Welcome to the Scott Valley Community Food Conversation!
The conversation began with the meeting held May 22, 2013 at the Scott Valley Family Resource Center in Fort Jones. Eleven residents came together to talk about food resources, opportunities and challenges, and access in their communities. From there, three action groups that started talking about projects and interests that those in the room had selected as critical. The goal of this meeting was to get community members connected and thinking about projects in their towns and even larger areas of the county.
Here you can review the food resources identified at the meeting, the opportunities and challenges discussed and the work done by action groups at the meeting. If you are interested in joining a community-driven action group or would like to add to the list of , please contact Renee Casterline at GNS and she will put you in touch with group leaders.
Community Food Assets
Food Production:
Community Gardens City Fruit Trees (FJ) Harry and David’s
Tulelake potatoes – Plant a Row Apple trees with excess fruit
Kidder Creek Orchards (lots of apple trees) Scott River Ranch – beef
Rockside Ranch – chicken, eggs, pork Community Garden (FJ)
Beautification Committee (Etna) Oakhill Garden Pumpkin Patch
Prolific plants i.e. Isatis tinctoria (Dier’s Wood, Marlahan mustard, Ban Lan Gen)
Black Ranch (wheat to distributors) alfalfa crops and equipment
Walnuts (Roy Hammer)
Distribution:
GNS USDA Commodities Rays Mean Genes Gas Stations
Schools (after school, no summer, funded for snacks/meals) SNAC harvest of the Month
Community Food Bank – Church (FJ) Post Office drop off point Azure Standards – bulk
Salvation Army (holidays) Hungry Hollow Food Coop (Etna-Cathy Warner) Schwanns
Community Church – Emergency Food (FJ Wed and Sat) 4 Brothers-beef and U-Pick berries
Berean Church Churches rotate hot meals for seniors Farmer’s Market (FJ – Tues/Etna – Th)
Family Resource Center (FJ) soup Tues – Fri, cooking classes City Hall (FJ) WIC vouchers
Meals on Wheels Hospice Lions Club Scott Valley Feed Store
Processing:
Solar Dehydrator (still available?) First Harvest Rotary and other organizations
Consumer Resources:
Westin A Price Foundation Slow Food Group (FJ) Michelle Harris Linda Berry Apple Press FFA Pearlmans
Food Summit (Kyle Peterson FJ, Jason Darrow, EDC)
Scott Valley Opportunities
Sioux City Sue Educational Film – Friday Night movies at FRC
Cottage Food bill – home production for sale
Snow peas – freeze and storage needed and well as garlic as examples of crop changes to more valuable products
Kidder Creek orchard restoration
Develop Slow Food concept
Direct sales to consumers
Bel Campo – local access to facility
Siskiyou Distributing
Shasta Valley Meats (FDA/Individuals)
Institutional buying program – government and schools
Distribution opportunities with:
General Produce, GNS, Sheriff’s Department, Fuel providers, Siskiyou Distributing, STAGE, USFS, Cal Fire
Growing community garden program
Etna Elementary School Garden – summer help
Ft. Jones Jr High and elementary school locations
Sources for Volunteers:
Community Service hours (County), SWAP Program (County Jail), Deadwood, Scouts, High School Senior projects
Government Surplus Equipment (Linda Romain )
JH Ranch
Barbara Coatney – Cottage Gardens Nursery (grounds, H2O, distribution)
Grange (Callahan, Gazelle, Greenview, Yreka)
Valley Oaks – Greenview
Dispatching opportunity partner with agencies?
Social media networking ( Facebook Gardener’s Delight page)
Straw Bale gardening
Classes to learn gardening and preserving
Cal Fresh buys seeds
Educate CalFresh recipients
Share EBT machines?
More food at Farmer’s Market
Smart phone use for EBT?
NRCS High Tunnel program to extend growing season
Commercial kitchens at Kidder Creek and JH summer only
Etna High School rents out kitchen
FRC Library resources
Scott Valley Challenges
Weather as it relates to transportation and growing season
Price of gasoline
Off Interstate 5 corridor
Cost of fresh produce and other items
Perception of limited local shopping opportunities
Distance to discount stores = costly
No central information-coordination
No more local newspaper
Limited public transportation
Storage
Hours and convenience to get fresh food for those that work out of the area
Communication- networking
Need for processing facilities
No granary or creamery
Leased equipment or hire out
Commercial kitchen
No slaughter facility – mobile possibility? (distance to travel to process = $$)
Education opportunities are missing
Community garden could do more with more participation
Need for seed exchange and production
Network of growers coordination
Supply and demand at Farmer’s Markets is off – run out of products early
What do you want to do?
Below are those responses
(the number indicates the number of votes received during the meeting in prioritizing opportunities and challenges)
6 Need for seed exchange and production
6 Institutional buying program – government and schools
5 Growing Community Garden program
5 Network and Coordination of growers
4 Develop education opportunities
3 Classes to learn gardening and preserving
2 Kidder Creek orchard restoration
2 Sources for Volunteers
2 Commercial kitchens at Kidder Creek and JH
1 Cottage Food Bill – home production for sale
1 Direct sales to consumers
1 Explore distribution opportunities
1 Investigate sharing EBT machines
1 Education about the perception of limited local shopping opportunities
1 Communication- networking
1 No granary or creamery
Scott Valley action groups:
Group 1: Community Garden
Step One: Identify the primary goal and three activities to support the achievement of this goal over the next few months.
Education about home gardening and preserving
Gardening classes
Information about the community garden
Classes for preserving food
Step Two: Who are your partners?
Brainstorm the potential partners for your activities. Consider Non-profit and public interest organizations, Community-based organizations, Neighborhood associations, Faith-based organizations, Ethnic and cultural associations, Schools, youth groups and parent groups, Colleges and universities, Government agencies, Elected officials and their staff, Businesses, Other
Family Resource Center, City of Fort Jones, Women’s Club, Friends of Fort Jones
Step Three: What is your next most doable step towards your goal?
Information about community garden
Group 2: Coordinating a network of growers
Step One: Identify the primary goal and three activities to support the achievement of this goal over the next few months.
Usable directory, make the directory, get names,
Meeting place for growers
Distribute document hard copy and online
Step Two: Who are your partners?
Brainstorm the potential partners for your activities. Consider Non-profit and public interest organizations, Community-based organizations, Neighborhood associations, Faith-based organizations, Ethnic and cultural associations, Schools, youth groups and parent groups, Colleges and universities, Government agencies, Elected officials and their staff, Businesses, Other
Chamber of Commerce, Etna Farmer’s Market, Fort Jones Farmer’s Market,
Rockside Ranch CSA
Step Three: What is your next most doable step towards your goal?
Talk to Kyle
Communicate with growers to gain interest
Group 3: Seed Production
Step One: Identify the primary goal and three activities to support the achievement of this goal over the next few months.
Organic and veganic seed production
Local “pedigree”, open pollinated GMO free, pesticide-free, chem-free
Find growers willing to grow specific seed crops
Step Two: Who are your partners?
Brainstorm the potential partners for your activities. Consider Non-profit and public interest organizations, Community-based organizations, Neighborhood associations, Faith-based organizations, Ethnic and cultural associations, Schools, youth groups and parent groups, Colleges and universities, Government agencies, Elected officials and their staff, Businesses, Other
Non-Profits, community based. Faith based groups, college, schools
Step Three: What is your next most doable step towards your goal?
Workshop on growing plants for seed
Local seed growing alliance