The Cuyama Valley Community Action Plan, created in 2020, is the result of years of work - through outreach and research - that establishes both current conditions and reports back “next steps” for furthering economic opportunity, rural resilience, and quality of life for Cuyamans. Detailed within this report are seven community development opportunities, one being the formation of the Cuyama Valley Food Action Network (CVFAN). The goals of CVFAN are to improve access to food for all Cuyamans, market Cuyama Valley raw and value-added products to a wider regional audience, and support small and medium size farms with technical assistance and best practices training. A key strategy of this network is to hold regular monthly meetings in order to establish, refine, and meet these goals. In 2021, CVFAN has utilized this strategy to produce the following Mission, Vision and Aims Statement.
DISCOVER OUR SUCCESS STORIES
Our Mission
The Cuyama Valley Food Action Network (CVFAN) works to develop an equitable, engaging, and resilient food system via collaboration, resource sharing, and educational opportunities available both within the Valley as well as throughout Santa Barbara County. CVFAN will catalyze increased and sustainable small farmer/rancher food production for Cuyama Valley/local consumption through:
Generating market incentives/increased demand;
Promoting sound stewardship of the Valley’s fragile landscapes with water efficient, climate smart and environmentally friendly technologies and practices;
Creating sustainable economic prosperity for small farmers, ranchers, and businesses;
Improving overall food access; and
Creating a greater sense of community within our rural community.
Core Values
Collaboration
Co-producing and co-marketing; Resource sharing within the network, the Valley, and communities outside of Cuyama; Information sharing of best practices
Dissemination
Of resources, educational opportunities and best practices; Creating distribution channels within the community and greater population
Sustainability
Environmental sustainability/regeneration for small and medium sized farmers; Cultural sustainability - using food production as a catalyst/foundation for shared identity, greater sense of community, social equity, and inclusivity
Prosperity
Environmental, Economic, and Cultural
Modeling
Acting as an example for other communities
Our Network
Blue sky center
Website: blueskycenter.org
Instagram: @blueskycenter
Cuyama buckhorn
Website: cuyamabuckhorn.com
Instagram: @cuyamabuckhorn
Cuyama Beverage Co.
Website: cuyamabeverage.com
Instagram: @cuyamabevco
Condor's Hope Vineyard
Website: condorshope.com
Instagram: @condorshopevineyard
Cuyama Homegrown
Instagram: @cuyamahomegrown
Rock Front Ranch
Website: justjujubes.com
Instagram: @rock_front_ranch_official
Quail Springs Permaculture
Website: quailsprings.org
Instagram: @quail_springs
our aims
Improve access to food for all Cuyamans
Provide healthy, locally grown and produced food to more members of the Cuyama community (addressing the issue of being a food desert in an agriculture community)
Market Cuyama Valley raw and value-added products to a wider regional audience
Create an online marketplace
Strategically distribute and capitalize on social media resources, visual assets, and content. Treat social media campaigns as opportunities for storytelling and resource sharing (i.e. utilize the Buckhorn’s tv systems to loop SBCFAN promotional videos)
Support small and medium sized farms with technical assistance and best practices training
Introduce and grow partnership with SBCFAN
Leveraging the community strengths that already exist to build resilience in our local food system
videos
CVFAN works closely with Santa Barbara County Food Action Network (SBCFAN) to further the efforts of CVFAN and align food action goals throughout Santa Barbara County. As part of SBCFAN's storytelling series the organization has created a series of videos highlighting CVFAN's members.
Blue Sky Center Victory Gardens Project
The first film spotlights the Victory Gardens Project in Cuyama, spearheaded by Sandra Uribe, the Land Steward of Network partner Blue Sky Center. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Uribe encouraged and taught local residents to plant vegetables in their own gardens as a way of increasing local food production as well as boosting morale and community spirit.
Jujube trees thrive in the high desert at Rock Front Ranch
Alisha Taff of Rock Front Ranch works with, rather than against, the harsh desert climate and native fauna of the Cuyama Valley to grow her jujubes.
Dry-Farming at Condor's Hope
Robbie Jaffe and Steve Gliessman of Condor's Hope in Cuyama Valley, in the high desert East of Ojai, share their living vision for thriving local food systems as brought to life on their dry-farmed family vineyard and farm, producing fine wine with scarce water in a food desert.