Solano Local Food System Alliance

Join or renew your Alliance membership here

The Solano Local Food System Alliance includes a wide variety of stakeholders committed to fulfilling the mission of creating an environmentally sustainable, economically viable, socially just and equitable local food system in Solano County.

The Solano Local Food System Alliance meets quarterly on the first Thursday of the month, usually at 4 pm. An executive committee of Alliance members meet monthly to move the work forward between the quarterly meetings of the full Alliance.

Alliance members represent various organizations and agencies that work within the local food system. Interested in representing your organization on the Solano Local Food System Alliance? Read more below about the goals and benefits of being a member of the Alliance, then fill out this form.

Alliance Goals

• Build public awareness around the General Plan update and Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation process. The Alliance seeks to make sure its proposals and input are documented in these final plans and that support of the local food system is mentioned and used as an approach
• “Local food for local people”
• When feasible, hold a public forum around the SALC process or General Plan
• Conduct planning and create a blueprint for ways to strengthen the local food system to address future crises, particularly addressing food insecurity in a county where the top industry is agriculture. Support resiliency through local food/supply chain.
• Securing future funding for the Alliance and its local food system work in the county
• Exploring the collaboration and possible merger of the Alliance with the Food Access and Nutrition Network of Solano County (FANNS)
• Promotion of key concepts that support the local food system and farms, including regenerative agriculture, agritourism, and Food as Medicine
• Building awareness of the Alliance’s work in the county and with county leaders

Playlist of Educational Presentations

Long-term/Overarching benefits of the Alliance’s work

• Improved quality of life
• Preserving open space, ag land and supporting farmers
• Better nutrition and health outcomes
• Better environment and economy

Benefits of serving on the Alliance

● Networking
● Expanding knowledge
● Connection with the issues and others involved in the local food system
● Being part of the solution — working as a group to fix the local food system
● Being part of a coalition to effect systems change
● Playing a role in achieving long-term benefits

Responsibilities of serving on the Alliance

● Sharing data/knowledge/insight
● Participating in a feedback loop to bring information back to the Alliance
● Bringing what you’ve learned from the Alliance back to your organization
● Challenging the status quo, being bold
● Recruiting (especially to fill knowledge gaps on the Alliance)
● Reading and contributing to the Local Food Bites
● Attending meetings
● Persistence

Solano Local Food System Alliance Members

Darwin Bosen, Vice President of Operations, Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano

Mary Ann Buggs, Co-Founder and Administrative Director, Faith Food Fridays

Gail Feenstra, Director SAREP, UC ANR

Whitney Galindo, Nutrition Program Manager, Catholic Charities of Yolo Solano

Ashley Hansen, Health Education Specialist, Solano Public Health

Olivia Henry, Regional Food Systems Advisor, UC Cooperative Extension

Mike Ioakimedes, Chief Development Officer, Solano Community Foundation

Kristin Kiesel, Assistant Professor of Teaching Agricultural and Resource Economics, Agricultural & Resource Economics Dept., UC Davis

Ed King, Agricultural Commissioner, Solano County

Denise Kirnig, Program Manager, Innovative Health Solutions

Maggie Kolk, Board of Directors, Sustainable Solano

Rose Loveall, Farmer, Morningsun Herb Farm & Pleasants Valley Agriculture Association

Ben & Denise Lyons, Farmers, Lockewood Acres

Elizabeth Monteadora, Community Local Food Advisory Board

Lisa Núñez-Hancock, Culinary Arts Instructor

Heather Pierini, Director, Food is Free Bay Area

Paula Schnese, Board President, Cultivate Community Food Co-Op

Kimber Smith, Community Member

Jillian Stevens, Programs Manager, Meals on Wheels Solano County

Krechona Westbrook, Community Local Food Advisory Board