NEWS RELEASE        

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SUPERVISORS ANNOUNCE UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL FARMERS AND URBAN RESIDENTS

WHAT:        10 a.m. farm tour in Brentwood and 12 noon news conference in Richmond to officially unveil Contra Costa County’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative.

A unique program called “Richmond Farm 2 Table” is linking farmers in East Contra Costa County that provide locally grown, farm fresh fruits and vegetables with residents in West Contra Costa County. Like many CSAs around the country, residents in West County will pay a basic fee of $50 a month to receive two boxes of produce.  What’s different about Contra Costa County’s program is that the regular fees help subsidize boxes for lower income families while developing appreciation for East County’s urban- edge farms.  The Richmond Children’s Foundation (RCF) -- a Richmond based non-profit organization whose mission is to enrich the lives of children and their families – is staffing the effort and subsidizing some boxes for families that cannot afford to pay the basic fee. Considered the first of its kind program in California, “Richmond Farm 2 Table” supports local farmers and raises awareness of East Contra Costa County’s rich agricultural resources while providing residents in lower income communities with improved access to fresh local fruits and vegetables.

Supervisors Mary Nejedly Piepho (District III) and John Gioia (District I)  launched the program in April of 2008 with support from RCF.  Program partners include Contra Costa County, the City of Richmond, the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust and Eco Village Farms.


WHEN/WHERE:                Thursday, May 28, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m., Dwelley Farms (Farm Tour), 515 Delta Road, Brentwood, CA                        
12 Noon (News Conference), Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, 360 Harbour Way, South, Richmond, CA

WHO:                Supervisors  Mary Nejedly Piepho and John Gioia, Jim Becker – Richmond Children’s Foundation, Shyaam Shabaka – Eco Village Farm, Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust, community residents.