Veggielution

SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND FOOD ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY FACE OBSTACLES TO STARTING OR DEVELOPING BUSINESSES DUE TO LACK OF ACCESS TO RESOURCES,MARKETS,SUPPORTIVE PROGRAMS,AND LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL BARRIERS STEMMING FROM INSTITUTIONAL RACISM EMBEDDED IN THE FOOD SYSTEM. LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS IN AND AROUND EAST SAN JOSE FACE THE COMBINED IMPACTS OF LOW ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS,FRESH PRODUCE AND LIMITED ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. VEGGIELUTION'S COMMUNITY RESILIENCE HUBS WILL TRAIN LOCAL FOOD ENTREPRENEURS AND FOOD SYSTEM WORKERS,DEVELOP CONSUMER DEMAND IN UNDERSERVED CENSUS TRACTS FOR ORGANIC,LOCAL PRODUCE,AND CONNECT LOCAL FARMERS TO RESOURCES THAT DIVERSIFY AND INCREASE REVENUE STREAMS. OUR PROJECT WILL ASSESS THE EXISTING CONSUMER NEED FOR FOOD,FARMERS MARKETS,AND FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. WE WILL ALSO TRAIN LOCAL FOOD ENTREPRENEURS AND A NEW WORKER-OWNED COOPERATIVE,AS WELL AS CONNECT LOCAL FARMERS OF COLOR TO RESOURCES PROVIDED THROUGH KITCHEN TABLE ADVISORS. ATVEGGIELUTION FARM STANDS LOCATED IN EMMA PRUSCH FARM PARK AND SOFA POCKET PARK,AND AT THE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND CULTURE MERCADO,WE WILL INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS TO PURCHASE LOCALLY GROWN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. WE WILL PARTNER WITH PROMOTORAS,OR COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS,TO CONDUCT OUTREACH TO FAMILIES AND OFFER FAMILY-FRIENDLY COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS AND NUTRITION WORKSHOPS. THE PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A STRONGER REGIONAL FOOD ECONOMY THROUGH MORE INTEGRATED URBAN-RURAL FOOD SYSTEM COORDINATION AND ALTERNATIVE MARKET SOLUTIONS. LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS IN AND NEAR EAST SAN JOSE WILL BENEFIT FROM INCREASED LONG-TERM ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD,DECREASED FOOD INSECURITY,AND IMPROVED NUTRITION AND HEALTH OUTCOMES.

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** VEGGIELUTION, A NONPROFIT, URBAN COMMUNITY FARM, SERVES LOW-INCOME, FOOD-INSECURE, MOSTLY LATINO RESIDENTS OF EAST SAN JOSÉ, CALIFORNIA. VEGGIELUTION'S EASTSIDE FOOD INITIATIVE HAS THREE GOALS: 1) IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY AND COMMUNITY SELF-RELIANCE; 2) INCREASE FOOD ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY; AND 3) BUILD A RESILIENT AND EQUITABLE FOOD SYSTEM THAT PRIORITIZES OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. VEGGIELUTION WILL ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS THROUGH DISTINCT OBJECTIVES: INVEST IN EQUIPMENT NECESSARY FOR EFFICIENT, SCALED-UP OPERATIONS; BUILD INTERNAL CAPACITY THROUGH TRAINING AND HIRING; AND ENGAGE IN MULTI-SECTOR COLLABORATIVES AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL FARMS AND PRODUCERS, MANY BIPOC-OWNED/RUN.ADDRESSING A PRIMARY CFPCGP GOAL, VEGGIELUTION WILL MEET FOOD NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS, DISTRIBUTING 80,400 FARM BOXES, INCREASING ENROLLMENT IN CALFRESH, AND PROVIDING SERVICES THROUGH EAST SAN JOSE'S ¡SI SE PUEDE! COLLECTIVE. TO INCREASE COMMUNITY SELF-RELIANCE AND SUSTAIN THE FARM, VEGGIELUTION WILL ADD TWO ADDITIONAL ACRES OF CULTIVATION, PURCHASE EQUIPMENT (KUBOTA TRACTOR IMPLEMENTS AND GREENHOUSE OVERHEAD WATERING SYSTEMS) AND OBTAIN GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES (GAP) CERTIFICATION.THROUGH FOOD ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING, VEGGIELUTION WILL FOSTER ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR LOWINCOME RESIDENTS AND BUILD A PIPELINE OF DIVERSE, SKILLED, EXPERIENCED FOOD SYSTEM WORKERS AND VALUE-ADDED PRODUCERS. ALIGNING WITH CFPCGP GOALS, VEGGIELUTION WILL CREATE INNOVATIVE, CULTURALLY RELEVANT MARKETING, LINKING LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS AND LOCAL SMALL FARMS AND FOOD PRODUCERS AND PROVIDING NUTRITION AND FOOD PREPARATION EDUCATION THAT BENEFITS COMMUNITY HEALTH. IN ADDITION, MEETING CFPCGP'S GOAL OF PLANNING FOR LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS, VEGGIELUTION WILL ENGAGE IN MULTI-SECTOR COLLABORATIVES TO FOSTER IMPROVED PLANNING AND POLICY RESPONSES TO FOOD INSECURITY AND INCREASED LINKAGES BETWEEN FOOD SECTORS.

