Mayor Agran thanked & joined dozens of volunteers who harvested more than 30,000 pounds of broccoli.
Irvine Mayor Larry Agran has always been one to “think globally, act locally.” Agran has a long history of finding ways on the city level to bring solutions to wider problems and make progress in protecting our environment, defending civil rights, and advancing urban planning.
So it was no surprise that Agran signed on with the National Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger immediately upon taking office in December. And, it was no surprise that this past weekend, Mayor Agran was in the middle of a 45-acre field in Irvine, alongside dozens of volunteers who harvested more than 30,000 pounds of broccoli.
The field was part of the Harvest Solutions Farm. The broccoli was destined for the Second Harvest Food Bank and, ultimately, the dinner table of individuals and families facing food and nutrition insecurity throughout Orange County.
“Food insecurity — hunger and malnutrition — is a real concern across America, and here in Orange County,” said Agran, whose office hosted and promoted the weekend event at Harvest Solutions Farm. “This farm and Second Harvest Food Bank are showing us a way to address this problem. Indeed, to not just address it, but to make every Orange County household food secure.”
Harvest Solutions Farm — more than 40 acres of agricultural land in Irvine — is a cooperative effort of Second Harvest, Solutions for Urban Ag, and the University of California South Coast Research & Extension Center.
“Those most in need are getting some of the best food — right off the farm into their homes,” said A.G. Kawamura, chairman of Solutions for Urban Ag and a former state Secretary of Food and Agriculture.
Solutions for Urban Ag works with various localities and landowners to farm agricultural parcels for distribution through food banks and community pantries.
“There are wonderful opportunities to reestablish agriculture in urban areas that are not only innovative but also collaborative,” said Kawamura. “That’s what this project is all about.”
Produce from the Harvest Solutions Farm is first taken to a warehouse on Marine Way near the Great Park, and from there distributed to Second Harvest and other organizations such as the UCI Basic Needs Center, which operates a brick-and-mortar pantry as well as a mobile pantry for UCI students in need.
Agran said he wants the City “to increase its commitment to these efforts,” and would like to see some suitable agricultural land in the Great Park put to use as well.
“Unlike other cities, we have the opportunity to ensure food and nutrition security not just for our own residents, but for all of Orange County,” Agran noted. “We actually have the capacity in Irvine to be the breadbasket for Orange County.”
