Butte County Local Food Network

We are a small, but mighty, 501c3 located half-way between Sacramento and the Northern California border.   We are an agriculturally based community of Climate Migrants who have had three major fires in four years, one being the Camp (Paradise) Fire in 2018. While recovery efforts are picking up as Paradise starts to rebuild, many lives continue to be in limbo due to restrictive red tape, scammers and their settlements being reduced drastically, if paid at all.  The county struggles but continues to be tenacious about creating a new form of community based on health, safety and a sense of connection. To that end, we connect with other extreme disaster communities to find best practices and ways to rebuild. One thing we all realize is the importance of decentralizing the food system and coming back to growing more of our own food.

Our mission is to create a more healthy, just, resilient regenerative local food system in our county and foodshed. 

Our values:  We believe that the way in which our food grows impacts us personally as well as the planet and all Life on earth. We support the current science which informs us that all Life on the planet is interdependent and intertwined and we choose to devote our lives to food systems that regenerate and support Life. We value community and connection that fosters a sense of belonging and healthy real food security for all.

Our vision for Butte County is to create a strong local food system as the basis of a strong local economy, anchored in a healthy community that thrives on neighbors helping neighbors.

To that end, we do just about anything we can to create a stronger local, community based food system. Our projects cover the gamut of the food system and include:

The Garden BLITZ- an annual backyard garden installation event of volunteers helping homeowners grow more food by installing raised bed gardens in their yards. Since March 2020, the community has come together to install 250 gardens, half of which were provided to low income gardeners.

The Farmers Marketmobile- brings hyper-locally grown food closer to our food desert communities while supporting the local economy.

Save Our Seeds- to support seed saving we co-sponsor seed swaps and stock seed packets left in Tiny Libraries in the county.

Growing Resilient Optimism With Nature (GROWN) GROWN’s mission is to support youth to learn how to grow food for mental health, a sense of purpose and well being, food security and a potential career path. 

Vecino Garden- Community garden that invites neighbors of any distance to grow and harvest food for their families, is also an education and event center with a gazebo, greenhouse and chicken coop.

Community Composting Center- Housed in Vecino Garden, community members bring their compost to create great soil which is used in the garden. There is data being collected for a statewide program through Cal-Recycle and a Johnson-Su Bioreactor will be installed there in June 2022.

Local Food Assessment- A 100+ page report of a snapshot of data about our local food system to be used by stakeholders in the community to come together to create a 10 year vision for food sovereignty, then develop a 3-5 year plan to jump start getting there.

Food Policy Council- BCLFN is a member of the California Food Policy Council. We work with local and state officials to help inform them on the current state of the global food system and the importance of rebuilding a strong local food system as the basis of a healthier population, healthier planet and more robust local economy.

Community Food Connections- One result of our Local Food Assessment was that it was clear that organizations, agencies and individuals are interested and active in creating a stronger local food system. However they are siloed and unaware of each others’ activities.  This project provides bi-monthly gatherings, inviting all to hear about one individual then provide an opportunity for networking.

Coordinators of the Butte County Community Garden Network- an informal group supporting the 7 community gardens around the county to amplify our programs and unite to support each other.

We invite Community both local and from afar, to join us as we create a new food system based in justice and a healthier world full of healthier people, one tasty bite at a time….because local food is true homeland security!  

 Website: bclocalfood.org

Facebook; https://tinyurl.com/vabv7ann/

Instagram: @bclocalfood

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4b4bx5uy