VEGGIELUTION WILL RESEARCH AND CREATE A SANTA CLARA COUNTY (CALIFORNIA) FOOD HUB FEASIBILITY PLAN (THE PLAN) THAT WILL DISCUSS AND ADDRESS COUNTY WIDE FOOD INSECURITY FOOD SWAMPS, WHERE LOW INCOME RESIDENTS LACK ACCESS TO CULTURALLY RELEVANT HEALTHY, ORGANIC FOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOOD ENTREPRENEURS AND EMPLOYMENT AND LIMITED CHANNELS FOR SMALLER AND OR BIPOC REGIONAL ORGANIC GROWERS TO MARKET PRODUCTS. THE PLAN WILL ULTIMATELY RECOMMEND A BEST PRACTICE MODEL FOR A SAN JOSE FOOD HUB BY INVESTIGATING POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS AND HOW VEGGIELUTION AND LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS CAN PLAY A PART IN ACTUALIZING THOSE SOLUTIONS. FOR THIS PROJECT, AND ONCE APPROVED FOR FUNDING, VEGGIELUTION WILL CONTRACT WITH NEW VENTURE ADVISORS, AN INDEPENDENT BUSINESS CONSULTANT VERSED IN THE FOOD SYSTEMS LANDSCAPE IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA AND REGIONALLY. WORKING CLOSELY WITH VEGGIELUTION S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW VENTURE ADVISORS WILL DEVELOP THE PLAN. DURING AN ASSESSMENT AND DISCOVERY PHASE, NEW VENTURE ADVISORS WILL CONDUCT EXHAUSTIVE LITERATURE REVIEWS INTERVIEWS WITH AND SURVEYS OF FOOD SYSTEMS STAKEHOLDERS, PARTNERS, GROWERS, FARMERS, GROCERS, LEADERS, RESIDENTS, AND OTHERS AND A BUSINESS ANALYSIS OF VEGGIELUTION TO DETERMINE THE BENEFIT OF VEGGIELUTION SERVING AS SAN JOSE S FOOD HUB.VEGGIELUTION ANTICIPATES THE PLAN WILL SUGGEST STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A SAN JOSE SANTA CLARA COUNTY FOOD HUB MODEL, INCLUDING WHETHER OR NOT VEGGIELUTION CAN BEST OPERATE THE FOOD HUB. VEGGIELUTION ALSO EXPECTS THE PLAN WILL HIGHLIGHT SOLUTIONS TO APPARENT AND DISCOVERED FOOD SYSTEM PROBLEMS, ISSUES, AND BARRIERS. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BENEFIT LOW INCOME RESIDENTS, FOOD ENTREPRENEURS AND WORKERS, AND SMALLER, DISADVANTAGED FARMERS.