Please join Friends of the Earth for a presentation on our new report: Feeding Concentration: How USDA’s Commodity Food Purchasing Favors Industrial Agriculture.

Attendees will gain insights into how current USDA’s $4.8 billion in annual commodity food purchasing favors large industrial producers and thus concentrates market power, while restricting access for independent, sustainable, and smaller-scale farmers. Presenters will discuss the vast implications for fair competition, public health, and resilient food systems as well as actionable recommendations to improve USDA procurement.

Presenters include: Chloe Waterman - Senior Program Manager, Climate Friendly Food Program, at Friends of the Earth and lead author of the report Nitya Jakka - Food and Climate Policy Intern at Friends of the Earth, and youth advocate, support data analysis for the report Erin Foster - Director of Farmer Relations & Strategic Partnerships at Freshlist Greg Gunthorp - Farmer and Owner of Gunthorp Farms

Please join the Mayor's Office for a virtual Community Budget Workshop where we will discuss the City's budget process and conduct a budget priorities workshop. This webinar is open to the public. 

They encourage participants to complete our survey by 12PM on Monday, December 8th ahead of the workshop. Webinar participants can access the survey using the link below: 

https://forms.office.com/g/12NMTKELKQ  

H.R. 1 introduced sweeping changes to SNAP, narrowing eligibility for many humanitarian-based noncitizens and deepening fear among immigrant communities. While some individuals remain eligible, confusion and misinformation continue to limit access for families who need food assistance. FRAC, National Immigration Law Center, Protecting Immigrant Families, the International Rescue Committee, and Refugee Council USA will lead this vital discussion on what’s changed — and what advocates, service providers, and community leaders can do now. Register here.

When countries experience on-the-ground violent conflict, every facet of culture is impacted, not least of all  foodways.   When people are displaced or communities destroyed, what becomes of generational food knowledge and practices? Of rituals and traditions that celebrate harvests or holidays? And what of agricultural land that is made uncultivable from toxic bombs or landmines, of crops destroyed, relegating a region food insecure? These effects ripple out infinitely, permanently changing these regions’ food landscape. 

The presence of ICE agents in Southern New England is increasing. ICE abductions tear at the fabric of our communities while increasing food insecurity, disrupting the agriculture and food sector workforce, and raising grocery prices for everyone. Learn how the Chicago Food Policy Action Council and the Los Angeles Food Policy Council have responded to increased ICE activity in their communities.

Are you an emerging food systems professional? Are you in career transition, seeking a job in community food work?

This series is for you!

Please join the Food Systems Leadership Network and DAISA Enterprises on Wednesday, Dec. 3 (4-5 EST) for Part 2 of our Rooted & Rising webinar series on Cultivating Collective Power: Strategies for Community Resilience. Register here.

Leading the workshop is Shamar Hemphill, Vice President of Strategy at DAISA, who brings 20+ years of community organizing experience to the session. Shamar will reground us in why collective power building is essential to food systems transformation and then share practical steps on how food systems leaders can incorporate organizing strategies into their day-to-day practices.  

Whether you're brand new to community organizing or a seasoned organizer looking for a refresh (and an opportunity to share your wisdom!), all are welcome in this learning space! Please share this post with your networks and allies. 

If you missed Part 1 on Revenue Generating Enterprises for Community Food Organizations, no worries! While this is a multi-part series, each webinar is unique and there's no requirement to participate in all 3. The recording for Part 1 is available here. Part 3 will be on Tuesday, January 27 on Building Organizational Resilience and Human-Centered Culture.

Join CIPC for an orientation and Q+A on Immigrant Day of Action 2026! During this 1 hr webinar, we will present on things IDA including next year’s theme and registration platform!

Interpretation to Spanish is available. If you need language support in another language, email me directly at xsanchez@caimmigrant.org.

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¡Únete a una sesión informativa (orientación) y de preguntas y respuestas sobre el Día de Acción del Inmigrante 2026! Durante este seminario web de 1 hora, presentaremos información sobre el dia de accion inmigrante, incluyendo el tema del próximo año y la plataforma de registro.

Se ofrece interpretación al español. Si necesita asistencia lingüística en otro idioma, envíeme un correo electrónico directamente a xsanchez@caimmigrant.org.

Join Foodwise in celebrating winter squash, this month’s Seasonal Spotlight, at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Come down to the market for a day of tasting, cooking, and fun! Look for the orange Seasonal Spotlight tent in front of the Ferry Building.

