FRESH the movie

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and businesspeople across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet. 72 minutes. Produced and directed by ana Sofia joanes.

Accessible by CalTrain (San Mateo station) and SamTrans (295, 255, 391, 390, 397, 55). Bicycle racks available onsite. Free parking under Library.

Open to the public. Suggested donation of $5 to cover event costs, but nobody will be turned away.

Confirmed panelists include:

Pietro Parravano (moderator)
Commercial Fisherman
Commissioner, San Mateo County Harbor District
Pietro is President of the Institute for Fisheries Resources in San Francisco, a member of the California Sea Grant Advisory Board, and the Roots of Change Council, a collaborative of diverse leaders and institutions unified in a common pursuit of achieving a sustainable food system in California by 2030. Since his tenure with the Pew National Ocean Commission, he has been active in establishing a national ocean policy with the Joint Oceans Commission Initiative in Washington, DC. promoting its recommendations of reforming ocean policy. Pietro has received numerous awards from all levels of government and community organizations for his advocacy of sustainable fishing. He is a founding member of the San Mateo County Food System Alliance, and sells seafood fresh from the San Mateo County coast every weekend at the farmers’ markets in Downtown Palo Alto and Menlo Park.

Jennifer Gross
Community Health Planner, County of San Mateo
Jennifer began working with the Health Policy and Planning unit of the San Mateo County Health System in October 2006. She provides oversight to the implementation of the Prevention of Childhood Obesity Blueprint, participates in the farm to institution workgroup of the San Mateo County Food System Alliance, and co-facilitates a monthly diversity film series. She has previous experience in planning, implementing and evaluating public health programs domestically and internationally. Jennifer also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda where she worked as a Health Advisor to the Uganda Red Cross Society and an HIV/AIDS Programs Officer for a rural hospital.

Robin Galas
Food Activist
For the past 4 years, Robin Galas has worked with San Mateo County's Court and Community Schools where she established a school garden and piloted a corresponding program which integrates hands-on horticulture, cooking instruction, and an interdisciplinary curriculum at their site in East Palo Alto. Since that time she has grown the program to include gardens and corresponding programs at 2 additional sites. She prevoiusly served as the Director of Programs and Operations for Collective Roots. Additionally, she is a certified Master Composter with Alameda County and a member of the San Mateo County Food System Alliance.

Jered Lawson,
Co-Director, Pie Ranch
Jered has been linking communities with local farms since 1990. He initiated and coordinated Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs at the Homeless Garden Project and the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF). He also worked with Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley for three years (1999-2001) and again for CAFF until 2005 to launch their Farm-to-School programs, Food Policy Councils, and buy local campaigns. Currently, Jered splits his time between caring for his children, Lucas and Rosa, and Pie Ranch, an innovative educational farm in Pescadero. Jered is a member of the San Mateo County Food System Alliance.

Gail Raabe
Agricultural Commissioner and Sealer of Weights and Measures, County of San Mateo
Gail is the Director of the County Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures, which provides a variety of services to the agricultural industry, and enforces state laws and regulations pertaining to pest prevention, pesticide use, and consumer protection. Gail earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in biology from San Francisco State University. She joined San Mateo County in 1980 as an Agricultural Biologist and was appointed Commissioner/Sealer in 1993. In her position as Agricultural Commissioner, Gail serves on a number of County boards and committees including the San Mateo County Food System Alliance.

Janae Peats
Staff Member, EPA.net
Janae has been working with EPA.net since the summer of 2009, developing new and helpful skills by doing presentations in East Palo Alto to promote the health-focused documentary "City on the Move." She is part of the YSpace San Mateo County Steering Committee and the Editorial Board of EPA.net. Janae regularly attends City Council meetings and reports on related news and events. At EPA.net, she provides direction on things that should inform the community about what to post online (to yspacesmc.org) to give the community more resources and options.

For more information, please call (650) 324-2769 or send us an email.

Sustainable program hosted by:

It was a full house: