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Yolo County is known for having a large and diverse agricultural industry. More than 7,000 farmworkers help grow the food that feeds people across the region. Alarmingly, according to a recent study by the Yolo Food Bank, more than 50% of these workers deal with food insecurity. “It’s an injustice,” said Yolo Food Bank spokesperson Maria Segoviano. “Especially being that our county is so agriculturally rich.”Among the barriers is their limited access to food distribution sites because of their schedules, rural locations and transportation issues.To address those issues, the Yolo Food Bank and Sutter Health created the Cultivo program, which brings monthly pop-up food distributions to the fields, farms and farmworkers’ neighborhoods. Cultivo is Spanish for “crop.”Wednesday afternoon, 120 farmworkers received food assistance at a Woodland site. “I was really shocked to see just how many people were waiting and were happy to receive the food,” Segoviano said. The workers received enough food to last from two to three weeks. Sutter Health spokesperson Angelika Corchado said food is medicine and a way to keep these workers healthy. “Being able to have access to fresh and healthy foods helps to prevent chronic diseases like diabetes and heart failure,” Corchado said. As part of their strategy to reduce food insecurity, the Yolo Food Bank also has pop-up distributions in rural communities. Juan Carlos River, who has worked in the fields for three years, stopped by the site in Dunnigan. He said these distributions help with the rising food costs. Rivera, who works to bring crops to others, is grateful for a program that provides the same food for his family. The pop-up distributions from the Cultivo program will happen once a month for the next two years. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
WOODLAND, Calif. —
Yolo County is known for having a large and diverse agricultural industry. More than 7,000 farmworkers help grow the food that feeds people across the region.
Alarmingly, according to a recent study by the Yolo Food Bank, more than 50% of these workers deal with food insecurity.
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“It’s an injustice,” said Yolo Food Bank spokesperson Maria Segoviano. “Especially being that our county is so agriculturally rich.”
Among the barriers is their limited access to food distribution sites because of their schedules, rural locations and transportation issues.
To address those issues, the Yolo Food Bank and Sutter Health created the Cultivo program, which brings monthly pop-up food distributions to the fields, farms and farmworkers’ neighborhoods.
Cultivo is Spanish for “crop.”
Wednesday afternoon, 120 farmworkers received food assistance at a Woodland site.
“I was really shocked to see just how many people were waiting and were happy to receive the food,” Segoviano said.
The workers received enough food to last from two to three weeks.
Sutter Health spokesperson Angelika Corchado said food is medicine and a way to keep these workers healthy.
“Being able to have access to fresh and healthy foods helps to prevent chronic diseases like diabetes and heart failure,” Corchado said.
As part of their strategy to reduce food insecurity, the Yolo Food Bank also has pop-up distributions in rural communities.
Juan Carlos River, who has worked in the fields for three years, stopped by the site in Dunnigan.
He said these distributions help with the rising food costs.
Rivera, who works to bring crops to others, is grateful for a program that provides the same food for his family.
The pop-up distributions from the Cultivo program will happen once a month for the next two years.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.