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Hello Ecology,
We kick off the month of August with Berkeley Farmers’ Market Week, in sync with National Farmers’ Market Week and the seasonal urge to spoil ourselves with summer fruits and veggies.
While you’re getting out of doors and partaking in the sweet joys of summer, we hope to make it easy for you to enjoy the season and still live lightly on this fragile earth. At your disposal in this edition, we cover Berkeley Farmers’ Market week, climate equity in our community, the new EcoStore refill station, recycling made easy, and what it means to be a California certified farmers’ market.
We look forward to greeting you at the Berkeley Farmers' Markets and/or the Ecology Center EcoStore and Resource Center.
Happy August,
The Ecology Center Staff
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Food & Farming
City of Berkeley Proclaims Aug. 6-12 "Berkeley Farmers' Market Week" to Celebrate and Support Local Agriculture
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Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín, alongside City Council members, issued a proclamation declaring August 6–12 as Berkeley Farmers’ Market Week at the July 25th City Council meeting.
Berkeley Farmers’ Market Week will be observed the first week of August each year in conjunction with National Farmers’ Market Week to celebrate the economic, environmental, and health benefits of farmers’ markets.
The first farmers’ market in Berkeley formed as a result of grassroots community efforts in 1981. In 1989, the Ecology Center took on the operations of the markets, and since then they have become deeply ingrained in Berkeley's culture, advancing beginning farmers, veteran and women-owned farms, and empowering farmworkers to become farm owners.
“If you want to know what’s going on the menu at the local Michelin-starred restaurants just come to the Tuesday Berkeley Farmers’ Market early and look at what produce is on the chefs’ carts,” said Daniel McChesney-Young, Farmers’ Market Program Manager at the Ecology Center. “At the same time, the Ecology Center has played a big role in creating a consistent, accessible market for a wide range of customers and vendors. For example, EBT and Market Match distribution amounted to $307,802 for our vendors in 2022, while providing fresh food for those on food assistance.”
Celebrate Berkeley Farmers' Market Week at the Berkeley Farmers' Markets!
Photo from left to right: Jesse Arreguín, Berkeley Mayor; Minni Forman, Ecology Center Food & Farming Director; Daniel McChesney-Young, Ecology Center Farmers' Market Program Manager; Ben Bartlett, Berkeley Vice Mayor.
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Climate
Building Climate Equity Through Community Resilience
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The climate crisis affects us all, but not equally. A recent EPA report highlighted that communities of color, particularly Black folks, face a 40% higher risk of living in areas projected to experience extreme temperature-related deaths. As extreme weather events become more frequent, ensuring both resilience and equity within our communities becomes increasingly imperative.
In response to these disparities, The City of Berkeley established the Climate Equity Pilot Fund, of which the Ecology Center was awarded last fall to launch the Climate Equity Collaborative. Our aim is to collaborate with local community-based organizations serving Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and other marginalized communities, to co-develop and implement climate change and resilience solutions.
Over the past year, the Climate Equity Collaborative has made significant strides in building partnerships with local community groups and amplifying the voices of BIPOC communities. Through educational workshops and community engagement initiatives, we have worked tirelessly to promote climate equity in Berkeley. To learn more about our progress and perspective on this critical work, check out the recent Daily Californian article on our efforts.
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Zero Waste
Plastic Free July — We Couldn’t Do It Without You!
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Thank you for joining us for Plastic Free July 2023! We're grateful to have engaged with hundreds of you through our Plastic Free July resources page, at events, our Berkeley Farmers’ Markets, and the Ecology Center Store. From exploring local refill options to learning about transparent recycling systems, we hope our programming inspired you to Be Part of the Solution. Your support enables us to make a difference—please consider donating today.
July may be over, but our commitment continues. We strive daily to support real solutions to the plastics crisis, hold plastic producers accountable, and grow the movement to break free from plastic. By becoming a member, you can help us provide free zero-waste educational activities, resources, and year-round events, paving the way for a plastic-free future. Your involvement and contributions fuel our mission for a sustainable, healthy, and equitable world. Can we count on your support? Add the note “Plastic Free July” to your donation to support this work.
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Zero Waste
Recycling Made Easy: Tips for a Sustainable School Year!
