FSAP Listening Session | Careers in Food & Agriculture
The Food System Action Plan (FSAP) is a regional food system investment strategy that will identify best practices, priorities, prevailing challenges, opportunities, and funding recommendations related to the region’s food system for the communities of El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties. The goal is to increase the vitality of the region’s food system and to identify financing strategies and mechanisms to support a more equitable and accessible food system for all residents of the Greater Sacramento Region.
Valley Vision is convening listening and input sessions in topical areas as an opportunity to identify funding, capacity, and resource needs in the region’s Food System. The sessions are open to all interested and will directly inform the 2021 Food System Action Plan.
This session, Careers in Food & Agriculture, will cover workforce pipelines and skills pathways for new farmers and food producers; middle-skills job training and upskilling; ag-tech skills; issues of concern for farmworkers, and other related topics.
More information about listening sessions
Workforce Needs Assessment: AgTech (2020)
Valley Vision, as part of its mission to support a 21st Century Workforce for the Capital Region, has partnered with the Los Rios Center of Excellence and the California Rice Commission, with support from the state’s Strong Workforce Program, on an analysis of the agriculture technology, or “AgTech” industry cluster.
This report focuses on the impact of technology on a range of occupations in the Food & Agriculture industry cluster, especially related to middle skill jobs, defined as those requiring more than a high school degree and less than a four-year degree.
Farm-to-Fork LIVE Webinar Series: April 17th, 2020
This Friday, April 17th, from 9 am – 10 am, Valley Vision will be hosting its next Farm-to-Fork LIVE webinar
As part of the We Are Farm To Fork initiative, Farm-to-Fork LIVE continues its webinar series where we hear from our food system partners. This week we were joined by regional leaders and organizations to discuss approaches being taken to support the emergency food system response in the face of COVID19.
Guest Speakers Include: Julia Burrows City of Sacramento Blake Young, Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services Joy Cohran, Yolo Food Bank Dave Martinez, Placer Food Bank Andrea Lepore, Solomon’s
Time will be set aside for attendee questions, discussion, and others to share information and resources. If you would like to reserve time at the end of the webinar to share information from your organization, please contact Emma Koefoed at Emma.Koefoed@valleyvision.org.
Register in advance for this meeting: CLICK HERE
Farm-to-Fork LIVE
Farm-to-Fork LIVE is the Sacramento Valley’s premier food and agriculture event series, featuring topics and leaders who are shaping the future of Farm-to-Fork.
Valley Vision is working with Visit Sacramento and others to strengthen and deepen the America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital initiative. Through conversations on a range of topics in food and agriculture, the region will explore what it means to be America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital and how we can strengthen our food and ag economy.
Attendees interact with top restaurateurs, farmers, advocates, public officials, entrepreneurs, business executives, and leaders. Farm-to-Fork LIVE is our region’s unique gathering place for movers and shakers to demonstrate why the Sacramento region is America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital. Join us. Help us tell our story. Farm-to-Fork LIVE events are free and open to all.
AgTech Pilot
Agricultural has become increasingly reliant on technology for water and energy conservation, reduction of chemical inputs, and increased productivity.
Most of this technology requires Internet access, yet many rural areas do not have access to broadband–technology-neutral, high-speed Internet access from both wired and wireless infrastructure. Without access to broadband, farmers and ranchers are unable to adopt new technologies necessary to stay economically viable.
Valley Vision is working to support keeping ag land in agriculture. The project has three components: research, a grower’s survey, and a field study. The research conducted by Valley Vision summarizes findings on existing research, studies in progress, and research gaps. Our proximity to UC Davis, the premiere agricultural research university in the nation, gives us access to the most up-to-date information.
In partnership with the Yolo County Agriculture Commissioner’s office, Valley Vision administered a survey to growers in early 2017. The results show that 70% of growers have some coverage, while 30% have none. Among those who have coverage, no one reported 100% coverage. Additionally, growers are being innovative in their solutions, creating mobile hotspots and “rigging up” coverage that is ultimately unsustainable. Other survey findings are included in the final report.
AgPlus Food and Beverage Manufacturing Consortium
AgPlus, also called the Central Valley AgPlus Food and Beverage Manufacturing Consortium, was granted an Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) designation by the U.S. Economic Development Administration in July 2015, one of just 24 such regions across the United States.
