Debbie Friedman
Why would you like to serve on the City Market Board? What excites you about becoming a Board Member?
I am deeply interested in ensuring our small and midsize local farms and ranches that are practicing sustainable production practices (such as organic) are economically viable and that our community has access to the food they grow and raise.
City Market represents so much of what I love about Vermont: especially our dedication to community, and dedication to our farmers and local food system. I am excited to contribute to our community and to help ensure that City Market remains an economically viable and well managed community resource. It is particularly important to me to work collectively with others in our community to maintain a resilient local food system in the face of climate change.
The Board seeks candidates who are dedicated, cooperative, committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and willing to participate in group discussions ranging from financial oversight to support of management, staff and Members. Please describe the skills and experiences you have that will help you be an effective Board Member in these regards. How would you use your skills and experiences to help the Board understand and use data as part of the decision-making process of our community-owned cooperative?
I am an attorney who practiced business law in San Francisco. My legal background will help me to interpret any legal matters that may come before the board. I’ve also co-founded and led two environmental health non-profits. I have deep experience with community organizing, group facilitation, problem solving and working in coalitions, all related to community and environmental health with a particular focus on food systems, especially organic farming.
Currently I work with a team of researchers to co-lead an evaluation of the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program. I am the policy lead meaning my focus is ensuring that the research team gathers the data needed to inform the state about whether it’s farm to school program is effective and where future investments are needed.
Other experiences include producing a national environmental radio program, booking high profile guests, building and managing partnerships for that program. I also worked as a communications consultant for environmentally oriented companies or companies embarking on environmental initiatives. I also helped build an apprenticeship program for school food workers in California; so am familiar with workforce and professional development issues.
I am generally adept at rolling up my sleeves, learning new things and thrive working as a part of a diverse team.
Describe your prior involvement with community organizations and/or cooperatives. What did you learn from these experiences?
I co-launched and led a local environmental health non-profit. We worked on both state and local level issues and developed education campaigns. I learned how to organize and lead coalitions; work with county and state government officials, fundraising, how to build a website, how to build and manage a board and how to work with the media.
We also launched multiple advocacy campaigns.
I am very comfortable with the complexities of working at the community level; and feel it is important to listen to and consider a diversity of voices when making decisions. And it is crucial to have open, respectful dialogue and communication to maintain trust.
I particularly enjoy working in community to pursue and achieve shared goals.
The Board collaborates with the General Manager to support inclusion, diversity, equity, access and social justice (IDEAS) at City Market. How would you ensure that the Board's work is grounded in these principles? How would you help point City Market in the right direction when it comes to IDEAS? Please describe any prior involvement in IDEAS work either personally or professionally?
My work has a food justice lens and I have a track record of taking action on social justice issues. Over the past ten years my focus has been on transitioning the public school food system towards scratch cooked, organic food from local farms. The goal has been to ensure that everyone, no matter what their means or background, has access to healthy food grown without chemicals and that farmworkers and their families are not exposed to pesticides.
I’m currently working on a project in California to seek wage equity for school food workers, who are typically Latina women earning some of the lowest wages not just among public sector workers, but across all occupations and industries.
I initiated this project and have spearheaded new research in partnership with Urban Institute to understand the current compensation levels of school food workers in California (for which data did not exist) and compare that with family sustaining wages. I am currently working with state officials and labor unions to develop a policy proposal and advocacy campaign around this topic.
At my consultant group, Food Insight Group, we are dedicated to ensuring that social justice underpins all of our work.
I will consistently seek out ways to support the General Manager and ensure the work is grounded in IDEAS principles and have a track record of taking action on social justice issues.
What opportunities and challenges do you see in the future of City Market?
Small farms are struggling and going bankrupt at a fast clip. Federal level cuts will accelerate that trend if we don’t intervene at local levels.
Farmers are also grappling with more frequent climate disasters, including floods. Federal subsidies support the largest, pesticide intensive farms that do not grow a diversity of crops, making those foods artificially cheap and making it harder for consumers to afford a diverse array of healthy food grown without chemicals.
I see this as both an opportunity and a challenge for our market. Can we do more advocacy on behalf of our farmers so they have infrastructure and support they need to make their crops more accessible to everyone in our community.
What opportunities are there to deepen our partnerships with our farmers so they have a consistent, reliable market and support for their businesses in ways that also support the community?