Tuesday, August 22 6-8:00 pm: Food Equity in the Santa Rosa General Plan - Finley Center

You may wonder what a retired deacon, with no day job and no parish assignment, does. My community ministry, which began when I was serving with three small congregations in our deanery back in 2007, continues to be working for a food system that is just and resilient. When I served on the Episcopal Church’s Committee on Science, Technology, and the Church, it occurred to me that food system issues are where ecological concerns and concern for human wellbeing intersect. It’s where my love of nature and my deacon’s heart for the poor come together.

I’ve worked hands on, gleaning backyard fruit in the Sonoma Valley and delivering it to non-profits, founding one community garden, and digging in another, where I help harvest for a food pantry as well as growing and sharing my own produce. I also serve on the advisory board of the Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative and have been a member of the Sonoma County Food System Alliance (FSA) for fourteen years, where I have learned much and become an advocate for local agriculture and food justice.

It’s about the current education and advocacy work of the FSA that I write this week. For the last few years, members of the FSA have worked on addressing needed changes in the General Plans of our county and several of its cities. A General Plan is the foundational policy document guiding decisions about land use, urban design, traffic patterns, housing, and environmental justice. Late last month, the draft General Plan for Santa Rosa was released. The draft has an eye toward 2050, while considering our present realities, social stresses and ecological concerns.

The draft includes a section on “Food Access and Urban Agriculture.” Here’s a direct link to it. https://www.srcity.konveio.com/general-plan-update-2050-draft#page=182

The plan’s proposed policies support retail access to healthful, fresh food in all neighborhoods, and facilitate the development of urban agriculture, both farming and community gardens. If you’d like to hear more and have a chance to comment in person, Sonoma County Food System Alliance and the City of Santa Rosa are co-sponsoring “Food Equity in the Santa Rosa General Plan.” We’ll gather Tuesday, Aug. 22, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Finley Center. I’ll be there and would love to see some of you.

To register for the event: https://forms.gle/VBDsuJVH4ccQCkP47

I’m happy to answer questions, [email protected]. If you’d like to attend one of the other interactive events planned by the City about the General Plan see their times and locations here: https://www.srcity.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2262