Oakland Food Policy Council

06/16/2020

Hi all,

We're looking forward to connecting with you this week!
Join us for the June meeting (see event description for more details).

04/20/2020

FRONTLINE FOOD WORKERS ARE NOT DISPOSABLE
Congress Must Act to Protect ALL Workers

Sign & Share
bit.ly/ProtectFoodWorkersNow

04/17/2020

East Bay: want to know how to practice during shelter in place? To support campaigns, buy local food, donate funds, and access free resources (food, funding): visit this site put together by some amazing, local food movement leaders bit.ly/BayAreaFoodInfo

04/09/2020

This, sadly, is not unexpected: Black Americans are disproportionately dying from COVID19. "For many public health experts, the reasons behind the disparities are not difficult to explain, the result of longstanding structural inequalities."

Data on race and the coronavirus is too limited to draw sweeping conclusions, experts say, but disparate rates of sickness — and death — have emerged in some places.

04/08/2020

"If you can feed yourself, you can free yourself." Loving this piece in Civil Eats on the rise of home gardening and food sovereignty around the US. What seeds are you planting?

From panic planting to cooperative gardens, farmers focused on equity and food justice know that ‘if you can feed yourself, you can free yourself.’

04/07/2020

"We count on cafeteria workers to care for students — we shouldn’t ask them to sacrifice their own health and well-being to do so." is showing how essential school meals are for young people, cafeteria workers have long deserved protections (and a raise).

Cafeteria workers need to be recognized with labor protections for risking their own health to continue serving free meals to students.

04/06/2020

Mandela Partners started an Emergency Relief Fund to aid small businesses, workers and food-insecure families hardest hit by this pandemic.

Click on the link below to find out about the relief efforts they are launching with community partners and support the Fund by following the link below. Spread the word. Donate.

In the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Mandela Partners is doubling down on our efforts to support local residents, farmers, workers, and our network of small businesses whose health and economic livelihood has become even more threatened. To provide relief throughout the next three mon...

03/17/2020

Hi all - please use this form to share resources for Oakland folx to access food in the time of Coronavirus:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScydaBGSBafPVPHibz3904PtSPmVCA9ICio-dWrh12kdD120w/viewform

03/17/2020

Reminder: Thursday, March 19th, 2020, 5-7 pm
This
month’s OFPC meeting will happen, but will be online through Zoom and will be focused on 1) briefly updating folks on the OFPC transition, how to get involved, and 2) spend more time updating the community on how to maintain food security and take care of
each other’s food needs during the COVID-19 crisis. We’d love input from anyone who has information about how folks can access food in Oakland and other resources that can help people navigate the impact of COVID-19. Please send ideas for what we should cover/resources
to announce in this
quick form.https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScydaBGSBafPVPHibz3904PtSPmVCA9ICio-dWrh12kdD120w/viewform

To join by Computer: https://zoom.us/j/824964119
(please try to join with video, or at least from your computer, if you are able, so we can see each other, and you can see the slides we share)
Or join by phone:
One tap mobile: +16699006833,,824964119 #
Conference
line: 669 900 6833 Meeting ID: 824 964 119

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

03/14/2020

Thursday, March 19th, 2020, 5-7 pm
This month’s OFPC meeting will happen, but will be online through Zoom and will be focused on 1) briefly updating folks on the OFPC transition, how to get involved, and 2) spend more time updating the community on how to maintain food security and take care of each other’s food needs during the COVID-19 crisis. We’d love input from anyone who has information about how folks can access food in Oakland and other resources that can help people navigate the impact of COVID-19. Please send ideas for what we should cover/resources to announce in this quick form.

To join by Computer: https://zoom.us/j/824964119
(please try to join with video, or at least from your computer, if you are able, so we can see each other, and you can see the slides we share)
Or join by phone:
One tap mobile: +16699006833,,824964119 #
Conference line: 669 900 6833 Meeting ID: 824 964 119

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

02/20/2020

Hi folx: tomorrow Thursday 5-7 pm please join us for our first OFPC Full Council meeting of 2020 at our usual 1000 Broadway location.

