Blue Sky Center Receives 30k Grant to Grow Food Access in Cuyama Valley

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THE CUYAMA VALLEY: The community economic development organization Blue Sky Center has been awarded a three-year $30,000 grant from The Fund for Santa Barbara to support its Cuyama Valley Jardines Victoria (Victory Gardens) project.

Led by Land Steward Sandra Uribe, the food security and leadership development program is in its fourth year and has installed 45 home gardens, building economic self-sufficiency and empowerment through peer-to-peer workshops such as grape grafting, seed planting, garlic cultivation, nopales canning, bordado (embroidery), and a Posada community gathering. 

“As the steward of the Victoria Gardens project at Blue Sky Center, I’m excited about its steady growth, which is thanks to all the individuals and organizations that make it possible, not least of which includes the Fund for Santa Barbara,” program leader Sandra Uribe says. “This will allow us to expand our programs and build gardens with even more families.”

This grant will be used to increase the number of families in the Jardines Victoria project, train community members to become garden coordinators, and offer a myriad of technical, culinary, and creative programming that bolsters the strength and identity of the Cuyama Valley food system.  

Blue Sky Center expresses gratitude to the FUND for its commitment to community-driven initiatives, aligning with Blue Sky Center’s mission to empower Cuyama Valley families by promoting economic savings, entrepreneurship opportunities, and food sovereignty.