Urban Tilth hosted the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Farm Bill Listening Session. As part of this event, the State Commission members on Food and Agriculture conducted its board meeting at the Urban Tilth’s North Richmond Farm, including an extensive Listening Session focusing on the Farm Bill.
This session included speakers Navina Khanna (HEAL Food Alliance), Jared Call, (Nourish California), and Doria Robinson (CDFA Board Member and Urban Tilth Executive Director). It also included public comments.
The farm bill is revisited every five years. And, though it’s called the farm bill, in addition to farmers, it also encompasses various safety net programs, e.g., SNAP, WIC, Meals on Wheels, and school lunches.
There was a lot of participation in the Public Comments portion. The board will use the comments to inform what it will include in the bill.
As the Urban Tilth North Richmond Farm has interrupted the narrative of North Richmond being a food desert, it was definitely the perfect place to host this well-attended event.