See It: The Community being helped

There is a small farming community in Coopabuena, Costa Rica that was hit by a major cooperative bankruptcy, sending them into downward spiral into poverty. Desperate members of what remains of the community are cutting down the remaining trees on their farms, in an area that once had the highest biodiversity on the planet. These farmers have sold their tropical rainforest jungles to loggers and are now left with barren pastures being trampled and eroded away by cattle so they can be sold to make some quick money. This is destroying the land and its high potential to absorb the over-abundant carbon in the atmosphere.

This project solves these problems through community awareness programs, functions and demonstrations on "Finca Salveverde," a farm turned vegetative from pasture. There is a native tree seedling nursery there where free trees will be distributed to pastures and degraded lands in need. Cob structures such as houses and ovens will be built from natural materials from the local land. Sustainable practices and permaculture education will be always available on Finca Salaveverde via this project. This includes diagrams and information on various alternative green methodologies that any visitor can look at and do themselves.

Interns will be able to come from all over the world to learn and receive credit from their college or university. They can choose to live with real Costa Rican host families, or bring their tent to camp out on Finca Salveverde. Independent learning contracts should be agreed upon with a sponsor from the student's school. Some projects to be done on the farm are tree planting, terracing, pruning, harvesting, cooking, cleaning, and nursery work. On Finca Salveverde, students can gain outdoor experience or certifications living in the wilderness without electricity.

See It: The Community being helped

As a gardening activist living in an urban wonderland located in one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the world, where options for diverse cuisine abound, I have often found myself wondering “where is all this food coming from?” Are most people in the city eating sustainably produced, locally and ecologically grown organic foods? This doesn’t seem likely. While much headway has been made in the mainstreaming of organic foods, what exactly is the state of California’s emerging “sustainable” food system? After mulling about the idea for a food system tour, I linked up with filmmaker Jesse Sabin and, with the fiscal sponsorship and support of the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC), I have decided to make a documentary film on the topic. Jesse and I will be traveling the state during the first 3 months of 2008, interviewing players in this food system. Included will be farmers, farmer’s market organizations, watershed and farm-land advocacy groups, university buying departments, educational organizations, non-profits of all sorts, established and emerging grassroots groups, government regulators and politicians, county extension agents, and the many others who form various arms of this movement to ensure an ongoing supply of healthy, ecologically and locally-produced, economically affordable food for all Californians.The questions asked will generally be these (but each interview will of course be tailored to each interviewee’s unique position):

1. 1) What do you do?
2. 2) How do you envision California’s “sustainable food system”? Can such a food system reliably produce enough food to support our urban populations?
3. 3) What role do you see yourself or your organization playing in such a food system? What is your capacity? What are your limitations?
4. 4) What might help you fulfill that capacity with your project?
5. 5) What methods/strategies have and haven’t worked for you?
6. 6) What are the obstacles you see facing the realization of the sustainable food system?
7. 7) Who do you see as having much influence over the food system?
8. What information would you like consumers to be more aware of?

My intention is multi-faceted: to gather information on the food system; to seek ideas on how to improve and apply sustainable practices and models (from those already doing it themselves); to gather information on what emergent organizations need to build their capacity (and pass this info onto the California Food and Justice Coalition, who will use it to direct their organizational-support programs), and finally, to gather footage to use in the film, entitled “In Search Of Good Food”.If you, your organization, or someone you know would like to be included in this film, please contact me as soon as you can.Thank you,Antonio Roman-Alcalá [personal info edited out by DS staff]insearchofgoodfood@gmail.com www.foodsecurity.org