This designation gives the 28-county Central Valley priority consideration for federal grants and technical assistance from the federal government related to the food and beverage manufacturing supply chain. Designated communities receive support from 11 federal agencies with more than $1 billion available in economic development assistance.
Valley Vision received funding from the Economic Development Administration to coordinate activities for the 28-county area making up California’s Central Valley, with a particular focus on the seven counties in the Sacramento sub-region. Our activities include ongoing communication with federal agency representatives involved in IMCP, mapping of supplier networks in the Valley, development of a regional finance fund for food and agriculture entrepreneurs, and research and modeling related to aligning workforce development strategies in the food and ag economic cluster.
Valley Vision also received funding from USDA Rural Development California to better connect rural food and ag businesses with financing information and other business development resources like technical assistance, and financing and business development opportunities.
AgTech Pilot Fact Sheet (2019)
This information sheet explains the key details of the Yolo County AgTech Pilot Project, which is managed by Valley Vision and generously supported by the California Emerging Technology Fund.
AgPlus Fact Sheet (2019)
The Central Valley AgPlus Food and Beverage Manufacturing Consortium was designated as an Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) area by the U.S. Economic Development Administration in July 2015, one of 24 regions across the country. Valley Vision is one of four co-applicants for this designation. The goal of IMCP is to accelerate the resurgence of American manufacturing. Designated communities are receiving support from eleven federal agencies with more than $1 billion available in economic development assistance.
This resource is a one-page information sheet detailing the mission of the Consortium, the nature of the IMCP designation, and our current activities to implement the Central Valley AgPlus strategy.
Americas Competitiveness Exchange: Final Report (2018)
This document details outcomes from the 10th Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) delegation visit to Northern California which took place on October 21-27, 2018.
See also:
- ACE 10 Website
- ACE 10 Day 5 Video
- ACE 10 Day 6 Video
- ACE 10 Trip Book
Americas Competitiveness Exchange: Program Brief (2018)
This document provides a snapshot of the 10th Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) delegation visit to the Capital Region on October 25-26, 2018.
See also:
- ACE 10 Website
- ACE 10 Day 5 Video
- ACE 10 Day 6 Video
- ACE 10 Trip Book
Stockton Food and Ag Action Plan (2017)
In 2015, the Stockton City Council adopted the “City of Stockton Economic Development Strategic Plan,” which included a focus on the strong food and agriculture-related assets in the region.
In summer 2016, the City engaged Valley Vision to assist in developing a Food and Agriculture Action Plan to catalyze implementation of the Strategic Plan. The Action Plan is intended to create a roadmap for the coming year by focusing on priority actions that: create a supportive enterprise ecosystem, strengthen communities by helping to address food insecurity, and leverage the region’s agricultural bounty, entrepreneurial spirit, and proximity to the Sacramento Region and the current efforts under way to support food and agriculture.
Food System Action Plan (2021)
The 2021 Sacramento Region Food System Action Plan (Regional Action Plan) identifies prevailing challenges, opportunities, best practices, priorities, and recommendations to advance the region’s food system for the communities of El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties. The goal of the Regional Action Plan is to increase the vitality of the region’s food system and to identify financing strategies and mechanisms to support a more health-promoting, resilient, equitable, prosperous, and accessible food system for all residents of the Greater Sacramento region.
The Regional Action Plan builds on the seminal Food System Action Plan published in 2015, which laid early groundwork for investments, facilities, partnerships, and capacity building. While many important accomplishments have occurred as a result of these efforts, hardships caused by the pandemic, wildfires, drought, and more require a current response to new demands.
Accordingly, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation (Foundation) enlisted Valley Vision to develop the 2021 Regional Action Plan. The Regional Action Plan provides a common framework for the investment strategies, leadership, and mechanisms needed to transform our food system into one that provides more equitable, accessible, and healthy food sources; strengthens the overall food system; and elevates opportunities for residents living in the Greater Sacramento region.
read the Regional Action Plan full report
read the Regional Action Plan brief
Should you have any questions, ideas, or resources to share, or if you want to stay informed about the Regional Action Plan and the funding strategy, please contact us at FoodAndAg@ValleyVision.org.
Regional Action Plan Companion Documents
Regional Action Plan Listening Sessions
Valley Vision convened listening and input sessions in topical areas as an opportunity to identify funding, capacity, and resource needs in the region’s Food System. You can view the recordings of the sessions below.