In 2021, we set out to bring USDA-inspected meat processing to the Central Coast. Here’s how we got from a working group to a nonprofit-government partnership at FCC Lompoc, and what’s in place now.
A regional collaborative connecting food system partners across the Central Coast; sharing resources, aligning priorities, and building lasting community-driven resilience for the region’s food system.
A USDA-inspected meat processing facility built in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Prisons — giving Central Coast ranchers an affordable path to market and creating job training opportunities along the way.
A new fund, seeded by community partner Clevr Blends, puts resources directly into local food justice, food sovereignty, and agroecology projects.
Download the Full Uplift report here: Central-Coast-UPLIFT-Regional-Plan-Part-II Download the Executive Summary here: UPLIFT Executive Summary Report
How SBCFAN’s state-level advocacy connected local farmers to federal funding for charitable feeding programs
With the guidance of SBCFAN and CAFPC, Central Coast stakeholders polled and ranked the region's top shared food system priorities, from farmland access to nutrition incentives to community kitchens.
A public directory and toolkit covering 13 community kitchens across Santa Barbara County, with permit and equipment guidance for food entrepreneurs.
It started with a healthy refrigeration grant and grew from there. Meet the community-driven food hub bringing fresh food and connection to Saticoy, a Ventura County community designated by the USDA as a food desert.