September 1999
USDA Ag Secretary names Feenstra State Community Food Security Co-Liaison
Gail Feenstra
USDA Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman has named a UC nutrition and food systems expert the state Community Food Security co-liaison. Gail Feenstra, who continues as food systems coordinator at the statewide UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) will be the point of contact and resource coordinator for all USDA-associated community food security and anti-hunger activities within California. Jerome Jeffries of the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Davis office is the co-liaison. Feenstra coordinates the Davis-based sustainable ag program’s Community Development and Public Policy Program.
"Our community food security liaisons will play a critical role in supporting local and community-based efforts in fighting hunger," Glickman said. "Dr. Feenstra will bring dedication and commitment to this new role, and I look forward to working with her to help achieve our food security goals in California communities."
The goal of USDA's Community Food Security Initiative--launched by Glickman earlier this year--is to create and expand grass-roots partnerships that build local food systems and reduce hunger. USDA is joining with states, municipalities, nonprofit groups, and the private sector to strengthen local food systems by replicating best practices of existing efforts and by catalyzing new community commitments to fight hunger.
Feenstra was nominated for the position by UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Associate Vice President/Cooperative Extension Associate Director Henry Vaux. She will continue her SAREP work in addition to her new duties.
At SAREP, Feenstra is also a major collaborator on two large-scale USDA Fund for Rural America projects that link sustainable agriculture with rural community development. She is part of a project which brings together the expertise of UC researchers, the Davis-based Community Alliance with Family Farmers and the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission to increase adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and build farmer leadership skills to strengthen connections in local communities. She is also leading the California component of a nationwide project with Cornell and Iowa State University researchers which is demonstrating the role of farmers’ markets nationwide in rural development, entrepreneurship and job creation.
Feenstra’s work has resulted in publications to help community-based groups achieve food security including Local Food Systems and Sustainable Communities; Entrepreneurial Community Gardens Growing Food, Skills, Jobs and Communities, co-authored with UCD researchers Sharyl McGrew and David Campbell; Growing a Community Food System, co-authored with Steven Garrett of Washington State University; and Community Food Systems in California Profiles of 13 Collaborations, co-edited with Campbell.
"Disappearing farmland and increasing poverty affect food access for many people," says Feenstra. "We are identifying strategies to expand community gardens and exploring ways to increase food access through regional agriculture. Research we've done shows that better links to area farmers and community gardening projects improve the quality and kind of food available to consumers."
Media Contacts:
Lyra Halprin, (530) 752-8664, lhalprin@ucdavis.edu