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With the new school year on the horizon, we want to offer a friendly reminder. Take a moment to properly bundle and sort your cardboard before recycling. Make sure it's clean, dry, broken down, and neatly stacked in 3’x2’x1’ bundles. Keep pesky plastic film and packaging and styrofoam out of the recycling carts, as they don't belong there.
Upgrading your electronics? No worries, we've got you covered! Say farewell responsibly by disposing of your old gadgets at the fantastic ewasteCollective center on 620 Page Street in Berkeley, California. The drop-off is free, and you can learn more about proper disposal through our Resourceful app's waste sorting guide.
Let's continue to embrace a plastic-free lifestyle by saying no to single-use plastics. Opt for reusable bottles and stainless steel lunch boxes. And don't forget to use recycled paper products to keep the goodness circle going strong.
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Sustainable Living
Refill Your Plastic-Free Home & Body Products with Us!
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FINALLY! After months of planning and preparing, we are so happy to announce that the EcoStore’s Pilot Refill Program is open and ready for business! We carry so many great products in bulk now, all of which have been vetted using the same standards we use for all of the products that we sell.
It’s so easy to shop our new bulk offerings! Simply bring your clean and empty containers to the EcoStore, where our knowledgeable staff will guide you through the refill process. So far, we carry laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner, hand soap, lotions, shampoo, conditioner, dish soap, glass cleaner, dishwasher detergent, body wash, toothpaste tablets…and the list is growing! Bring your own container and be part of the plastic-free revolution!
We are open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am - 6 pm.
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Food & Farming
CA Farmers’ Markets: We Grow What We Sell. It’s the Law!
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If you’ve spent time at a California farmers’ market, you’ve probably seen signs that say “We grow what we sell.”
This isn’t just a catchy marketing phrase; it’s actually a legally enforced policy in California: state law mandates that agricultural produce sold at CA certified farmer’s markets must be grown by the farmers selling it.
Before 1977, farm-to-consumer farmers’ markets were illegal in California. It wasn’t until June 1979 that the first California farmers markets opened, selling produce directly to consumers. Before 1977, regulations required farmers to pack, size, and label their produce in standardized containers and sell it to retailers and markets away from the farm site.
Today those rules have changed and farmers are free from the sizing, packaging, and labeling requirements when selling at farmers’ markets and farm stands—evident from the beautiful, unpackaged products emblematic of farmers’ markets.
Yet, strict rules remain that ensure CA farmers’ markets are truly markets for farmers! County inspectors from the California Dept. of Agriculture regularly audit agricultural vendors at farmers’ markets to verify that they grow 100% of what they sell. If they are re-selling products they did not grow, they will lose their certified producer status and be removed from the market.
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Food & Farming Access & Equity
Spread the word: Most Farmers' Markets Accept EBT (CalFresh)!
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August is the peak of abundance at farmers’ markets across California. The fresh-picked flavor of vine-ripened tomatoes, melons, peppers, berries, and more overflow at vendor booths.
But many people don’t know that most farmers’ markets in California accept CalFresh EBT cards (Electronic Benefit Transfer).
What’s more, CalFresh participants (EBT cardholders) can get extra money for fruits and vegetables at more than 270 California farmers’ markets, farm stands, and CSAs through a statewide program called Market Match.
CalFresh customers can swipe their EBT card at the market’s information table and get “market money” to spend with each vendor that sells EBT-eligible foods.
Increasing equitable access to farmers’ markets is one of the core objectives of the Ecology Center, which oversees the Market Match program.
Find out if your local market accepts EBT or offers Market Match using our helpful Farmers’ Market Finder tool and spread the word!
Look for the market’s information booth to learn how you can use CalFresh EBT at your local farmers market.
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Equity 4 Black Berkeley People's Assembly Meeting
Saturday, August 19
12noon–4pm
Francis Albrier Community Center
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Farm Fresh Cooking to
Prevent Food Waste!
Thursday, October 26
4pm–6pm
North Berkeley Farmers' Market
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News We Are In & News We Are Following | |
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How Plastics Are Poisoning Us, The New Yorker, June 26, 2023
“So long as we’re churning out single-use plastic . . . we’re trying to drain the tub without turning off the tap,” Simon writes. “We’ve got to cut it out.”
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We're Hiring!
Every employee at the Ecology Center is integral to the success of our organization. We value vision, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. If you are passionate and qualified, we encourage you to apply to be part of the Ecology Center team.
Accounting Coordinator
Fundraising Program Director
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