Last year we shared information about the North Coast Emergency Food System Partnership (NCEFSP) -- a six-county partnership spanning Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties – with a goal to strengthen local food systems, support farmers economic well-being, improve food security and facilitate resiliency in advance of future disasters. This grant has been funded through September 30, 2026; we are in the final months of wrapping up the project and its’ associated deliverables.
This partnership aims to strengthen the region’s food systems by improving collaboration between agricultural producers (including farmers, ranchers, fishers, and dairy farmers), emergency food providers, and local organizations. Sonoma County Farm Bureau recognizes as we do that farmers and ranchers are an integral piece of our local natural disaster response team as has been evidenced in disaster response efforts in Sonoma County since the 2017 wildfires complex.
One of the key deliverables of the grant includes development of a Community Emergency Feeding Framework (CEFF). The intent is to document resources to facilitate collaborative efforts that elevate the roles & resources of non-profit organizations and producers who help feed our community on a day-to-day basis and elevate to respond to community needs during disaster. Addressing the challenges of disaster feeding requires a coordinated, adaptive strategy that is best established before a disaster. By working together, we can leverage the resources from all sectors of the community; avoid duplication of effort and coverage gaps; and help to ensure that food-related needs will be addressed in a manner that is equitable, appropriate, timely and efficient. The disaster feeding plan will be focused on meeting the feeding needs of the community outside government shelter operations during and in the direct aftermath of an emergency.
We have a Steering Committee who is helping guide development of the CEFF including representatives from County and Municipal government as well as key community-based organizations. A key objective is to clarify and document the roles, responsibilities, and resources available for food provisioning during disasters, especially focused on coordination and communications between government and non-profit sectors. The plan includes mobile feeding, community-based efforts, and connectivity to emergency shelter feeding. The plan addresses immediate disaster response feeding needs; it is not a long-term food security plan.
The Sonoma County Community Emergency Feeding Plan will serve as a living document, maintained through coordinated commitment of the core stakeholders, annual exercises, and other functions to maintain the viability of the Plan to promote disaster response feeding preparedness for Sonoma County. The anticipated impact of the feeding plan is anticipated to be increased food security during all phases of disaster response and recovery and improved coordination of efforts.
As we complete documentation of the plan this summer, we are planning a Tabletop Exercise to test key plan components to identify any gaps in our planning and documentation. If you are interested in learning more about the development of the CEFF or in participating in our Tabletop Exercise in late summer/early fall, please reach out to Mimi Enright, Program Manager, UCCE Sonoma at menright@ucanr.edu.