Project Grant 20213380035853

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** VEGGIELUTION, A NONPROFIT, URBAN COMMUNITY FARM, SERVES LOW-INCOME, FOOD-INSECURE, MOSTLY LATINO RESIDENTS OF EAST SAN JOS & EACUTE;, CALIFORNIA. VEGGIELUTION'S EASTSIDE FOOD INITIATIVE HAS THREE GOALS: 1) IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY AND COMMUNITY SELF-RELIANCE; 2) INCREASE FOOD ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY; AND 3) BUILD A RESILIENT AND EQUITABLE FOOD SYSTEM THAT PRIORITIZES OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. VEGGIELUTION WILL ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS THROUGH DISTINCT OBJECTIVES: INVEST IN EQUIPMENT NECESSARY FOR EFFICIENT, SCALED-UP OPERATIONS; BUILD INTERNAL CAPACITY THROUGH TRAINING AND HIRING; AND ENGAGE IN MULTI-SECTOR COLLABORATIVES AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL FARMS AND PRODUCERS, MANY BIPOC-OWNED/RUN.ADDRESSING A PRIMARY CFPCGP GOAL, VEGGIELUTION WILL MEET FOOD NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS, DISTRIBUTING 80,400 FARM BOXES, INCREASING ENROLLMENT IN CALFRESH, AND PROVIDING SERVICES THROUGH EAST SAN JOSE'S ¡SI SE PUEDE! COLLECTIVE. TO INCREASE COMMUNITY SELF-RELIANCE AND SUSTAIN THE FARM, VEGGIELUTION WILL ADD TWO ADDITIONAL ACRES OF CULTIVATION, PURCHASE EQUIPMENT (KUBOTA TRACTOR IMPLEMENTS AND GREENHOUSE OVERHEAD WATERING SYSTEMS) AND OBTAIN GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES (GAP) CERTIFICATION.THROUGH FOOD ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING, VEGGIELUTION WILL FOSTER ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR LOWINCOME RESIDENTS AND BUILD A PIPELINE OF DIVERSE, SKILLED, EXPERIENCED FOOD SYSTEM WORKERS AND VALUE-ADDED PRODUCERS. ALIGNING WITH CFPCGP GOALS, VEGGIELUTION WILL CREATE INNOVATIVE, CULTURALLY RELEVANT MARKETING, LINKING LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS AND LOCAL SMALL FARMS AND FOOD PRODUCERS AND PROVIDING NUTRITION AND FOOD PREPARATION EDUCATION THAT BENEFITS COMMUNITY HEALTH. IN ADDITION, MEETING CFPCGP'S GOAL OF PLANNING FOR LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS, VEGGIELUTION WILL ENGAGE IN MULTI-SECTOR COLLABORATIVES TO FOSTER IMPROVED PLANNING AND POLICY RESPONSES TO FOOD INSECURITY AND INCREASED LINKAGES BETWEEN FOOD SECTORS.