Who We Are
The Santa Clara County Food System Alliance (SCCFSA) is a collaborative of stakeholders concerned with issues of healthy food access, agricultural production and food distribution in Santa Clara County. The SCCFSA works to increase community understanding of the food supply chain that serves Santa Clara County. Together members are responding to concerns about the lack of access to healthy food, the loss of agricultural land in the southern part of the county, and to promote a sustainable food system in the South Bay.
The SCCFSA is one of a growing network of county Alliances and Food Councils that allow for consensus actions and policy recommendations from food and agriculture stakeholders. As such, it collaborates with stakeholders in our neighboring counties who share concerns about the same issues.
The SCCFSA was formed in 2009 with the support of the Health Trust as part of its program to promote a healthier Santa Clara County. Ag Innovations Network later facilitated the SCCFSA’s growth between 2010 and 2014. The SCCFSA finalized their Charter in 2012 and amended it in 2013 and 2015.
Members
Acterra brings people together to create local solutions for a healthy planet, educating community members on lowering greenhouse gas emissions through the food system, advocacy, youth education, and beneficial electrification.
CalFresh Healthy Living Santa Clara County Public Health Department
The goal of the CalFresh Healthy Living Santa Clara County Public Health Department is to prevent chronic diseases and improve food security among persons eligible for CalFresh. The program focuses on implementing education, policy, systems and environmental (PSE) change strategies to: increase access to, and consumption of, affordable healthy food and beverages and decrease sedentary behavior.
Food Recovery Initiative of Joint Venture Silicon Valley
The Food Recovery Initiative of Joint Venture Silicon Valley: The Initiative strengthens the local food recovery ecosystem by spurring funding and innovation; propagating food waste prevention and recovery strategies; and supporting government programs focused on the food sector. By convening the Food Recovery Council and Steering Committee and managing the Santa Clara County Food Recovery Program, the initiative amplifies the efforts of food recovery organizations, local jurisdictions, and businesses in the fight against food waste.
Since its founding in 2008, Fresh Approach has worked thoughtfully throughout the Bay Area to connect limited-resource communities with resources, knowledge, and skill-building opportunities centered around nourishing, local, and culturally relevant food. Our mission is to connect communities with healthy food from California farmers and expand knowledge about food and nutrition. In Santa Clara County, Fresh Approach provides a mobile farmers’ market that discounts locally grown produce to community members; provides virtual nutrition education classes with produce prescriptions to be used at farmers’ markets; and also supports a network of regional farmers delivering locally grown food to food banks.
Fullwell advocates for local, state, and federal food policy that promotes health, justice, and sustainability. We focus on developing policies and programs in California related to the food safety net and public food procurement that have the potential to be replicated across the country.
Green Foothills Mission: To protect the open space, farmland, and natural resources of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties for the benefit of all through advocacy, education, and grassroots action.
La Mesa Verde (LMV) is a community-based program that operates under Sacred Heart Community Service (SHCS). LMV was founded in 2008 by Raul Lozano. LMV is dedicated to empowering individuals to cultivate their own food. Our mission is to fight against food insecurity and food injustice by nurturing strong community leaders skilled in sustainable organic agriculture. We achieve this through a comprehensive support system that includes gardening workshops, the provision of backyard raised beds, irrigation systems, and a variety of plants and seeds. Beyond these resources, LMV offers a vital component: a safe and communal space for individuals to grow together, reinforcing unity and collaboration. By equipping members with knowledge and resources to produce their own food, LMV is planting the seeds of change for a healthier, more food-equitable future within our community.
Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen
For over 40 years, Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen has provided hot and nutritious meals to hungry families, children, seniors, veterans, students, and disabled individuals throughout Silicon Valley. Despite the Bay Area's booming economy, 1 in 4 people go to bed hungry every night, wondering where to find their next meal.
Today, Loaves & Fishes offers a mix of food programs and services, including A La Carte Food Recovery, Meals on Wheels, Medically Tailored Meals, and the Jerry Larson FoodBasket, but the core of our work remains centered around our Community Meals program, offering hot food five days a week. The guests we serve encompass the entire breadth of the residents throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties who continue to be negatively impacted by the health, housing, employment, and economic consequences of the pandemic and rampant inflation. All are welcome; no paperwork is required, and no questions are asked.
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
Founded in 1974, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is one of the largest food banks in the nation and a trusted nonprofit leader in ending local hunger. The organization distributes nutritious food through a network of nearly 400 partners at more than 900 sites across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Due to the prohibitively expensive cost of living in Silicon Valley and the dramatic reduction in pandemic-era government support, Second Harvest is serving an average of about 500,000 people every month. Second Harvest also connects people to federal nutrition programs and other food resources, and advocates for anti-hunger policies on the local, state and national levels. To learn more about how Second Harvest is responding to the incredible amount of need in Silicon Valley, visit shfb.org.
University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE)
The mission of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) of Santa Clara County is to engage the University of California with the people of California to achieve innovation in fundamental and applied research and education that supports:
• sustainable, safe, and nutritious food production and delivery
• economic success in a global economy
• a sustainable, healthy, and productive environment
• science literacy and youth development programs
Our small, but mighty, staff of 25 people work throughout the county to administer several programs including Master Gardeners, 4-H Youth, county land use policy, agricultural worker housing, small & urban farms support, pest management, wildfire mitigation, and school nutrition. To learn more about our staff and programs, visit us at: https://cesantaclara.ucanr.edu/About_Us/ and https://www.centralcoastfarms.org/
UC Santa Cruz - Center for Agroecology
UC Santa Cruz - Center for Agroecology is a key partner in the SWRFBC serving 14 counties across California. The center will be work with a range of partners and affiliates including farmers, food enterprises, food hubs and aggregations entities, while deepening engagement across the North Central Coast, Bay Area, Monterey Bay, and South Central Coast. In addition to advancing partnerships across the sub-region through technical assistance with producers and enterprises we will be elevating attention to farmer/rancher/fisherfolx to institution efforts across schools, hospitals, and colleges & universities.
Valley Verde increases self-sufficiency, health, and resilience, through a culturally informed community based food system to promote food justice.
Veggielution was founded in 2008 by three students from San José State University who wanted to improve food access for students. Since then we have grown to be a 6-acre farm in the historic Mayfair community, which has a rich history of community organizing around farmworker rights. Our mission is to connect people from diverse backgrounds through food and farming to build community in East San José.