Butte County Local Food network works to create a longlasting food system
CHICO — Creating a strong local food system is no easy task, but Butte County Local Food Network is doing its best to tackle all aspects.
President and Director Pamm Larry, who began the group in 2017, explained its work around the community in three parts: acute relief, long-term relief and education.
Acute relief
This component refers to short-term immediate food security and is mostly accomplished by helping people still dealing with the aftermath of the Camp Fire.
“It’s a burden for them living up there and then to have to drive an hour just to get fresh food is crazy,” Larry said.
Thanks to grants from the North Valley Community Foundation and Butte Strong Fund, the group provides weekly community-supported agricultural boxes to 25 families.
Each box contains produce and animal products that feed a family of four.
Larry said the partnership not only helps the families but also the young local farmers who are offering “dense and nutritional valued” food.
Additionally, the group buys produce from the Chico farmers market every Wednesday and Saturday and takes it up to Pines Yankee Hill Hardware.
The produce is available to all Camp Fire burn scar residents.
Beginning April 15, the biweekly donations feed an average of 70 to 90 people per trip and have added up to a total of 3000 pounds of food.
Long-term relief
An example of the group’s long-term plans can be seen at its Vecino Victory Garden, a community demonstration in Chico intended to show “people what’s possible.”
“They could convert their whole yard to a food forest,” Larry said.
Located in the backyard of a 1912 home, the plan is for the garden to become a permaculture-style project that produces a variety of fruits and vegetables.
These gardens create microclimates, more food security and jobs, in addition to saving water and helping the planet and its inhabitants, Larry said.
The group eventually plans to have one demonstration garden in every community in Butte County.
An extension of the large garden is the installation of smaller garden boxes already completed in Chico and planned for the Camp Fire burn scar in two months.
Before the start of the pandemic, Butte County Local Food Network installed 42 of the gardens in early March during its “Victory Garden Blitz.” They finished building the last 10 gardens two weeks ago.
Fifty more of these gardens will be installed on Aug. 22, 23, 29 and 30.
Camp Fire burn scar residents interested in applying for a “victory garden” can do so on the Butte County Local Food Network website.
Volunteers for the two-weekend project are also welcome to sign up on the website.
Education
The final piece of creating a strong community food network is teaching people about its importance, Larry said.
Educational events with speakers are hosted through the group and can range from topics on growing and creating a backyard business to information on tomatoes.
Larry’s next series of events will focus on “the importance of eating local because you know what’s in your food,” she said.
For more information on the Butte County Local Food Network, visit bclocalfood.org .