Producegood

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WITH AN ACTIVE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY UNIQUELY POSITIONED NEAR A MAJOR METROPOLITAN REGION, SAN DIEGO COUNTY BOASTS THE GREATEST DIVERSITY OF FARMERS IN THE STATE AND THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL FARMS IN THE U.S (SDFSA). IN ADDITION TO FARMS, IT IS COMMON TO FIND CITRUS ORCHARDS ON PRIVATE LAND. PRODUCEGOOD ESTIMATES THAT AMONG ITS CURRENT ROSTER OF BACKYARD GROWERS, THERE ARE 15 MILLION POUNDS AVAILABLE FOR RESCUE THAT THE ORGANIZATION NEVER REACHES. DESPITE THE ABUNDANCE OF FARMS AND ORCHARDS, THERE IS A PARADOX. THE FOOD SYSTEM IS BROKEN, WITH AGRICULTURAL PROSPERITY AND FOOD INSECURITY COEXISTING. CALIFORNIA IS A RICH, FERTILE STATE THAT YIELDS MILLIONS OF POUNDS OF PRODUCE, YET HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS ARE LIVING IN FOOD DESERTS WITH NO ACCESS TO FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. MILLIONS MORE FACE DAILY FOOD INSECURITY AND INCREASED POVERTY WORSENED BY THE COVID-19 CRISIS.TEN MILLION CALIFORNIANS BATTLE HUNGER WHILE 40% OF OUR STATE'S ABUNDANT PRODUCE GOES TO WASTEANNUALLY. THESE CONFLICTING PROBLEMS DRIVE A NECESSITY FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE WITHIN THE FOOD SYSTEM TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE BY REDIRECTING UNWANTED PRODUCE TO FEED PEOPLE. THESE JOINT DIRECTIVES, REDUCING WASTE AND PROMOTING FOOD JUSTICE AND EQUITY, ARE ALSO ADDRESSED IN CALIFORNIA LEGISLATION SB1383 AND AB1826 AND AB125. WITH CALIFORNIA UNEMPLOYMENT REACHING 13.3% DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE CONFLUENCE OF JOB LOSS AND FOOD INSECURITY DEVASTATED SAN DIEGO COUNTY FAMILIES. ONE IN FOUR NOW FACES FOOD INSECURITY, UP FROM 1 IN 6 PRE-PANDEMIC. FOOD INSECURITY HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON DIETARY QUALITY, AS ADULTS CONSUME FEWER NUTRIENT-RICH VEGETABLES AND FRUIT. ADDITIONALLY, CALIFORNIA HAS CALLED FOR A 75% REDUCTION IN ORGANIC WASTE DISPOSAL BY 2025. ORGANICS ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF THE MATERIAL IN CALIFORNIA'S WASTE STREAM. GREENHOUSE GASSES CAUSED BY THE DECOMPOSITION ARE CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE.THE FIELD TO FAMILY PROJECT WILL LEVERAGE THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERS TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE AND HUNGER MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR COMMUNITIES TO FEED THEMSELVES. PRODUCEGOOD HAS CULTIVATED A VIBRANT SERVICE ENGINE OF OVER 4,000 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS WHO RECOVER PRODUCE APPROXIMATELY 700 TIMES A YEAR TO SUPPLY A GROWING NETWORK OF 80 FEEDING PARTNERS TO NOURISH THOUSANDS OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY FAMILIES EACH WEEK WITH FRESH SURPLUS PRODUCE. THE METHODS RELIED UPON BY PRODUCEGOOD TO GATHER DATA FOR THIS PROJECT WILL BE THE SAME METHODS WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO FOR ALL PROJECT WORK AS DEFINED IN THE PRIOR SECTION WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO UNIQUE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS.ON THE PRODUCE RECOVERY FRONT, PRODUCEGOOD WILL SCHEDULE NEW AND EXISTING GROWERS AND LEVERAGE ITS VOLUNTEER ENGINE TO GLEAN SURPLUS PRODUCE AND MOVE IT INTO THE FOOD SYSTEM. TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, PRODUCEGOOD STAFF WILL RECRUIT, MANAGE AND SCHEDULE ALL RESOURCES; OBTAIN THE DATA FROM EVERY EVENT INCLUDING VOLUNTEERS, GROWER, POUNDS PICK AND TYPE PICKED; AND RECORD THIS INFORMATION IN THE HARVESTING DATA TOO,L. SOME OF THIS DATA IS MANUALLY SHARED, OTHER DATA IS GATHERED FROM A CUSTOMIZED APP THAT IS USED BY VOLUNTEERS TO CAPTURE DATA FROM OUR MARKET SHARE PROGRAM. ALL INFORMATION COLLECTED WILL FLOW INTO OUR RESULTS FRAMEWORK.OUTREACH AND FOOD RECOVERY RESOURCE (STAKEHOLDER) DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO FLOW