We, at Petaluma Bounty, want to leverage our unique role in the food system to lead or partner on research to benefit stakeholders of our local food system (particularly those facing food insecurity and small scale farm operators). We see a need for research done in partnership with communities as it relates to lived experiences, barriers to services, emerging issues and challenges, and grassroots solutions in response the shortfalls of the conventional food system.
The type of research we want to be part of breaks down the silos of experts vs. subjects and seeks to raise up the local and lived expertise in our communities. It is participatory in nature and leaves communities with greater resources, capacity, and sense of agency. Petaluma Bounty is learning more about Community-Based Participatory Research and invites opportunities to explore potential collaborations. For a better understanding of Participatory Research Resources, click this link for an internal document that Summer Sullivan put together for our team.
Other crucial terms that tie into this work includes institutionalized listening, Human Centered Design, client-focused services, and reinforcing feedback loops.
Recent examples of our research:
- Produce Safety after Urban Wildfire with UC Cooperative Extension and UC Davis.
- State-wide Food Safety Needs Assessment of Food Recovery Groups with UC Davis.
- USDA Farmers’ Market Promotion Program Using community-based participatory research to develop culturally appropriate marketing to make markets more inclusive.
- Data collection/surveying of food pantry workers and users in Petaluma and sharing to strengthen Emergency Food Providers Network in Petaluma and on a County level.
- Surveying pantry users on their gardening capacity and what type of edible plants they would like to receive in partnership with getStarted
- Hosting a conservation science survey of resident bats at the Bounty Community Farm.