Edible Sacramento Fall 2022

Hawkins has many outlets for his ac tivism, including serving on the California Department of Food and Agriculture BI POCFarmer AdvisoryCommittee. Assem blymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Win ters) authored the Farmer Equity Act requiring CDFA to identify and address how its services have not equally served socially disadvantaged farmers (including people of color, women, LGBTQ+, veteran, and urban farmers), and the BIPOC Farm er Advisory Committee is one outgrowth of this e‡ort. Aguiar-Curry supports the committee’s efforts to purchase land for production and farmer training. THE FOOD-FARMING CONNECTION Just a few blocks from WeGrow’s West Sacramento site, Jennifer McAllister teaches the Farm to Fork career pathway and facilitates a chapter of FutureFarmers of America (FFA) at the Bryte Career and College Training campus, a satellite site of River City High School. McAllister’s col leagueCheryle Sutton leads a culinary arts program that incorporates produce from the garden in dishes served in the on-cam pus café. Jointly called CAFFE (Culinary

Arts andFarmtoForkEducation), the pro gram o‡ers students hands-on experience in all aspects of growing and preparing food. “They learn where their food comes from and how to eat — not just to satisfy hunger, but tonourish their bodies,”McAl lister says. Students growawide diversity of crops: The front yard includes five raised beds growing wheat, and, behind the school, perennials such as blackberries and rasp berries are grown in 10 beds alongside annual crops. Rabbits, fish, and hens o‡er experience with animal husbandry. Sus tainable agriculture practices are incorpo rated throughout the program, from com posting and soil building to seeding and transplanting, harvesting, and processing. Collaborations with local food and ag ricultural businesses help urban students see futures for themselves in the food and agriculture sector. The California Wheat Commission helps mill the wheat grown on campus on an ongoing basis. Sta‡mem bers of FariaBakery inSacramentoworked alongside culinary students to turn their f lour into homemade lasagna noodles,

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