Stories from Field to Fork: Meet Farmer Paul Lee of Kay Lee Farms, a Market Match vendor

Stories from Field to Fork: Meet Farmer Paul Lee of Kay Lee Farms, a Market Match vendor
Kay Lee Farm is a 70 acre family farm in Fresno, CA. Operated by farmer Paul Lee and started in 1980 by Paul’s parents who emigrated from Laos, the farm continues to employ four family members alongside hired staff. Kay Lee Farm started out selling Asian leafy green produce to wholesale brokers, but the farm… Read more »

What is Greenwashing in Plastics Recycling?

What is Greenwashing in Plastics Recycling?
What is Greenwashing in Plastics Recycling? You may have heard of “greenwashing,” but do you know what it means in the context of plastics recycling? Greenwashing in plastic recycling primarily stems from the plastic industry’s misleading claims that all plastic can be recycled, justifying the production of more plastic. In reality, most plastic is designed… Read more »

Why does Market Match invest in Small Farmers and Farmers’ Markets? Interview with Efren Avalos, owner of Avalos Farm

Why does Market Match invest in Small Farmers and Farmers' Markets? Interview with Efren Avalos, owner of Avalos Farm
Market Match provides extra money to CalFresh recipients to afford fresh fruits and vegetables across the state at over 290 sites to make fresh and nutrient dense food more affordable. But why does Market Match prioritize produce grown by California small farmers instead of just any large-scale industrial farm? It’s because we know we need… Read more »

Big Victory for Market Match, but the Fight Isn’t Over!

Big Victory for Market Match, but the Fight Isn’t Over!
We’re excited to share some great news! Last week, advocates of the Ecology Center-led Market Match program celebrated a significant victory. After months of hard work opposing Governor Newsom’s proposed funding cuts to the program informing legislators about its benefits, the California Legislature announced a plan to protect the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) in… Read more »

An Interview with Gabriel Cortez—Ecology Center Poet-in-Resident

An Interview with Gabriel Cortez—Ecology Center Poet-in-Resident
Gabriel Cortez is a unique Bay Area transplant—raised in Maryland, Virginia, and Los Angeles and of Afro-Panamanian descent, his childhood trained him in navigating the contradictions between his Panamanian and United States cultures. But when you are young and don’t yet have the words to express the daily challenges you face, you just deal with… Read more »