Beginning a Fruitful 2022 in Los Angeles
“Let us nourish beginnings … the seeds of all things are blest. The blessing is in the seed.”
Muriel Rukeyser
2022 holds the promise of a truly fruitful new year, and with the continued disruptions of the supply chain at large, we realize now more than ever how vital our work is. We hope you’ll take a moment to check out our impact report below and to get excited with us about what’s coming next!
Photo by Binyamin Mellish from Pexels
IMPACT:
In 2021, our work was made possible by you and by the generous support of the Butterfly Equity Foundation, the Clif Family (Clifbar) Foundation and small business partners like Mid Century LA.
In 2021, we more than tripled our food recovery impact by the pound compared to 2020. This is a big deal not only for us but for the farms we support, because it’s the farms that benefit economically. We support the growers first and foremost, with a wholesale market rate for their fresh produce. On the other side of the action in 2021, we offered 6 times the servings of healthy, whole fruit and vegetable to underserved communities in Los Angeles.
THE NUMBERS:
Last year we procured a total of 249,000 lbs of fresh produce from 20 different small- and mid-sized California farms. Produce included bell peppers, citrus, eggplants, pears and many varieties of squashes.
We provided 1,900,000 servings in the fight against hunger in LA through partners like Chefs To End Hunger, Food Forward, The Hollywood Food Coalition, Pico Union Project, LA LGBT Center and others.
WHY OUR WORK:
There is no universal cure in the fight against hunger. Many approaches and methods are required. And we are so inspired by our peer organizations in the field! Many of our peers are focused on the action of “gleaning” - the gathering of produce that is left behind, or picked over. This action curbs waste and provides nutrition for people in need and it is essential. However, our organization works differently and additively.
We believe that every person deserves access to healthy, whole food and we believe that a healthy food supply starts with healthy growers who are paid for their labor. That is why we work to identify small and mid sized family farms to support with our dollars. That is why we fund the purchase and the transportation, so that food can be distributed free-of-cost to people who need it the most.
Furthermore, we believe that a diverse food web is a healthy one, which is why we prioritize BIPOC farmers, immigrant owned practices, and projects with renewable farming methods who are growing culturally diverse fruits and vegetables.
G Farms Organic
WHERE WE GO FROM HERE
The need for the work we do is only increasing. If it’s not the Pandemic, it’s the climate. Drought or an intense outburst of rain. There are so many factors that can push a small farm over the edge. And there is so much more work to be done in expanding access to healthy food across Los Angeles, focusing on the areas and communities battling food apartheid.
Don’t know what food apartheid is? Nina Sevilla for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) explains:
“…we should follow the lead of food justice leaders who urge us to reconceptualize “food deserts” as “food apartheid” by focusing on creating food sovereignty through community-driven solutions and systemic change.”
So our work at F2P is more important than ever. That’s why this year we work to expand our reach. Thanks to the renewed support of the Butterfly Equity Foundation, we are already off to a great start.
The Butterfly Equity Foundation’s mission is to "improve the health and well-being of all people by supporting greater access to nutritious food.”
Big gratitude to the Butterfly Equity Foundation for believing in our mission and helping us grow up in this remarkable space!
OUR TEAM IS EVOLVING
This year we welcome our very first employee to the team…Garrní Baker! Garrní (he/they) joins us virtually in 2022 as Social Media Analyst and Project Manager for the Communications Team, and we’re so excited. He joins a team of numerous volunteers, all who can be found here.
OUR TEAM IS GROWING
This month we also hope to welcome a second paid employee to the team. *We are currently seeking a FARM RELATIONS AGENT* to increase our reach within the farm community. The JD is on Linkedin, so if you or anyone you know is *bilingual* and *experienced with logistics* please send them our way!
We hope you are returning to or starting daily routines with a sense of optimism! Happy New Year from all of us at Farm2People!
