Spring is just around the corner. Although we have much to look forward to, the current political climate casts a heavy shadow. We are entering a trying and unprecedented time as a nation, society, state, region, community, and as individuals. There is tremendous uncertainty, a lot of fear, and new pain being inflicted upon people who are our neighbors. There is divisiveness at all levels and it is not clear to most how we will get to the other side of the tumultuous transition that we are in. But it is also a time to lift up what is good, important, and right.

At Petaluma Bounty, we stand strong behind our guiding principles, especially Numbers 6 and 7 at this time.

6) All parts of the system are interconnected and thus solutions must benefit multiple stakeholders of the food system;

7) Diversity — cultural, biological, socioeconomic, nutritional, and linguistic — cultivates and strengthens individual and community resilience.

We have been working (imperfectly) to redemocratize our food system by emphasizing community capacity building alongside improving direct services. We stand committed to celebrating the strength that diversity brings to our amazing community, region, state, and nation. And we have poured ourselves into creating community-based solutions to the shortfalls of our conventional food system. The current political dynamic does not change our north star or vision; it does complicate the landscape in which we do our work. It exacerbates disparities people face to achieve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, not to mention access to healthy food. Petaluma Bounty is working with local service providers to develop communication methods and distribution models that will demonstrate resiliency in the face of natural disasters or fear of anti-immigrant violence. 

The cancellation of effective federal and state funds undermines crucial programming that has supported small scale farmers, enabling them to stay viable in the face of insurmountable pressure to sell out to larger conglomerates who control the supply chain, or to developers with little interest in retaining open space or working landscapes into the future. With the cancellation of words like diversity, climate change, equity, and women-led comes the unravelling of California’s Climate Smart Agriculture programs that leverage the ecological, social, and health benefits of farming for the future.

Petaluma Bounty was founded in 2006 to facilitate community-based solutions to address the shortfalls of our food system that prioritizes profit and “efficiency” over community health, community food security, and environmental sustainability. Subsidies have always been part of our food system and they always will be. Until recently and even now, the majority of subsidies are used to reinforce an abundance of commodity crops, processed food, and imbalanced diets. Recent gains through progressive subsidies have made our local food system more resilient in facing natural or man-made disasters. 

Nutrition incentives (a.k.a. end-user subsidies) help people afford more healthy, local food. It also increases their ability to be true participants in our food system, as they are (hopefully) able to choose food that more closely aligns with their cultural preferences and values. 

The environmental, economic, and health consequences of our conventional food system requires community-based solutions that are collaborative, prevention-focused, systems-oriented and benefit multiple stakeholders.

By convening people from diverse sectors and experiences, we design innovative programming that responds to the need of our community and propels usworks toward our common vision. Not a food bank or pantry, Petaluma Bounty is a small group of community organizers, facilitators and farmers who, over the past 10 years, have played a large role in shifting the local conversation from merely hunger relief to hunger prevention  by addressing underlying systemic problems for long term and lasting change.

Our work goes beyond conversations with measurable and notable impacts including:

• expanded economic opportunities for local farms;
• the quality of food pantry offerings;
• food waste and greenhouse gas emissions prevention;
• food miles saved;
• school and youth visits to our farm;
• attitudes toward healthy food and lifestyles;
• increased knowledge of sustainable farming techniques, self-sufficiency skills, and the importance of food security for all;
• policy and advocacy to direct service providers to local and state laws;
• number of at-risk youth trained; and
• increase of CalFresh customers served at local farmers markets.

The “What” and the “Why” of our work hasn’t changed, but the “How” is changing rapidly. Our core programs remain as relevant today as they were yesterday and will continue to be. How we go about implementing our mission to accomplish our stated vision is what may look different in the ensuing days, months, and seasons. One foot in front of the other, we are transforming our community’s relationship with food and to each other.

Join us, there is plenty of work to do!