[Lapg] In Search of Good Foodinterviewing in California Jan/Feb/Mar 2008

[Santa Barbara Permaculture Network]

In Search of Good Food


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)  What do you do?
2)  How do you envision California’s “sustainable food system”?
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)  What might help you fulfill that capacity with your project?
5)  What methods/strategies have and haven’t worked for you?
6)  What are the obstacles you see facing the realization of the sustainable
food system?
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    
(415) 970 0321
2715 22nd St SF CA 94110          
insearchofgoodfood at gmail.com  
www.foodsecurity.org
Santa Barbara Permaculture Network
(805) 962-2571
P.O. Box 92156, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
margie at sbpermaculture.com
www.sbpermaculture.org

"We are like trees, we must create new leaves, in new directions, in order to
grow." - Anonymous

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