Assessing and Addressing Farm Worker Food Security Yolo County, 2015

“Assessing and Addressing Farm Worker Food Security – Yolo County 2015,” reveals food insecurity among farm workers in Yolo County is almost three times the national average, based on survey responses.

food insecurity among farm workers in Yolo County is almost three times the national average

Even though the county has agricultural, community and programmatic assets, there is still food insecurity among farm workers at rates triple both the US (14.5%) and the California (15.6%) averages, at 47% of farm workers interviewed. In two previous CIRS studies of farm worker communities in California, levels of food insecurity among participants were also well above county, state and federal levels. In Fresno County we found that 45% of the workers we interviewed were food insecure and in Salinas, Monterey County we found 66% of the workers we interviewed were food insecure.

From the Executive Summary, “California Institute for Rural Studies assessed the food assistance resources in Yolo County and the level of food insecurity among selected Yolo County farmworkers living in a rural food desert. The project was designed to address the USDA Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program priorities by determining the level of farmworker food security and planning long-term solutions utilizing the existing network of food assistance resources in Yolo County.

“For this project, we focused our efforts on farmworker families living in rural communities in Yolo County and, using survey methodology, assessed their level of food security.  We also identified the current extent of farmworker participation in food assistance programs.  We created three food inventories: types of foods farm workers prefer, actual fruit and vegetable consumption, and types of food offered by the Yolo Food Bank. In this way we were able to determine where the gaps exist, and how to address them to better serve farm worker communities. Based on our results, we offer guidance for food programs in Yolo County regarding both optimal geographic locations for food distribution to reach farm workers and the types of foods that are appropriate for this population. This report outlines the level of food insecurity among rural farm workers in Yolo County and includes a directory of food resources for the county, map of distribution locations and suggestions for improving services specifically for farm workers.” This report also includes maps showing where farm workers interviewed live in relation to the service areas of food programs, and the survey instruments themselves, both in English and Spanish.

See the full report