CULTIVATING THE FUTURE

Did you know that the average age of farmers in the US is 58?  And that there are 3.5 times more farmers over 65 than those under 35?  Did you know that young farmers have many more challenges to break into farming than in the past?

Who will grow our food in 10 years with farmers getting older and climate chaos potentially getting increasingly chaotic?

The July 18th 2019 issue of the Chico News and Review focused on trying to answer some vital questions about how we will feed ourselves here in the North State.

Supporting our local farmers directly ensures they have a strong customer base and will be able to stay in business and keep feeding us.  It also shows young farmers they can support a family while providing healthy food for our community.  

 

HOW CAN YOU HELP SUPPORT OUR LOCAL FARMERS AND GARDENERS?

It’s simple: Increase the amount of local food you buy and get folks you know to do the same. 

The best way to do that is to buy direct from the farmers at the Farmers Markets,  CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) or at their farm.

Farmer's Markets

  • Chico Certified Farmers Markets are year-round from 7:30AM to 1PM on Saturdays at 2nd and Wall Streets and on Wednesdays out at the North Valley Mall parking lot close to the Good Will.
  • Oroville Certified Farmers Market is from May 18- October 19 on Saturday morning from Oroville Saturday from 7:30am to noon at Montgomery and Meyers Parking Lot
  • Thursday Night Market in downtown Chico runs from April through September
  • Blackbird Café has a Farm Truck Stand every Monday in their parking lot from 4-7PM.  They run from Spring through October. Check their FB page to find out more.
  • CSU Chico’s farm has a Farmstand open Tuesdays from 2-4PM  hopefully coming again Spring 2020. Check the website for more information.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs)

Buy Direct at the Farm

The second way to support local farmers is to buy from food stores and restaurants that buy from them.

Sadly, we have to continue to ask restaurants where the food comes from as menus change… as do commitments to buying local…sometimes years before the printed menus change.  Sigh….

But we can say with confidence that the restaurants and food vendors listed here are reported on by the farmers in our community who supply at least some of the menu ingredients at the venue. To be clear…even if listed here, we do not mean to give the impression that every menu item is locally grown.  You will need to ask the restaurant about specific dish ingredient origins. 

If you are a restaurant that buys from local farmers and are not listed here, please contact us and let us know which farms you buy from and we’d be happy to add you to the list.

Find out about other farmers first hand by checking out the Sierra Oro website and/or visiting the farms during the Sierra Oro Farm Trail Passport Weekend. Find out more about it here.

WANT TO JOIN US IN OTHER EFFORTS TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL FARMERS?

Photo courtesy of Baji Hantelman of Wookey Ranch

We envision so much for 2020 and beyond.  In the planning and seed stages-

Enacting good food policy city and county wide that support a strong local food system

  • Work with local city and county officials to get good food policy that supports a strong local food system.
  • Farm tours and more farm related events, including a Farmers Story Telling Event
  • Panels on  important and fun topics
  • Roll out our Eat Your Lawn Campaign
  • Work on increasing community composting projects like Drop in the Bucket

And we need YOU to see that it all gets done!  There are so many ways your talents can help support the folks who grow our food.  Join us!!