Increase community engagement in the food system toward greater food sovereignty
This website is designed to help residents, farmers, food advocates, and policymakers better understand and engage with Santa Clara County’s food system. By translating the SCC Food Systems Workplan into accessible language and interactive tools, this site empowers users to explore local food initiatives, understand key policies, and take action toward food justice.
Through interactive maps, community spotlights, and policy summaries, the site supports the County’s goal of strengthening food sovereignty by increasing transparency, encouraging public participation, and amplifying the work of local food leaders.
Based in the South Bay
The South Bay region of the Bay Area encompasses all of Santa Clara County, Silicon Valley, and stretches into San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties. As California’s third-largest city, San Jose is home to over one million residents and serves as the cultural and economic heart of the South Bay. Located in Santa Clara County, the city is known for its unique blend of historic roots and technological innovation. San Jose is also one of the most diverse cities in the United States, as 46% of residents were born outside the country, and 67.6% speak a language other than English at home (Census Reporter, 2023). This rich multiculturalism is reflected in the city’s neighborhoods, such as Mayfair, where labor leader Cesar Chavez helped ignite the Mexican-American civil rights movement (SOMOS Mayfair).
South Bay Region
View the approximate boundary of the South Bay region in the map below, and select a tree pin to learn more about some of the food justice organizations based in San Jose.
Contributors
This website was developed by students and faculty at Santa Clara University in collaboration with Veggielution and other community partners committed to food justice in Santa Clara County. Together, these contributors created resources and tools to support local food entrepreneurs, raise awareness about food insecurity, and advance an equitable and sustainable food system for all. This is part of a broader project funded by the County of Santa Clara.
The dashboard development began as a senior capstone project in Santa Clara University’s Environmental Studies and Sciences Department, building on earlier work from SCU’s Agroecology, Climate Resilience, and Food Justice (ACRAF) Lab. The early stages of this project received significant feedback from the resident food equity advisory committee (RAC). In partnership with Veggielution, this work expanded through the summer of 2025 with support from collaborators including the Environmental Justice and the Common Good Initiative, La Cocina, Democracy at Work Institute, and WeStart Gardens.
Leonie Casper
BS, Environmental Science, Santa Clara University ’25
Ellie Henrich
BS, Environmental Science, Santa Clara University ’25
Ruby McBride
BS, Environmental Studies, Santa Clara University ’25
Sara Wheeler
BS, Web Design & Engineering, Santa Clara University ’25
Christopher Bacon
Professor, Environmental Studies and Sciences, Santa Clara University
Fernando Fernandez Leiva
Policy Director, Veggielution
Veggielution
Veggielution is a San Jose-based nonprofit operating a 6-acre urban farm at Emma Prusch Farm Park. The organization strengthens the community through food by offering training and opportunities for local food entrepreneurs, hosting youth garden programs, and providing fresh, affordable produce. Supported by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, Veggielution collaborates with institutions like Santa Clara University to expand access to healthy food and environmental education.
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a Jesuit institution in Santa Clara, CA, dedicated to educating citizens and leaders who strive to create a more just, humane, and sustainable world. As part of its commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and community-engaged research, the university actively supports efforts to advance environmental justice, food sovereignty, and equitable food systems both locally and globally. This website was created by a 2025 Capstone Research Team from the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences, which reflects Santa Clara University’s mission to connect academic inquiry with meaningful, real-world impact.
Environmental Justice and the Common Good Initiative
Santa Clara University’s Environmental Justice and the Common Good Initiative promotes interdisciplinary research, teaching, and action at the intersection of environmental sustainability and social justice. The Initiative supports faculty and student efforts to confront environmental injustices through community-based research, public programming, and applied learning, helping bridge academic inquiry with real-world impact. It creates pathways for students to engage directly with frontline communities, contribute to policy and advocacy efforts, and co-develop solutions that center equity, resilience, and sustainability.
La Cocina
La Cocina is a San Francisco–based nonprofit that supports women and entrepreneurs of color in launching and growing food businesses. As part of its work in East San Jose, La Cocina led trainings and consultations to help develop the menu and culinary operations for a new community-led catering cooperative.
Democracy at Work Institute
The Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) builds the field of worker cooperatives through training, research, and strategic development. DAWI trained Veggielution staff in cooperative development, who then partnered with East San Jose residents to launch and support a new catering cooperative owned and led by local community members.
WeStart Gardens
WeStart Gardens is a community-rooted initiative that supports regenerative food systems and social enterprises. In East San Jose, they provide ongoing support for land-based healing, entrepreneurship, and culturally rooted food production that empowers local leaders and strengthens neighborhood resilience.
Resident Food Equity Advisory Committee
The Resident Food Equity Advisory Committee (RAC) is one part of food system governance at the local level, alongside the Public Health Department, the Food System Manager and the Office of Sustainability of the County of Santa Clara, among many others. The purpose of the RAC informs the public health and sustainability policy in the County of Santa Clara with a focus on food systems transformation. This committee is made up of community members who represent the diversity of Santa Clara County with lived experience navigating parts of the food system – whether as a food service worker, an agricultural worker, a shopper, a CalFresh member, a home chef, a participant in food distribution programs within the County, or something else. RAC members must live in Santa Clara County and they must want to inform, advise, and influence the policies made by Santa Clara County that relate to food access, the food system, and climate resilience. This RAC is the first of its kind in the County, building on previous models like the East San Jose PEACE Partnership.