Biography

Josh began working on food and nutrition issues in 1999 as an intern with the Berkeley Farmers' Market, and served as the first coordinator of Farm Fresh Choice, a program based out of that market and designed to make high-quality, locally-grown, fresh produce available and affordable for residents of limited-income Berkeley neighborhoods. The program is essentially a Community Supported Agriculture program based on wholesale (as opposed to retail) purchasing from local farmers. After completing graduate study in U.S. agriculture and nutrition policy, and food systems at UC Berkeley, Josh began as an analyst for University of California Cooperative Extension, Alameda County. There, he works with community-based organizations and local governmental agencies to design and improve programs focused on improving access to, and consumption of, high-quality fruits and vegetables in limited-income neighborhoods. Josh is interested in promoting direct connections between growers and consumers -- especially at the community level -- as a method of improving diet and reducing health disparities surrounding diet-related chronic disease. He is especially interested in connections that do not necessarily fit within current retail food models, and that provide economic livelihood for growers while eliminating cost as a barrier for consumers. Extending the capacity of farmers' markets through coordinated, bulk purchasing, farm-to-school cafeteria programs, and height-of-season food preservation are three examples of the kinds of projects Josh tries to promote.