Developing and maintaining an equitable, healthy and sustainable food system
Illustration by Ubaldo Riboni
Description: Over 30 species are commonly referred to as mackerels.
Availability: No designated season.
Taste: Firm and oily flesh, flavor and texture similar to salmon.
Nutrition: A good source of vitamin D, B vitamins and selenium. and omega-3 fatty acids.
San Diego Food System Alliance
Developing and maintaining an equitable, healthy and sustainable food system
SDFSA plans on releasing a more thorough summary of highlights from the Ag Census data for our county in the coming months, which will be one of several sources that will help inform our San Diego Food Vision 2030.
In the meantime, here are a few particularly insightful summaries from three respected agriculture organizations that we enjoyed reading.
A $220,700 grant awarded by CalRecycle indicates a serious state-level commitment to supporting SDFSA’s local food waste reduction efforts, and 14 exciting partnerships with major San Diego institutions demonstrates that our institutions and corporations are also stepping up.
“Common beans are grown and sold in tons, while I grow 25 to 50 bags at a time,” Mike Reeske points out. He’s a former schoolteacher who has picked up farming in retirement, specializing in heirloom beans. Mike focuses his operations on growing heirloom varieties, producing in small high-quality batches, selling direct-to-consumer and restaurants, and farming with sustainable practices.
“Beans put nitrogen in the soil as they grow, so we don’t have to put in a lot of organic fertilizers which are quite expensive,” he explains. “This is crop rotation strategy people have known forever. We try to add to it, and restore the soil as we go along here.”
“The cool thing about urban ag is that it allows you to escape the system a little bit—you’re taking matters into your own hands by growing your own food,” Belinda says. “We forget how much corporations and exclusive power structures determine what we eat.”
We believe in the power of collaboration. As an Alliance, we are working towards a common vision of Good Food for San Diego County. Together, we have the unique ability to overcome challenges by building partnerships, influencing policy and catalyzing transformation in our food system. We are breaking down silos and strengthening the capacity of the individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and public institutions in our network.
Here are some of the highlights of our year.
Fifteen of San Diego County’s largest hotels, hospitals, and universities will be participating in Smart Kitchens San Diego, which provides sites with Leanpath food waste tracking technology and connects them with local nonprofit recipients for food donation. Thanks to grant funding from the CA Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) through California Climate Investments, the program is designed to reduce our carbon footprint by redistributing food that would otherwise end up in our landfill.
Elly Brown
elly@sdfsa.org