SFDPH invites you to this in-person meeting to discuss and share information on budget-related issues in FY 26-27.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) will host in-person meetings in November to discuss and share information on budget-related issues, including the ongoing planning for budget reductions in FY 26-27. These sessions are part of a series of budget planning meetings with our community partners. SFDPH is committed to approaching budget changes at the local, state and federal level in a thoughtful way that prioritizes patient care, centers equity, and preserves public health.

As we collectively ready ourselves for the holiday season, please join us for a special “Behind the Scenes” tour and discussion at Saba Grocers Initiative in Oakland. This is your chance to get the inside intel on how Saba is feeding the community and getting vegetables into corner stores!

SFDPH invites you to this in-person meeting to discuss and share information on budget-related issues in FY 26-27.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) will host in-person meetings in November to discuss and share information on budget-related issues, including the ongoing planning for budget reductions in FY 26-27. These sessions are part of a series of budget planning meetings with our community partners. SFDPH is committed to approaching budget changes at the local, state and federal level in a thoughtful way that prioritizes patient care, centers equity, and preserves public health.

PADMA LAKSHMI is an Emmy-nominated food expert, television producer, and New York Times bestselling author. She is the creator of the critically-acclaimed Hulu series Taste the Nation, and served as host and executive producer of Bravo’s Top Chef. She is co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America and an ACLU Artist Ambassador for immigrants’ rights and women’s rights. She is the author of Easy Exotic, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs, her New York Times best-selling memoir Love, Loss, and What We Ate, and the best-selling children’s book Tomatoes for Neela.

Hosted by the Our Schools Our Power Campaign Support Team: People’s Action Institute, Resource Rural, Building Power Resource Center (BPRC), HEAL Together/Public School Strong, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center (CPCC), UndauntedK12, and the Labor Network for Sustainability.

Zoom link provided upon registration.

We believe in high quality public education and that our schools are the foundation for a just, democratic, healthy, and equitable society. No matter our race, income, or zip code, every child deserves to learn and grow in a great school. Communities across the U.S. are organizing to strengthen our local public schools, making them healthier and more resilient in the face of climate change.

Connect and strategize with organizers, campaigners, and advocates advancing healthy, green, and just public schools. These will happen quarterly on Zoom - June 13, August 8, and November 14, 2025.

FAACTS has long called for a long-term food system strategy for San Francisco. As severe cuts to programs like SNAP become a reality, the need for a coordinated and strategic plan to get ahead of its impacts are more important than ever. While developing a strategy can seem too big and impossible to pursue, places like Los Angeles County, New York City, and Hawai’i are tackling the challenge head on and setting shining examples for us! Conversations with them can offer timely lessons on how other regions built the political will, partnerships, and planning infrastructure to act.

Advocacy is essential for creating lasting change in the food system. This session introduces nonprofit staff, community leaders, and practitioners to the power of policy engagement, breaking down key approaches and advocacy strategies.

On November 7, 2025, the United States was scheduled to participate in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process in Geneva. Instead, the U.S. federal government announced its withdrawal from the UPR process in August, marking a break from decades of participation.

We join many others who have raised concerns that this withdrawal will undermine the progression of human rights in the United States and around the world. 

Are you an emerging food systems professional? Are you in career transition, seeking a job in community food work?

This series is for you!

Who Should Attend?

This session is ideal for anyone interested in social change, equitable wellbeing, and new ways of building stronger communities grounded in trust, alignment, and distributed action in the service of sustainability, equity, and justice. If you can’t attend live, this session will be recorded.

Why This Matters Now

COVID-19 revealed what many communities had long known: our global food supply chain is fragile, consolidated, and dominated by a precarious concentration of power. At the same time, food insecurity is rising, and more people are asking: how can we create “food solutions” that ensure no one goes hungry?

For over a decade, IISC has supported the launch and growth of local and regional food system networks that build resilience and equity. From the Vermont Farm to Plate Network, credited with strengthening the state’s agricultural economy, to the Rhode Island Food Policy Council, pioneering equitable and inclusive processes to advance food justice, we’ve seen how networks can shift policy, practice, and imagination around what’s possible.

Join us for an interactive webinar with two special guests and partners:

• Ellen Kahler, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

• Nessa Richman, Rhode Island Food Policy Council

Together, we will explore strategies to weave diverse cross-sector networks, track and share helpful user-friendly data, and design participatory processes to help people understand and advocate for policy.

Join us to learn about the Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition (DEUFFC), a collaborative network working to strengthen local food systems, promote urban agriculture, and increase access to healthy, affordable food throughout northern Delaware. Since its founding, DEUFFC has brought together farmers, gardeners, educators, nonprofits, government agencies, and community advocates to transform vacant lots, build thriving community gardens and farms, and support sustainable food initiatives. Throughout the webinar, we'll explore the various challenges that act as barriers to their work and the different solutions to help overcome them.

