small-scale farmers of color with businesses that can purchase their produce at fair rates. “For the first time, they felt connected with a real community. For the first time, they felt they were getting paid what’s right for what they’re growing,” a business advisor for one of the operations explains.

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  • The New York Farmers Responding to Food Insecurity

    Small businesses, such as Lively Run Goat Dairy, were able to quickly pivot during the initial chaos in the aftermath of pandemic shutdowns. The small dairy farm was able to salvage hundreds of pounds of milk that was set to be dumped by large industrial farms. It bought the milk with initial donations through GoFundMe and made cheese which was delivered free of charge to local food banks. Their nimble pivot to “strengthen distribution systems and feed their community” was even praised by the governor of NY who went on to create a project that connects farmers with food banks.

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  • The Collective Farm Helping Oregon's Latinx Farmworkers Weather the Pandemic

    The Raíces Cooperative Farm in Hood River, Oregon provides Spanish-speaking community members "a place to grow food," learn from one another about farming practices and develop leadership skills. “Through Raíces, I began to learn better cultivation techniques. [We are shown] how to care for the soil, plants, and seeds, and the program provides economic support" one member explained. During the coronavirus pandemic, the cooperative has also been integral to supplying food for mobile markets.

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  • A New Native Seed Cooperative Aims to Rebuild Indigenous Foodways

    The Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance organized a seed drive to distribute thousands of seeds to 270 different tribes. The indigenous seed exchange led to the creation of an intertribal cooperative to share traditional knowledge and practices as well. It has conducted a seed census in addition to creating a seed sovereignty assessment toolkit for communities.

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  • Black Grandmothers Feed their Communities, and Pass on Food Traditions—Online

    A program called Grandma’s Hands has begun hosting virtual dinner parties as a means of connecting and engaging with Black grandmothers during the coronavirus pandemic. Funded by a grant from the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the program also helps connect participants with fresh produce from Black- and Indigenous-run farms in the Portland area.

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  • Just What the Doctor Ordered: Produce Prescriptions are More Important—and Popular—Than Ever. Audio icon

    Produce prescription programs across the United States are seeing a resurgence in activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These programs provide healthy foods at a subsidized price to patients with chronic health issues. For example, the VeggieRx program in Chicago used to give out up to 70 boxes of fruits and veggies a week, but now they’re up to 160 boxes a week. While studies have shown that these programs can have a positive impact on patients' health, insurance companies usually only pay for patients to participate in them for a short period of time, so the health benefits might be limited.

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  • How Essential Food Workers Are Fighting Back

    Meatpacking workers protested Covid-19 safety concerns and a coalition of advocacy groups filed a civil rights complaint with the government accusing Tyson and JBS USA of racial discrimination during the pandemic because the safety issues disproportionately impact line workers, who are largely people of color. Nevada’s Culinary Union also sued Las Vegas Strip casinos for unsafe working conditions. Two casinos have been dropped from the suit after deciding to negotiate privately with the union and Tyson has since instituted some safety measures, but broader impacts of the complaints remain to be seen.

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  • College Food Pantries Are Reinventing Ways to Feed Students

    University-based food pantries around the U.S. had to quickly rethink the ways they could continue to provide students with access to food during the pandemic, despite students not having the same campus access as before. Fresno City College in California expanded its hours of operations and widened access to the whole community, instead of students only. Other college food pantries in California started using appointment-based apps for students to make appointments and pick up their food. Philander Smith College in Arkansas offered ready-made food baskets and grocery gift-cards, and emergency cash.

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  • Could a Detroit Experiment Unleash the Power of Urban Soil?

    A multi-year experiment in Detroit is looking at environmentally sustainable ways to build urban soil. Some urban farmers are concerned about the high alkalinity levels in their soils, which can lead to potentially contaminated produce. The project is studying how cover crops, compost, and tillage can improve a piece of land. Early results suggest that these techniques can improve soils for agriculture but also improve the soil’s capacity to absorb carbon to mitigate climate change in major cities.

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