What does it really take to build and sustain a community-driven food hub?
Food Hubs are often held up as a crucial foundation for sustainable local food systems and a starting point for the community benefits that accrue from a healthy local food system. But what is the reality of building and sustaining a food hub, even in a community with rich agricultural resources and a supportive community?
In 2023, Farm Cart Organics and Ventura County Farm to School formalized a system to provide 100% locally grown produce to over 60 school cafeterias. In just its first two years, the hub aggregated produce from several local small-scale farms in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties to provide 70,000 students in 8 school districts with locally grown, organic produce. Additionally, the partnership provided nutrition education to students, faculty, and cafeteria staff and supported unique programs like on-site farmers’ markets. To date, this partnership has successfully retained over $1.6 million of economic activity and 550,000 pounds of local produce in the Central Coast foodshed.
As Farm Cart’s food hub enters its next growth phase, join our panelists in examining real-world barriers and opportunities for growth and stability through the food hub model. Hear from food hub leadership, growers, customers, and institutional partners on how they made it work, how they are addressing new challenges, and how you can support them as they continue building this crucial link to a sustainable Central Coast food system.
Speakers
Jason Lesh, Co-Founder / Co-Owner, Farm Cart Organics
Jason Lesh is co-director of Farm Cart Organics, a woman-owned small business operating a farm and food hub based in Carpinteria, CA.
Founded twelve years ago by Katie and Jason Lesh, Farm Cart Organics started off with just a single farm and farm stand in Carpinteria. Every morning, Katie and Jason would harvest produce from Katie’s dad’s organic farm and sell it to the community. Over the next ten years, they partnered with many more small farmers to build a better food system and reach more people.
With a background in direct-to-consumer markets and institutional sourcing, Jason works at the intersection of logistics, equity, and ecosystem health. He partners with school districts, food banks, and farms to rebuild the local food economy and is committed to anchoring food justice in the Central Coast region.
Anna Jackson, Executive Director, Ventura County Farm to School
Anna Jackson is the Executive Director of Ventura County Farm to School, a nonprofit that connects local farms with schools by supporting procurement, school gardens, and food education.
Anna has been working with local Farm to School programs since 2015. She earned a Master's in Public Policy with an emphasis in Health Policy from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Global Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Anna holds two teaching credentials in Health Sciences and Agriculture. She is a certified Garden Educator from the Life Lab at UC Santa Cruz and has a Certification in Environmental Education from California's Association for Outdoor and Environmental Education. She manages her family's small citrus orchard and is a 6th-generation member of the Oxnard/Camarillo community.
Allison England, Director, Nutrition Services, Ocean View School District
Allison England is the Director of Nutrition Services for Ocean View School District in Oxnard, CA.
Allison started her career in edible education in Boston, MA, where she was the menu planner for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston. Her interest in Farm to School
Programming brought her out to California, where she was the Executive Chef for Edible Schoolyard Kern County- spearheading scratch cooking, and connecting local farms and school gardens to the cafeteria. A former credentialed teacher, she believes the cafeteria is also a classroom. Allison holds a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Administration from Endicott College, a Swiss Hotel Diploma from Les Roches International School of Hotel & Restaurant Management, and an Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate from the Culinary Institute of America.
Ocean View School District is a founding customer of the Farm Cart - Ventura County Farm to School hub.
Alise Echele, Farm to School Coordinator, Rio School District
Alise Echele is the Farm to School Coordinator for the Rio School District in Oxnard, CA.
Alise has been a Farm to School Educator for over fifteen years and has educated thousands of students in both the Ventura and Rio School districts. As a registered dietitian, she values the connection between local produce and improved child nutrition. Rio School District is a founding customer of the Farm Cart - Ventura County Farm to School hub.
Juan Osorio and Guadalupe Rojas, Farmers
Juan Osorio and Guadalupe Rojas are the respective owners of two small farming businesses in Carpinteria and Fillmore: Osorio Family Farms and El Camino Viejo.
Guadalupe is acting as a farming mentor for the younger Osorio, who is acting as translator and technological assistant to the elder Rojas as they navigate the current world of small farm opportunities. Together, they provide a powerful real-world example of the path forward for small, regenerative farmers in this area.
Farm Cart Organics food hub aggregates, markets, and distributes produce grown by Juan and Guadalupe.
Annemiek M Schilder, Director, Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Annemiek Schilder is the Director of the University of California Cooperative Extension Ventura County / Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC).
Annemiek is a descendant of a long line of dairy farmers in the northwest of the Netherlands. Her grandfather, who farmed well into his nineties, inspired her to follow a career in agriculture. She is particularly interested in sustainable disease management and crop production, including organic and regenerative approaches.
Annemiek has worked closely with Farm Cart Organics and Ventura County Farm to School to leverage the resources of the University of California to build a sustainable local food system in Ventura County and its surrounding communities.