Our Story
The FoodCorps team first came together in California on Earth Day 2009, the day President Obama signed the Kennedy Serve America Act into law. This legislation signaled a new opportunity to engage AmeriCorps in building a more sustainable, healthful, equitable food system.
Our Founding Partners:
A federation of organizations stepped up to support the emerging FoodCorps effort:
- Occidental College and the National Farm to School Network: an umbrella organization working on behalf of 2,000 Farm to School initiatives nationwide
- Slow Food USA: a 200-chapter volunteer network working for integrity in food and farming
- The National Center for Appropriate Technology: operators of a model program in Montana
- Wicked Delicate: the documentary and advocacy firm founded by the co-creators of King Corn
With Occidental College serving as incubator, and The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Food and Community Fellows Program providing important additional support, FoodCorps was awarded planning grants from AmeriCorps and the Kellogg Foundation, and in early 2010 formal work began.
Watch this video to hear Curt Ellis (co-founder and Executive Director) give a TEDxManhattan talk about the vision behind FoodCorps.
