I’ve been doing some research on food policy councils - what they are and what benefits they can bring to a community. In December of 2022, I began hosting a series of food access stakeholders meetups in Augusta GA… to bring all the “players” in the “food game” to the table, with the goal that we devise solutions together. In this context, players refers to all who have a connection with food - those who grow it, transport it, aggregate it, distribute it, donate it… you know the drill.

These monthly meetings continue to spark creative collaborations and program developments. However, the motivation for calling everyone together was to put small and mid-sized farmers at the forefront of the conversation and ensure that Black farmers were at the table from beginning - and not as an afterthought like so many of these initiatives tend to lean.

Senator Harold Jones II has been an integral voice in leading the State of Georgia toward addressing food insecurity, legacy farmer Loretta Adderson has been a longtime champion for farmers of color, and Carolyn Henry (LogicPoint Consulting) has been guiding this current process of asset mapping and process improvement.

I asked my intern to pull together a few resources, which are listed below. Please join the conversation at growingaugusta.mn.co.

-kgordon

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\what is a food policy council?

A food policy council is a body of citizens, governments, and organizations working together to identify, research, monitor, and advocate for food system policies. These councils work to assess the current state of their local food system and create policies that promote food security, healthy eating, fair labor practices, environmental sustainability, and other food-based issues.

\why is a food policy council important?

A food policy council is important because it brings together stakeholders with diverse backgrounds to identify, assess and solve food-related problems within a community. A food policy council can work to ensure that people have access to nutritious, affordable and safe food, as well as food-related educational opportunities, research and policy development. It can also serve as a forum to identify areas of collaboration on food policy and to effectively implement food-related initiatives.

\how does a food policy council work?

A food policy council works by forming members from diverse backgrounds that have a stake in the food system, such as government officials, health care professionals, farmers, and members of concerned communities. The council works together to develop and advocate for policies that can improve the local food system. They may consult with local and state governments, create policy proposals, and facilitate public education and dialogue about food-related issues. They may also monitor existing food policy initiatives and make recommendations to local elected officials, and lobby for particular policies or regulations. Ultimately, the goal of a food policy council is to promote sustainable and equitable food systems that benefit all stakeholders.

\how to form a food policy council

1. Establish a Steering Committee: The first and most important step in forming a Food Policy Council is to create a steering committee. This is a group of stakeholders who will be involved in the process of forming the council and guiding its work. The steering committee should include food system leaders from the public, private and civic sectors, including representatives from the local agricultural and food business communities, health care professionals, and representatives from advocacy organizations, faith-based institutions, non-profit organizations and government agencies.

2. Develop the Council's Mission: Once the steering committee is formed, the next step is to develop the council's mission. The mission should clearly state why the council has come together and what it hopes to accomplish.

3. Adopt Bylaws to Govern the Council's Work: The council will need to adopt bylaws to govern its activities. This document should include provisions outlining the council's structure, such as the composition of the steering committee and the number of members, as well as the procedures for meetings and decision-making processes.

4. Identify and Define the Council's Focus Areas: Once the mission and governing documents are in place, the council can begin to identify and define its focus areas. The council should consider the current state of the local food system and any issues that need to be addressed, such as access to healthy food, school food, food security, urban agriculture, and food waste.

5. Establish a Process for Public Engagement: It is important for the council to create a process for engaging the public in its work. The council should consider how to actively seek public input, solicit feedback from different stakeholders, and incorporate the public's needs and concerns into the policy decisions that it makes.

6. Develop a Plan of Action: Finally, the council should develop a plan of action that outlines how it will address the issues that it has identified. The plan should include specific goals and timelines, as well as concrete strategies for how the council will pursue its mission.

