Feeding our families: reconnecting with food, the earth, and each other

This is a project to gather and tell the story of food, people, and the land that connects them. It is a work of creative nonfiction: one that combines narrative, participatory research, and scholarly reflection to trace the efforts of the Humboldt County community in growing local food networks. It documents community food system projects in Humboldt County: farmers' markets, CSAs, food gleaning programs, Farm to School programs, child and adult education, and small-scale processors and services. It shows how such community food system projects contribute to resolving issues of food safety and security, and social and environmental justice. The purpose of this research project is to document the emergence of community-based food systems in Humboldt County and analyze whether such systems result in the formation of new economic and social relationships, the infrastructures for economically and environmentally sustainable food systems, new forms of civic consciousness and engagement, and alternative visions of human-nature interactions. This work advances the possibilities of moving toward a safer, healthier food system and supports further community participation and action.