Kitchen Table Talks is excited to announce its new partnership with the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA). The two organizations will be co-hosting some events together, starting off with the panel discussion, “Produce to the People: New Ideas for Local Distribution.” The conversation will focus on alternative models for local produce distribution. 

The Bay Area is fortunate to have abundant local produce available at multiple farmers’ markets and stores. But not everyone has access to, or can afford, farm fresh produce. Many restaurants and businesses also want to buy local, but don’t have the time or staff to shop locally. The conversation will tap into best practices and lessons learned from three of the Bay Area’s most interesting initiatives, and address the creative ways these organizations are getting local produce to more people, including those in underserved and neglected communities.

The panel will be moderated by Michael Dimock, President of Roots of Change (ROC), a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to spawn a sustainable food system in California by the year 2030. Panelists include:

• Grayson James, Executive Director of Petaluma Bounty, a nonprofit organization that helps people grow their own healthy food, redistributes surplus food, and provides affordable fresh food to low-income families and seniors;
• Melanie Cheng, Founder of FarmsReach, a new online farm food marketplace that connects farmers to business buyers; and
• Christine Cherdboonmuang, Coordinator of Healthy Farms/Healthy Communities for Oakland’s East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC), and the Oakland School District, an organization that works to bring farm stands directly to parents at 12 Oakland schools

Refreshments will be donated thanks to a collaboration with BiRite Market. As always, Kitchen Table Talks is a joint production of CivilEats and 18 Reasons. The event is free and open to the public, and no RSVP is required.