Agenda:
● Welcome & Food - 10min
● UPDATES
○ GFPP task force at the county - 10min
■ Announcement from Sarah Ting
○ HOPE / OFPC Update - 10 min
○ Shanti update - 10 min
○ Beth update CFFN & CAFPC - 5 min
○ Organizing Outside the ECAP
○ Measure W update - 5 min
○ Upcoming ask: Anchor Org for East Oakland Futures Fest April 18,2020
● Potential working groups - until 6:55PM
○ GFPP at City level
○ Enact a Farmer Equity Program (is there a city-wide version of this? What would it look like?)
○ Research FEP within cities and share
○ Food as Medicine (Katie Ettman knows a lot about this and is working on it)
○ Cooking Accessibility
○ Food storage is an issue
○ Kitchen space

● Announcements/Events - last 5 minutes
■ East Oakland Futures Festival, April 18
■ Clothes from HOPE, March 7th

02/03/2020

Please join us Thursday, February 20, 5-7 pm for our first full council meeting of 2020. As you may expect, the meeting will focuson the future of OFPC, with important progress to share by our hard-working transition team. Please join us:
Location: 1000 Broadway Room 5000B Oakland, CA 94607
Who: Full Council and Community Members (open to the public)
Facilitators in Community: Asia Hampton, Tiffani Patton, Beth Spitler, Caitlin Joseph, Shanti Prasad, and Haven Bourque

11/19/2019

For our Thursday 11/21 meeting, Shanti Prasad of the Alameda County Food Bank will be talking about the latest attack on SNAP, aka CalFresh, at this Thursday’s OFPC Meeting (5-7pm, 1000 Broadway, 3rd Fl.) and offering an opportunity to submit your comment while at the meeting. Here’s more information below about how it will affect the farm economy. If you’d like to submit a comment now, here’s the link! https://frac.salsalabs.org/snap-sua/index.html

Shanti Prasad
Senior Policy Advocate
she/her pronouns

USDA's proposed rule on SNAP Standardization of State Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowances would cut program benefits by a total of $4.5 billion over five years. This cut would result from changes in how states take households’ utility costs into account in determining the amount of SNA...

11/15/2019

Please join us Thursday, November 21, 5-7 pm. This will be a fantastic meeting, focused on the future of OFPC, lead by our hard-working transition team, which will be our final full council meeting of the year. Please join us:

Location: 1000 Broadway Room 5000B Oakland, CA 94607
Who: Full Council and Community Members (open to the public)
Facilitators in Community: Asia Hampton, Tiffani Patton, Beth Spitler, Caitlin Joseph, Shanti Prasad, and Haven Bourque

10/14/2019

Hi all: On October 14, 2019, the City of Oakland will begin accepting applications for new mobile food sidewalk vending permits, and you’re invited to an Open House event to learn about the new streamlined permitting process.

JOIN US!

Monday October 21, 2019 from 6-8 p.m.
Franklin Recreation Center, 1010 E. 15th Street

Everyone is welcome. Light refreshments will be available. Spanish language interpretation will be provided.

Mobile Food Vending website - https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/food-and-mobile-vending-permits
Informational Handout about Mobile Food Sidewalk Vending

This event is hosted by the City Administrator’s Special Activity Permits Division, in collaboration with Alameda County Environmental Health Services, Oakland Fire Prevention Services, and other public service providers.

The City of Oakland requires a Mobile Food Vending permit to sell food from a truck, trailer or cart.

10/03/2019

Community! Join us to celebrate a 50-year legacy of Free Breakfast for School Children in Oakland, brought to us by the Black Panther Party. Listen up to this KQED feature on the People's Kitchen Collective. See you there, Oct 12.

Billy X Jennings looks back on the groundbreaking program, and what it could mean for today.

