Public Sector: State

California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA)

CDFA Secretary AG Kawamura and Deputy Secretary, Robert Tse, participated actively in the San Francisco and Los Angeles Urban-Rural Roundtables and have met with city officials to clarify the need for more urban-rural collaboration on food and farming challenges. CDFA provided Roots of Change with a $1,000,000 Specialty Crop Block Grant, to build and operate the California Farmers Market Consortium, for the promotion of sales of fresh produce to recipients of federal nutrition assistance (SNAP and WIC).

State Board of Food & Agriculture

This board consists of 15 governor-appointed agricultural leaders who debate and address the issues faced by the state’s farmers, ranchers and agricultural support industries. Currently, three ROC Stewardship Council members serve on the State Board: Adán Ortega, Craig McNamara, and Luawanna Hallstrom.

Roots of Change is closely involved with the work of the State Board of Food & Agriculture. When the board initiated the California Ag Vision process in 2008, Richard Rominger, a former CDFA Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the USDA, credited The New Mainstream: A Sustainable Food Agenda for California, a vision blueprint generated by Roots of Change, with inspiring the State Board to undertake Ag Vision. Roots of Change has been a committed and consistent partner in the Ag Vision effort to clarify for the next Governor policy options which will move the state toward sustainable food and farming. No less than 20 key ROC network leaders have participated in all three stages of the Ag Vision process. ROC President, Michael Dimock, sits on the Coordinating Committee of Ag Vision, which is finalizing its recommendations to be delivered in early 2011.

Roots of Change is currently working on a California Healthy Food and Farming Platform, a package of legislative proposals for the next Governor and State Legislature.