This event is hosted as a part of CSPI’s Resource Hub Training Series. We invite organizations and community advocates to join us, as we at CSPI learn alongside our partners and community at large to build power and share knowledge across disciplines on a myriad of social, economic, and environmental justice. Please reach out at resourcehub@cspinet.org if you or your organization are interested in providing or facilitating a future training.

Este seminario virtual será en inglés y lo ofreceremos con interpretación y traducción al español en tiempo real.

Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff demonstrates how to carve a watermelon basket and filling it with an assortment of fresh fruits to create a stunning fruit salad. This family-friendly hands-on activity promises fun treats for all. Conclude the session with Q&A and sharing the fresh fruit salad, homemade chai and crackers. Participants will receive copies of recipes.

The even is free and open to all!

*Young children are welcome but should be accompanied by an adult.

REGISTER AT THE OTHER AVENUES COUNTER

Alemany Farm Harvest Festival

Saturday, October 25
11 am to 3 pm
Alemany Farm, 700 Alemany Blvd, SF
FREE

The day will include:

• Garlic Planting

• Face painting

• Farm tours

• Family-friendly activities

• DJ

• Pig roast, BBQ, farm salad, and more good food

• Farm merch

• Community groups

• …and more

Please Note: There will only be very limited parking onsite at the farm. If you are driving to the farm, you should expect to park in the surrounding vicinity. We encourage folks to use public transit or pedal power. For directions and other info on visiting the farm, see our Get Involved page.

DAISA Enterprises and the Food Systems Leadership Network are teaming up to bring you "Rooted and Rising: Bold Tools for Food Systems Changemakers in Today's Climate."

This free, multi-part webinar series aims to build solidarity and resilience across our food systems community as we collectively navigate massive change in our communities and our country. This series will offer practical skills, tangible tools, collective wisdom and strategic frameworks, all rooted in DAISA and FSLN's core values.

Join them for Part 1 focused on Revenue-Generating Enterprises for Community Food Organizations. You’ll learn planning tools like the 'lean canvas model' and hear real-world examples of entrepreneurial innovation.

Feel free to share this registration link with your networks!

In a tough funding landscape, nonprofit mergers are becoming a powerful strategy for sustainability and greater impact. Join us for a 90-minute conversation with leaders from the healthy eating and active living space who have successfully merged to better serve their communities.

Featuring Panelists:

• Robin Pam, Streets for All SF

• Laura deTar, Fresh Approach

• Moderated by Sarah Nelson, Shape Up SF Co-Chair & Executive Director of 18 Reasons

What You’ll Learn:

• What a nonprofit merger is and how it can affect operations and overhead

• The pros and cons of merging with another organization

• Where to find resources to explore mergers further

Whether you're merger-curious or already in talks, this session will offer valuable insights, inspiration, and a chance to connect with others navigating similar paths.

Register for Stronger Together: Nonprofit Mergers for Greater Impact Lunch & Learn

Mark your calendars and get ready for a CalFresh Forum like no other! We are excited to bring you a new Forum experience where community members like you are centered and highlighted. At the CalFresh Forum, we will enjoy community-submitted discussions and the Freshy Awards. Breakfast and lunch provided.

We will also be co-hosting LA Foodscapes: Honoring the Hands Behind our Food on October 22, 2025 with the LA Food Policy Council – so grab a free ticket and join us for both days!

Dear friends and community,

As the Trump administration escalates its attacks on cities across the country, reports are mounting that San Francisco and the Bay Area are next. 

We have seen the National Guard deployed in LA, DC, and Chicago and we have seen how this has put people in danger. It has driven fear, and wreaked havoc, confusion and terror in communities, particularly targeting Brown, Black, immigrant, and unhoused communities.

But we are not alone. CPA is part of Bay Resistance, who is organizing to prepare, show solidarity, and mobilize. We hope you can join us tomorrow, October 22, at 6:00 p.m. to:

 Learn Know Your Rights Get Trained in Community Safety, Legal Observer Protocols, and Rapid Response Hear the Day 1 Mobilization Plan — and How you Can Plug In Help us Send a Unified Message: STAY OUT OF THE BAY

This training will explore how storytelling can serve as a powerful tool for advocacy and legislative communication, emphasizing the value of your voice and expertise. Participants will learn how to craft stories tailored to different audiences and discover practical ways to integrate them into advocacy strategies and campaigns. Through examples and tactical guidance, speaker Leah Kabran Eden, co-founder and executive director of Equity Advocates, will guide attendees to explore when, where, and how to use stories effectively to advance policy goals.