10/03/2019

Hi EVERYONE! Reminder to complete this 7-minute survey about the future of Food Policy in Oakland. DEADLINE: Oct 6, Sunday! Please spread the word...

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10/01/2019

Hi all stakeholders! Care about the future of food policy in Oakland? Great. Help shape the future of OFPc with this 7-minute survey. We will use your input to consider how to nurture OFPC through its leadership transition. Please give your input by Sunday, October 6th - and share with your network!
https://realfoodmedia.typeform.com/to/s0B1ub

Turn data collection into an experience with Typeform. Create beautiful online forms, surveys, quizzes, and so much more. Try it for FREE.

09/17/2019

Highlights from our last full council meeting.

09/16/2019

Hi all - reminder: Please join us Thursday, September 19, 5-7 pm. This will be a fantastic meeting, focused on the future of OFPC! Asia Hampton will lead the meeting, supported by me, and our hard-working transition team. Please join us:

Location: 1000 Broadway Room 5000B Oakland, CA 94607
Who: Full Council and Community Members (open to the public)
Facilitators: Asia Hampton and Haven Bourque

08/07/2019

Hey Oakland food and community-focused people: Join us at this celebration of Black American's food traditions. Food equity and food policy expert Shakirah Simley joins Chef Fernay McPherson of Minnie Bell's at Slow Food East Bay's (holla, J Willow Blish!) visionary series lifting up powerful stories, great chefs and our home-grown food producers. August 25, at Red Bay Coffee.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-america-slow-food-east-bays-celebrating-cultural-food-traditions-with-chefs-fernay-mcpherson-tickets-66430803321

Chefs: Fernay McPherson of Minnie Bell's Soul MovementRashad Armstead of Crave BBQ Venue: Red Bay CoffeeJoin Slow Food East Bay for the next in our 2019 series celebrating diverse culinary traditions! Sunday August 25th, join us to eat and learn - Chefs Rashad (of Chopped winning fame!) and Fernay w...

07/30/2019

Our July Happy Hour: We gathered in community, we ate good food and toasted our successes in 2019 so far, we hugged out our losses; we policy-wonked, we supported a local POC-owned biz in West Oakland - happy OFPC Happy Hour!

07/18/2019

Tonight, y'all! Join us during our regularly scheduled Full Council meeting -- this one's a Happy Hour! For all of us who are ready for one less meeting -- and one more summer party! We'll get festive as we share recent updates about food policy in Oakland. We'd especially like to invite folks to share their observations about city council members, the city budgetary process, and more. This is a great opportunity to invite your friends, colleagues, community members who love food justice and health equity but don't so much love more meetings. Thurs July 18, 5-7 pm at 7 West, 1255 7th Street in West Oakland. Five minute walk from BART.

07/16/2019

This Thursday, y'all! Join us during our regularly scheduled Full Council meeting for a Happy Hour, where we'll build community and share recent updates about food policy in Oakland. We'd especially like to invite folks to share their observations about city council members, the city budgetary process, and more. This is a great opportunity to invite your friends, colleagues, community members who love food justice and health equity but don't so much love more meetings. Thurs July 18, 5-7 pm at 7 West, 1255 7th Street in West Oakland. Five minute walk from BART.

07/10/2019

Join us during our regularly scheduled Full Council meeting for a Happy Hour to build community and share recent updates about food policy in Oakland. We'd especially like to invite folks to share their observations about city council members, the city budgetary process, and more. This is a great opportunity to invite your friends, colleagues, community members who love food justice and health equity but don't so much love more meetings.

07/08/2019

Thank you, Janelle Bitker and SF Chronicle, for lifting up Oakland's food entrepreneurs of color! Great article on cooperative cafes and restaurants. https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/People-of-color-are-creating-new-kinds-of-14074528.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral -17800368

Oakland’s young fleet of food-service co-ops — Tamarack, Cafe Sama and Hasta Muerte Coffee — provide self-sustaining places for political action and community organizing.

