San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project
2008 End-of-Year Progress Report
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Non-profit Status
Short Backstory: In 2001, a small group of citizens, unknown to each other, gathered in the living room of a small farmer who wanted to save his rented farmland from development. Though ultimately unsuccessful (we needed to raise $8 million in a year!), that group evolved into San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project, dedicating ourselves to raise awareness about the plight of small farms in development-crazy southern California, promote the eating of fresh, local food, and educate the local citizenry about the benefits of having farms and gardens close at hand.
Shortly after we began, realizing the need to have the protection of non-profit status but with no time to waste, we were embraced by the Back Country Land Trust, a small non-profit based in Alpine working to save and protect habitat and the rural character of San Diego’s east county. BCLT was our stalwart partner as we grew and defined ourselves as an organization. As we grew, needing to move our decision making a little closer, in late 2007 we formed our own California non-profit corporation and undertook the process of applying for our own charitable, 501(c)3 status.
The News: As of November 1, 2008, after a long and tedious application, the IRS approved our application, and San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project is now a fully sanctioned, charitable organization.
There are a lot of people to thank for making this possible, not the least of which are you -- the local eaters, students, food advocates and gardeners -- whom we are working on behalf of. But we must give a special thanks to the fine folks at BCLT, without whose help and support we would not be here today. If you want to know more about them, visit their website. They are doing fine work, and deserve your recognition and support.
Donations Report
All of Roots work is done by volunteers -- a dozen or so of your friends, colleagues and neighbors. We have no paid staff; all Roots work is done between our job and family obligations. Backing us up are over a thousand people who have expressed support for our work, either financially or who are currently on our email list. We are supported entirely by donations, all of which go to directly support our projects or costs associated with running the organization.
In 2008 we took in just over $17,000 in donations, for which we are deeply grateful. Now that we are our own non-profit, we are working on ways to expand our contribution program and pursue grants and donations that support the kind of work we are doing, including the purchase of land for Willow Glen Farm.
But the most meaningful contributions we receive are the ones that come directly from you, our supporters. If you’d like to make a year-end donation, please send a check to:
San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project
PO Box 33285
San Diego, California 92163
We are working on getting a PayPal contribution button on our website by the end of January so you can make credit card donations.
Your contribution is fully tax deductible. We take our responsibility to our community seriously and pledge to use your donations wisely.
Willow Glen Farm Update
Many of you are inspired by our goal of creating Willow Glen Farm & Education Center. This will be a place that not only grows organic food, but is an educational facility training the next generation of sustainable farmers, and teaching community members and students of all ages how to grow food in their yards, communities and schools. Our partners in the farm project are Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Co-op and the San Diego Natural History Museum.
We have identified an area that we feel is ideal to site our farm, and have hired a broker to research properties there. We have also established relationships with other environmental non-profits who feel that our project would be a suitable partner in their long-range plans, and are willing to work with us to see this happen.
However, this year’s unusual market forces and falling property values have made land owners unsure or unwilling to put their land on the market. Several viable properties have been pulled from the market, awaiting better times to sell. Some have inflated values based on their development potential, the reason that we have seen our best farmland paved over in the past few decades. Because we would be spending (your) donated money for a land purchase, we have to be careful not to spend more than land is worth.
Nevertheless, long term we feel that we are pursuing the prudent course, and are not giving up. All we are looking for is one property, and we are confident the right one will be there at the right moment; we’d rather do it right than quick, a key component of sustainability. Among the criteria we are looking for are:
- six to ten acres -- or more -- of existing or fallow farmland
- river valley or flood plain (i.e., traditional farmland)
- wells with adequate flow so we don’t need to depend on piped-in water
- close proximity (30 minutes or so) from central San Diego City
- partial riparian or oakland habitat would be nice
If you know of a property that meet our needs, please let us know!
Project Updates
Though creating Willow Glen Farm is our long-range goal and top priority, we are not letting property holdups keep us from our work. San Diego Roots has several ongoing educational and community outreach programs, engaging our community in multi-faceted ways, talking and teaching about local food. Here’s a short rundown of each:
Food for Thought Film Series brings engaging and thoughtful films to neighborhoods around our area. We kicked this off this year, showing three films in three different communities, with partner Slow Food San Diego providing healthy, local snacks. Our third film took place on the UCSD campus’ International House, with food prepared by Global Gourmet, a student group. Over 200 people attended that showing! We were sponsored by a generous donation from Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Co-op.
FfT is getting ready to delight your mind--and your taste buds--in 2009! Beginning in February in Chula Vista, we will be offering the public free educational films about food, along with local organic snacks and the chance to connect with others in the local food community. Check back for more information once the dates and locations are set! For more details, visit our Food for Thought webpage.
Victory Gardens San Diego is a collaborative effort of many individuals and several gardening, farming, educational and food-justice groups including San Diego Roots, San Diego Food Not Lawns, The International Rescue Committee, San Diego Master Gardeners, San Diego Community Farms & Gardens. Working together, VGSD encourages the creation and/or enhancement of home, school and community food gardens throughout the San Diego area.
Victory Gardens San Diego is in the process of finalizing its website for all gardeners in San Diego, from the new to the very experienced. We're looking to roll out the project in January 2009 with information and resources for home community and school gardeners. Be on the lookout... you might have the chance to get a free home garden developed where you live! Visit the Victory Gardens San Diego website.
School Gardens Roots is actively engaged in two school garden projects, The Terra Nova Garden at Morse High School, and the City College Urban Farm. We began work on the Terra Nova Garden in 2005, and are happy to report that what was once a neglected area of the campus is now a thriving organic garden. Students tend the garden after classes are done for the day, and produce grown is used in the school’s culinary arts classes. Visit the Terra Nova Garden webpage.
We broke ground for the City College Urban Farm in June. Working in collaboration with the City College Environmental Stewardship Committee and the San Diego Community College District, we helped convert a lawn into a 1/3-acre organic urban farm. With the volunteer help of students and community members, now instead of growing grass, this area is producing food, enhanced by the recent donation of 50 fruit trees from the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. Visit the City College Urban Farm blog.
UCSD Urban Farm The sustainable food movement is coming alive on the UCSD campus. Our campus outreach program, Roots@UCSD, is actively collaborating with the UCSD Sustainable Food Project, a newly-formed student organization dedicated to strengthening and enhancing local and organic foods on-campus. Acting as local connection for this group, Roots@UCSD is helping provide resources and support toward establishing the "UCSD Urban Farm." This past year, the campus hosted the third leg of the Food for Thought film series followed by a panel discussion, with over 200 people in attendance. We also presented at a freshman seminar and organized two farm volunteer-education trips for students to La Milpa Organica and the City College Urban Farm. With so many positive things happening on campus, we're excited and proud to be a part of a wonderful movement, educating the campus community about local, organic, and healthful foods and helping them to start growing food right on campus! Visit the Roots@UCSD webpage.
Final Notes
It seems like we’ve been doing this for a long time (eight full years now), but we know that the work has just begun (there’s something to be said for taking on a big job!). There’s a long way to go before we can say that San Diego has a sustainable food system, but the work is clear and more important than ever. In challenging times we find strength in working close to home, in our communities, in our own back yards, and San Diego Roots is committed to helping this process unfold. Not only is it important for the survival of our local communities to strengthen our local foodshed, it fulfills every aspect of the adage, “think global, act local.” And our reward is the best tasting, most nutritious food on the planet!
Thanks to each of you for your help and support, and here’s to a delicious and sustainable new year!
Images and material © 2001-2011 copyright San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project