The Farm to Institution Center

18/11/2022

We had a blast last month celebrating Farm to School Month by hosting Professional Development Trainings for the Sn Diego County Farm to School Taskforce!

This training covered basic knife skills, recipe utilization and plant forward recipes!

We were also surprised with a $10,000 check by the County of San Diego - Government for our efforts supporting & developing AgTourism in San Diego County!

This training was made possible by funding from the CDFA's Farm to School Incubator Grant Program.

23/06/2022

Before students went on summer vacation, we joined forced with Christina Ng from Berry Good Food Foundation to host a taste test activity with newcomer students at Fallbrook High School!

Taste Test Menu Items included: Walnut Chorizo Taco, Cauliflower Ceviche and Spicy Pickled Carrots!

Special thanks to Centric for donating compostable food containers and utensils!

16/06/2022

Earlier this Spring, we partnered with One Kitchen Collaborative to offer a Zero Waste Culinary Training for staff at !

This training teaches provides participants with the necessary knowledge and skills in order to handle, process, and fully utilize all of the components of local produce.

This training is funded by the CDFA's Farm to School Incubator Grant program!

27/05/2022

Four chef teams from all over San Diego County rolled up their sleeves for a friendly iron chef style competition utilizing local farm fresh produce.

In this plant-based competition, teams were judged and scored based on taste, presentation, sustainability, and creativity.

Much respect and gratitude to the passionate and locally dedicated chefs from Santosha Nutrition One Kitchen Collaborative Top Notch School Lunches Luckybolt Sourdough Delight Kitchens for Good Kitchen Mouse Cafe & Catering

26/05/2022

To close and celebrate the last month of our San Diego Farm Sustainability Program, we hosted a Farm to Buyer Expo at Leichtag Foundation to gather all of the amazing local farmers, innovative chefs, committed produce buyers and passionate food system advocates in San Diego County.

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to celebrate our local food system. The expo featured an iron chef style competition utilizing local products, a diverse community table compiled of produce from countywide growers, presentations from Edible San Diego Specialty Produce U.S. Department of Agriculture Sustainability is Sexy Anaergia, farm tours from Coastal Roots Farm, and lots of networking amongst new and familiar faces!

Delicious snacks and beverages provided by Luckybolt and beautiful photos captured by Studio Luniste!

20/05/2022

Solidarity Farm SD is offering the 2022 Free Summer Farmer Training, an engaging training and certificate program in regenerative farming!

This Summer Training Program is designed for local aspiring and intermediate farmers that would like to gain basic skills in regenerative farming in a cooperative and supportive environment, and it will run on 6 consecutive weekends in June & July.

By the end of the program, you will have the knowledge to grow your own food, integrate regenerative methods that sequester carbon and build healthy soil, practice farming as a climate solution, and a toolkit to begin a small commercial farm operation.

Registration closes on May 31st, and classes start June 4th! Learn more and register by visiting: www.solidarityfarmsd.com/trainings

02/05/2022

400 seasonal Grab & Grow Gardens kits were distributed to the wonderful students at Fallbrook High School last week!

Kits included tomato, tomatillo, pepper plants, growing instructions, a seed saving activity, and a pico de gallo recipe!

A BIG thank you to our amazing partners at for growing these beautiful plants and to the CDFA Office of Farm to Fork for allowing us to do this impactful work!

22/04/2022

Join us on April 28th from 1:30pm - 2:30pm PST as we host our San Diego Farm Sustainability Program Webinar!

The SDFSP is a 20-month, no cost business development course designed for a small group of San Diego farmers and growers. SDFSP focuses on sustaining local specialty crop farm businesses through strategic agricultural expert guidance.

The SDFSP webinar will cover the following topics:

Program Introduction
Implementation
Outcomes
Evaluation
Testimonials
Value
Lessons Learned
Improvements and Recommendations
Who should attend? All farmers, farm support/service agencies, food system professionals and advocates are welcome to attend!

Click here to register and learn more:

Join us on April 28th from 1:30pm - 2:30pm PST as we host our SD Farm Sustainability Program: Lessons from a Holistic Approach Webinar!

06/04/2022

Our Farm to Buyer Expo is now less than 3 weeks away! All are welcome to attend this free networking event to connect with farmers, buyers, and local food advocates from all over the County, hear professional guest speakers talk about sustainability, agriculture, composting, and more, and watch an Iron-Chef style competition featuring local chefs using farm fresh produce! Please help us spread the word by sharing this post!

Join us as we let the good things grow!

Please RSVP by emailing us at [email protected]

21/03/2022

Community Health Improvement Partners Farm to Institution Center invites you to participate in our Spring Farm to Buyer Expo on Thursday, April 26th from 1:00pm – 4:00pm at Leichtag Common’s Coastal Roots Farm!

We will be gathering farmers, chefs, local food purchasers, and local food advocates together to mix, mingle, and come together to let the good things grow!

Come to watch San Diego chefs' team up using locally grown produce in an Iron-Chef style competition, or to engage with our professional guest speakers on topics like sustainability, demystifying the USDA, and more.

Coastal Roots Farm will also be offering farm tours throughout the event!

Whether you are a farmer looking to meet buyers, a buyer looking to meet farmers, a local food advocate, or a sustainable agriculture enthusiast, this is the event for you! Join us as we link arms in support of a healthier tomorrow!

RSVP by emailing [email protected].

01/03/2022

This winter, we visited Solidarity Farm SD, a local 10-acre farm in Pauma Valley, growing a diverse variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables using regenerative and organic practices. They run a farm school for local students in the area to educate them on science, farming, nutrition, herbology, arts, and cooking! Thank you, Solidarity Farm, not only for hosting us, but for educating and inspiring the next generation of farmers, culinarians, environmentalists, and healthy food advocates! We hope you enjoy the video and feel inspired to learn more about San Diego’s amazing and diverse local food scene!