Where is food grown in your community?

On May 8, 2014, more than 9,989 people joined the University of California in a one-day science project and helped populate our California food map by telling us where food is grown in their community, either in a garden or a farm.

This information will help give us a clearer idea of where food is produced across the state. The map is a great tool to help us promote awareness of local food sources.

Nutritious food is an essential part of healthy growth and a healthy lifestyle. What we eat greatly influences our happiness and health. Nearly every community in California contributes in some way to food production, from large farms to backyard gardens.

With demand for food supplies increasing, it’s becoming increasingly important for all of us to recognize exactly where (and what) fresh food is being grown.

Where is your food grown? Do you grow your own? Does your neighbor give you fresh fruit from his or her citrus tree, or tomatoes from a backyard garden? Maybe you live in the heart of the Central Valley and regularly drive past acres and acres of farms. Have community members at your local elementary school or community center planted a garden there?

Did you know…

• California farm revenue in 2011 totaled $43.5 billion
• Number of crops grown in California: more than 400
• USDA MyPlate recommends that you fill 50% of your plate with fresh fruit and vegetables
• 56% of children 9 – 11 years old eat fewer than 5 servings of fruit or vegetables daily
• A diet low in fruit and vegetables is associated with poor health conditions, including obesity
• 34% of 5th graders in California weigh enough to be identified as at health risk, according to the 2013 California Physical Fitness Test
• For every dollar he or she invests in a backyard garden, the gardener gets $7.50 worth of food in return
• Tomatoes are the most-planted vegetable in home gardens
• More than 1,200 school, community, and demonstration gardens in California are managed by UC Master Gardeners