Cultiva La Salud: Cultivating Health in the Central Valley

Cultiva La Salud supports mobile food vendors through the cart inspection process. During this inspection, vendors receive certification confirming that their cart meets all standard safety requirements, including running water, trash disposal, a fire extinguisher and more, allowing them to legally sell food in the City of Fresno.

Here in the Central Valley, there exists an uncomfortable reality: even though a quarter of America’s produce is grown here, many of the people who plant and harvest this bounty don’t have access to it. Instead, they live in food deserts, where processed, packaged food and sugary drinks are abundant while fresh fruits and vegetables are few and far between.

Cultiva La Salud, which translates to “cultivating health” in English, is working to change that by helping people eat healthy and get active. Founded in 2005 as “Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program,” Cultiva La Salud has evolved into an organization focused on tackling the root causes of obesity: health inequity, especially among Spanish-speaking immigrant families across the Central Valley. Many in this community work in agriculture.

Throughout the year, Cultiva La Salud hosts Friday Night Fiestas. This community event features vendors who have completed the mobile food vendor program.  They can sell their food, and community members can discover and support small businesses in their area.

Genoveva “Veva” Islas is the founder of Cultiva La Salud. The daughter of immigrant farmworkers, Veva grew up witnessing how hard it was for this community to access public healthcare. “That’s when I fell in love with the idea of prevention,” she said.

To that end, Cultiva La Salud’s programs are designed to help people live healthier and stave off illness. The organization also promotes economic development through its street food vendor advocacy efforts, which help local vendors navigate the complex world of permits, inspections, food-handling and more. These requirements, though essential for public health, have the unintended consequence of encouraging street vendors and food trucks to serve processed, packaged foods that don’t require preparation in an approved kitchen.

Cultiva La Salud is working to change that by giving vendors the tools, training and infrastructure necessary to sell and serve fresh, healthy options. Soon, CLS will also provide street vendors, food truck operators and home cooks a certified, commercial kitchen in which to prepare nourishing foods and drinks.

Thanks to a grant from F3 (Farms Food Future), part of the DRIVE initiative, Cultiva La Salud purchased a space for a commercial kitchen. The Central Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) is the backbone organization supporting F3 and DRIVE.

When the kitchen opens in early 2027, it will provide vendors with a safe, sanitary and certified place to prepare fresh food.

“For our vendors and our community, it’s more than a kitchen; it represents hope. It gives us one more tool to make our neighborhoods healthier and help entrepreneurial home cooks grow their businesses,” Veva said.

Through a partnership with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), another F3 Initiative partner, Cultiva La Salud helps food vendors build relationships with local growers. These connections shorten the distance from farm to table and support local small farmers.

It was CVCF that brought Cultiva La Salud and CAFF together.

“The Central Valley Community Foundation is a lifeline for nonprofits, like mine,” Veva said. “In addition to providing funding, they’re like a ‘big sister,’ opening doors, making introductions and using their influence to make the Central Valley better for everyone.”

Islas credits the Foundation’s CEO, Ashley Swearengin, for much of the momentum towards inclusive, sustainable and vibrant economic development in our region.

The Cultiva La Salud mobile food vendor program brings together vendors to provide training and support, as well as camaraderie among participants.  This community celebrates annually the work they have accomplished and addresses any questions or goals for the year ahead.

“I can’t say enough about Ashley,” said Veva. “She’s a visionary leader who leverages her influence to bring the right people together to tackle big issues and change the Central Valley for good. And, she’s a great spokesperson for the Valley.”

Cultiva La Salud, with the support of CVCF and CAFF, is building more than a kitchen; they’re building pathways to prosperity, good health and better lives while making the Central Valley’s abundance available for all.

To learn more about Cultiva La Salud’s food vendor support, visit Future Projects - Cultivate Health.

This story is part of the Central Valley Community Foundation’s “Sixty Stories That Shaped Us” initiative to help mark 60 years since our founding. We invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone and this special place we call home. To learn more, visit centralvalleycf.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @centralvalleycf.