INTO THE RESULTS FRAMEWORK, BUT THE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES ARE MORE NUANCED REQUIRING A GREAT DEAL OF PARTICIPATION, MOTIVATION AND DEMONSTRATION OF BEST PRACTICE FROM PRODUCEGOOD LEADERSHIP WHO TAKE A VERY ACTIVE ROLE IN PRODUCEGOOD OPERATIONS. STRENGTHENING THE FLOW AND QUALITY OF INFORMATION BETWEEN PRODUCEGOOD AND ITS STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING FOOD SOURCES, CITIES, AND FEEDING PARTNERS WILL REQUIRE PRESENTATIONS, REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATIVE RESOURCES IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES AND THE ABILITY TO LEVERAGE THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE IN THE ACTIVITY DESIGN. FOR THIS REASON, WE WILL START THE RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT PORTION OF THIS PROJECT AT THE VERY BEGINNING SO THAT WE CAN ESTABLISH THEBASELINE AND CREATE A PLAN IN TANDEM WITH FOOD SOURCES AND FOOD RECEIVERS. EACH INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY WE TAKE ON IS ACCOUNTED FOR ON THE BASIS OF THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN ACHIEVING OUR LARGE GOALS.ULTIMATELY, PRODUCEGOOD SEEKS TO DIFFERENTIATE ITS VALUE AS A PROVIDER OF WHOLE, FRESH PRODUCE WHOSE SUCCESS IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE STORIES ITS DATA CAN TELL. BY INCREASING ITS ALIGNMENT WITH THE COMMUNITIES IT SERVES, PRODUCEGOOD SERVICES CAN BE SOUGHT OUT BY ORGANIZATIONS FOCUSED ON NUTRITION AND INTEGRATED WITH CULINARY OR FOOD EDUCATION CURRICULA. SOME OF THE PRODUCE PRODUCEGOOD RESCUES IS NEW TO THE AUDIENCES EATING IT. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SHINE A LIGHT ON FOOD WASTE PREVENTION AND FRESH PRODUCE NUTRITION/PREP THE STRATEGIC COLLABORATIONS THAT ARE DRIVEN BY THE COMMUNITIES BEING SERVED. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT AIMS TO INCORPORATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY OLDER ADULTS LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE IN THE FOOD RECOVERY PROCESS.THE FIELD TO FAMILY PROJECT WILL DELIVER AGAINST 24 OBJECTIVES TO PROVIDE A DEPENDABLE OUTLET FOR SURPLUS FOOD (BUMPER CROPS, WEATHER FALLOUT, PANDEMIC OR OTHER) IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY THROUGH NEW AND EXISTING LINKAGES BUILT BETWEEN FARMERS AND THE RECOVERY OUTLETS THAT FEED PEOPLE THAT PROVIDE FOOD SOURCES WITH NO CHARGE SERVICES AS PART OF A HOLISTIC SOLUTION TO HELP COMMERCIAL FARMERS AND GROWERS MEET CA FOOD WASTE PREVENTION COMPLIANCE AND AVOID COSTLY PENALTIES. SURPLUS PRODUCE WILL BE RECOVERED FROM LARGE CITRUS HUBS AND PROVIDED TO THOSE LIVING IN URBAN, RURAL AND SUBURBAN FOOD DESERTS AS WELL AS TO THOSE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE. NEW DEMAND WILL BE CREATED FOR VARIATIONS OF SERVICE TO SUPPORT DESIRED PROGRAMMING, AND THE SERVICE VALUE AND COMMITMENT AMONG PARTNERED FEEDING ORGANIZATIONS WILL DEEPEN. SELF-RELIANCE IN COMMUNITIES OF NEED WILL GROW AS PARTICIPATION IN ACTIVITIES INCREASES AND TRUE COLLABORATION WILL EVOLVE ACTING AS A CATALYST FOR GREATER ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD. A MORE EDUCATED PUBLIC WILL HELP CITIES MEET EDIBLE FOOD,RECOVERY COMPLIANCE AND RELEVANT DATA WILL BE REPORTED TO IMPROVE FEDERAL FOOD WASTE AND HUNGER PREVENTION POLICIES. PRODUCEGOOD EDIBLE FOOD RECOVERY WILL BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLE THROUGH MUNICIPAL FUNDING WHILE CLIMATE CHANGE AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH ARE SYSTEMATICALLY ADDRESSED.WE LIKE TO SAY WE CAN REDUCE FOOD WASTE AND HUNGER IN ONE SWEET STEP. CHANGING PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF FRESH PRODUCE, BUILDING TRUST AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE SURPLUS PRODUCE AND COMING TOGETHER AS A WHOLE COMMUNITY NO MATTER WHAT INCOME LEVEL TO GLEAN THE EXCESS FOR CLEANER AIR AND NUTRITION IS WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO PRODUCEGOOD.