Organic Activism: The Roots of the Northern California Food Movement

Northern California and the Central Valley were the birthplace of a national conversation about the food we eat, how it is produced, and the lives of the people who grow and sell it. The voices of immigrants and farm workers, scientists and researchers, community activists and chefs, have all risen up from this land to cultivate a movement toward sustainable, ethical, organic and locally-sourced food and agricultural practices. This movement continues to reshape the systems through which we grow, process, distribute, buy, sell, and cook the food we eat.

The historical materials in the Northern California Food Movement collections illustrate how institutions and individuals changed the way people eat in the United States. Networks of politicians, academic faculty, students, farmers, small business owners, chefs, entrepreneurs, and artists developed new systems for bringing local, organic foods to grocery shelves, restaurant tables, and home meals.

Explore this rich and complex chapter in California’s social, cultural and agricultural history, and the role of UC Davis in the rise of organic farming, farm-to-table cooking, and sustainable agriculture.