07/01/2019

An important new study: we all know that eating fresh vegetables and fruits is particularly important in diabetes prevention. And it's no surprise that it's harder to do in food insecure communities, where heavily processed food is reliably available and more affordable.

Food insecurity is strongly linked to insulin resistance, a main contributor to type 2 diabetes, according to a study conducted by a group of Connecticut researchers.

06/21/2019

Hi OFPC folks: We are issuing an urgent call to action for Friday and Monday regarding the Oakland soda tax revenue. The City Council votes this Monday 6/24 on using the $20+ million collected from the tax. Action from OFPC members is urgently needed to influence council members who are not heeding the will of the voters by ignoring the recommendations of the Community Advisory Board, headed by Esperanza Pallana, with whom OFPC has worked closely.

At last night’s full council meeting, we began drafting a statement, link here

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yMORbcqNHw87RBJ9NHD34ycxqNJ_e11YXMIqmsCU86k/edit?usp=sharing. Esperanza Pallana of the Community Advisory Board has worked with us on this statement to ensure accuracy. Here’s how you can help:

- You can use this statement when you call your Oakland council member. We need you to call today, Friday, in advance of the decision on Monday. Contact page here.. Mayor Libby Schaff and Councilmember Lynette McElhany are ignoring the Community Advisory Board recommendations. Noel Gallo, Shen Thao, Dan Kalb and Rebecca Kaplan need to hear from you today.

- We urge you to join us Monday, 4:30 pm - 9 pm, at at the City Council Meeting to address the council with our concerns. Tiffani Patton, Beth Spitler, along with Lina Ghanem of the Yemeni Association, and Oakland Corner Stores Project, and I will be there. You can come anytime before 8 pm. I will be there at 4:30 to get us registered to speak. Details in this evite, issued by Lina Ghanem, OK to RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/call-for-action-oakland-sugar-tax-for-healthy-food-tickets-63947556864

- if you plan to join Monday, Tiffani Patton will start a mobile text thread. Please text her at 916-612-3510 so she can add you to the action thread and answer immediate questions.

Please join us! Please help spread the word to your networks! I will be alerting media and seeking coverage of OFPC’s perspective, the CAB’s work, and the Oakland Corner Stores Program.
Please see your email inbox for the the meeting agenda which was posted tonight, and Kaplan's budget. There may have been an amendment to the budget submitted so consider this as background. Lina does not think much has changed in Measure HH allocations. It is page 6-7 that you'd be looking at. I have also attached the Community Advisory Board Budget Allocations for 2018-2019 and 2019-2021 for background info.

Thanks, and see you Monday.
/Haven

Given that 1/3 of Latino children and 1/2 of Black children in Oakland will develop diebetes in thier lifetimes. 37% of youth in Oakland suffer from obeseity and are at risk of heart disease and diet related illnesses. Lets organize to ask our City Council to honor the full reccomendations of the Su...

06/18/2019

Reminding y'all in Oakland: Join us this week our next OFPC meeting, this Thursday June 20th, 5:00 - 7:00 pm. Come hang, eat snacks, hear what we’ve been up to, and brainstorm what we could be up to for the next year. Join us at 1000 Broadway, 5th Floor, Rm B. See you there!

06/12/2019

Congratulations to the 2019 Castanea Fellows! We're thrilled to learn about these food system leaders' commitments to their communities, the land, to seeds, and to cultural sovereignity. Join us in sharing this new cohort's strength, power and vision with the world.

06/12/2019

Oakland! We want you to join us for our next OFPC meeting, Thursday June 20th, 5:00 - 7:00 pm. Come hang, eat snacks, hear what we’ve been up to, and brainstorm what we could be up to for the next year. Join us at 1000 Broadway, 5th Floor, Rm B. See you there!

05/04/2019

Learn more about our history of racial injustice.

05/03/2019

05/03/2019

05/01/2019

Michael "Mikey" Cole opened his NYC-based ice cream shop, Mikey Likes It Ice Cream to bring hope to his community. Read more of his inspiring story here.