2017 ASHS Annual Conference

When strategies for regenerative agriculture are promoted, restoring the linkage of production with local communities has often been ignored. For the last six years, the Cultivating Community North Valley (CCNV) project has sought to bolster the connection of underserved people in the Butte County area of Northern California with production and consumption of fresh, nutritious specialty crop production. In an effort to support local production of specialty crops, CCNV has promoted hundreds of workshops to enhance production skills while also educating people about how to utilize local commodities. Based on the idea that the viability of local production is dependent on informed consumers, CCNV educational efforts have included workshops on nutrition, preserving, storing, and cooking specialty crops. The program has focused efforts on students, elderly, returned veterans, and low income groups. At Chico State University, the program has worked with the campus food pantry to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for needy students and has offered demonstrations on how to cook the produce. Student education has also been supported with activities on the university farm to provide practical production and marketing experiences. A student-managed community supported agriculture (CSA) program has facilitated a connection of community members as share holders in the farm production. Around the area, over 25 community gardens have been supported by the program in diverse neighborhoods to alleviate food deserts. The project has resulted in the development of a stronger and more vibrant community-based food network.