Access to nutritious food is a foundation for health and well-being, yet too many Yolo County residents — one in three households, according to the Yolo Food Bank’s Yolo County Food Access Report — face barriers to getting the food they need.
To understand how we can best advance health equity in the Sacramento region by addressing food insecurity in Yolo County, we launched a listening and learning process in the fall of 2024 — meeting with more than 40 stakeholders from all different sectors, visiting local organizations, and attending community events. Through these conversations, a clear picture of both the region’s strengths and its challenges came into focus.
Yolo County has a robust agricultural industry, a deeply engaged community, and strong partnerships working to combat hunger. However, despite these assets, food insecurity continues to affect people in different ways.
Agricultural workers face fear, distrust, and transportation as major barriers. Children struggle with access to fresh, nutritious food, compounded by a lack of school cooking facilities. College students encounter bureaucratic challenges when applying for CalFresh, and seniors face difficulties with awareness of resources and mobility. Meanwhile, unhoused neighbors must balance food access with competing needs like shelter and mental health support.
See a Summary
Read a Full Report
Residents of Yolo County face these challenges due to a variety of barriers. For example, even with the generosity of local farmers, effectively coordinating the distribution of fresh produce remains a challenge. The local food bank and food pantries also struggle to stock protein and shelf-stable foods to supplement this produce. Meanwhile, demand for assistance continues to rise — CalFresh applications have increased over the past six years, yet the County lacks the resources to fully match available state and federal funding. At the same time, pandemic-era funding for food security programs is vanishing, even as the need for resources continues to grow.
These are just some of the realities we heard from the people we interviewed, who also shared promising strategies for paths forward. They identified innovative solutions that are already working, from expanding mobile food distributions to fostering early nutrition exposure and education for children. We also heard clear recommendations for action, which include the need to secure sustainable funding for food security initiatives, invest in infrastructure that allows for the sourcing of locally grown produce within the community, support programs that tackle root causes of food insecurity, and advocate for policy changes to strengthen funding and coordination.
For a deeper dive into the data and insights we uncovered, check out this summary or the full report. And if you’re ready to be part of lasting, systems-level solutions to aligned efforts, consider making a gift to our Impact Fund or joining the Impact Collaborative, a network of changemakers who are working together to address urgent community needs.
I also urge you to learn more about the nonprofits that are addressing this issue head-on in Yolo County. By working together, we can build a more food-secure Yolo County, one where every resident has access to the nourishment they need to thrive.
Make Your Impact
Support efforts like this with a gift to the Impact Fund. Contribute at your preferred level and join the Impact Collaborative, a network of changemakers dedicated to building a vibrant region. Plus, enjoy exclusive access to gatherings and seminars that put you in touch with the heart of local philanthropy.