Farmers and food banks need to cooperate to improve the food infrastructure, educate the public about nutrition, and secure the future of food production, according to California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura.
“We’re seeing an enormous crisis in the food arena,” Kawamura said. “The nutrition programs in the country really can be modified and enhanced to encourage the partnership between community-grown foods, regional-grown foods, and the national supply.”
Kawamura, speaking at a Foodbank of Santa Barbara County barbecue luncheon in Santa Maria on March 20, said the public should recognize that they’re the beneficiaries of a thriving agricultural community.
For the fourth straight year, the Foodbank was host to the luncheon for donors and supporters to celebrate Ag Day and recognize the produce donations of local growers.
Last year, Santa Barbara County farmers donated nearly half of the 2 million pounds of produce distributed by the Foodbank throughout the county. The Foodbank distributed 8 million pounds of food overall through social service organizations and churches in 2008.
Foodbank Executive Director Erik Talkin said the Foodbank is on a mission to not only help the poor, but to educate young people to eat fresh meals.
“We are already the No. 1 hunger relief organization here, and we keep people fed, but we want to solve these problems,” Talkin said. “We want to transform the health of the people in this county, and we’re going to do it through the vehicle of good nutrition.”
Foodbank board chair Scott Coe said the work of volunteers has made the Foodbank the benefactor of choice for organizations that feed the needy, and encouraged the public to give of their time.
“In today’s world, demand for what the Foodbank does rises every month,” he said. “Even though that’s daunting, the capacity and capabilities of this facility and of this staff rise to the occasion, providing not just food, but nutritious food.”
Guadalupe Mayor Lupe Alvarez said the Foodbank needs public support now more than ever.
Kawamura, appointed as secretary by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003, is from Orange County, where his family grows strawberries, green beans, and other crops. Alvarez said Kawamura’s appearance at the event showed Sacramento’s dedication to the Foodbank’s cause.
This article appears in Mar 26 – Apr 2, 2009.
