Whether it is the rising costs of groceries or limited knowledge of sustainable food sourcing, San Diego City College students are struggling to find healthy food options. 

To combat this, The Basic Needs Center and Seeds@City hosted their annual Food Justice event on Wednesday April 16 at Curran Plaza. They partnered with multiple farms and nonprofits to bring produce, music, a panel and food to the City College community. 

Students gathered to connect with local farmers and learn how urban farms address nutrition security.

Chicano studies major Aryssa Reyes believes events like these are important.

“It encourages discussion between panelists of people in positions where they could do things for the student body and community,” Reyes said.

Students were given fresh produce and listened to panelists from various organizations including Feeding San Diego, Second Chance Youth Garden explain their role in providing food security.

“This is beneficial, especially when it’s about food accessibility, because it’s a basic need,” Reyes said.

Seeds@City, City Colleges sustainable urban agriculture program, operated one of the booths.

Seeds@City Manager, Abbie Ferreri, hopes students will feel inspired to learn about growing food and take part in it through this event.

“We want to raise awareness about our local food system and give students exposure to learn about where their food comes from,” Ferreri explained.

Food Shed Cooperative was another organization that attended the event. Based in City Heights, the cooperative partners with local farms and schools like City College to promote agriculture and educate students on its mission and goals.

Food Shed Cooperative member Angelica Carrillo said the organization’s mission aligns with City College’s support for its students. 

“We know that City College is a place committed to social justice and food insecurity is a huge thing that impacts folks that come to City College,” Carrllio said. 

Carrillo hopes that coming to campus will remind students who struggle with food insecurity that there are options available.

“There’s a lot of resources here in San Diego,” she said.

To learn more about farming, produce and food security visit the campus’s Basic Needs Center in T-341 and follow Seeds@Citys instagram, @seedsatcityfarm.

Edited by Danny Straus, David J. Bohnet.