 \additional resources:

1. Community Food Strategies is a website that focuses on supporting the efforts of local and regional food policy councils, with resources on how to establish, operate and evaluate a council. https://communityfoodstrategies.org/toolkit/ 

2. The PolicyLink Equitable Development Toolkit has a section on food policy councils and provides guidance and resources for establishing a council for policy change. https://www.policylink.org/equitable-development-toolkit/food-policy-councils

3. The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future provides guidance on implementing and sustaining effective food policy councils with many resources to download for free. https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-a-livable-future/projects/food-policy-network/ 

4. The Urban Institute provides a publication called “Building Partnerships and Strategies to Improve Food Access and Health for Children and Families” which outlines food policy council strategies to assist decision-makers in developing effective policies. https://www.urban.org/research/publication/building-partnerships-and-strategies-improve-food-access-and-health-children-and-families

5. The Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems has many resources for food policy councils and provides research on food systems, policy development, and the role of food in community development. https://www.canr.msu.edu/foodsystems/food-policy-council-resources 

6. The Food & Environment Reporting Network has an extensive archive of articles on food policy councils, including their role in promoting food system change and implementing fair food policies. https://thefern.org/tag/food-policy-councils/ 

7. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition provides an extensive list of resources and reports on food policy councils - including reports on dozens of councils around the US. http://sustainableagriculture.net/food-policy/ 

8. The Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law School provides a toolkit aimed at communal food governance initiatives. It provides guidance to forming food policy councils as a mechanism for regulating and promoting sustainable food systems. https://www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/centers-and-programs/center-for-agriculture-and-food-systems/resources/toolkits/community-food-governance 

9. The Food Policy Networks project has plenty of resources on food policy councils, including an extensive directory of food policy councils across the United States. https://foodpolicynetworks.org/ 

10. The Food Tank website has numerous articles and reports on various issues in food policy along with guidance on how to approach policy change at various levels of governance. https://foodtank.com/sector/food-policy/

A. Walker-Thomas

Intern

Growing Augusta: Arts, Agriculture, & Agency

Growing Augusta presents....

"How to Sell at Farmers Markets: Packaging, Promotion, Presentation"

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

10a-2p

1028 Broad Street, Augusta (in-person & virtual option)

register at growingaugusta.co/classes

The Growing Augusta: Arts, Agriculture, & Agency team brings nearly 15 years of hosting, promoting, and collaborating with local Farmers Markets. Join us for this Producer Training session - covering effective promo, packaging & display, licensing & insurance, social media, more…

Made possible by funding from Southern SARE

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final course materials here: https://kgordon.teachable.com/p/farmersmarketsproducertraining

(the following article presented by the South Augusta Farmers Market)

What value does a farmers market bring to a community?

Having a farmers market in your community is beneficial for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it provides access to fresh, local produce and healthy food options that might otherwise be unavailable. Secondly, it supports local farmers and helps to sustain small, local businesses.

A farmers market also encourages social interaction and connection between local residents. Finally, it can serve as an educational opportunity to demonstrate the importance of eating healthily and sustainably.

Increase Access to Healthy Food

Farmers markets are a great way to increase access to healthy food. Farmers markets offer fresh, local, seasonal produce at lower cost than traditional stores. The food is often grown organically and is often picked just days before it arrives at the market. This means the food is fresher and more nutritious than anything you can buy at the grocery store. Farmers markets also promote access to healthy foods by offering foods from different cultures and ethnicities, like indigenous and ethnic foods, which are harder to find in standard grocery stores. They also promote the kind of social interaction missing from traditional grocery stores, where you can talk to the farmers about their produce and learn about their growing practices. This helps to build a stronger connection to the food and its source, which can lead to an overall healthier lifestyle. Lastly, farmers markets help create of a variety of healthy food options by providing farmers with outlets to sell their products directly to the public. This stands in stark contrast to the centralized food distribution system of traditional grocery stores, which often favor processed foods over fresh foods.

Support Local Business

A farmers market can help to support local business by creating a venue where farmers, bakers, and other producers in the community can sell their products directly to consumers. This can benefit local businesses by providing them with an increased local customer base, greater visibility in the community, and the opportunity to develop relationships with their customers. Additionally, shopping at a farmers market helps to support the local economy, as the money spent there will be circulated within the local area.

Encourage Social Interaction

A farmers market encourages social interaction by creating an opportunity for people to connect with each other and their community. By bringing together members of the community to purchase goods from local farmers, the farmers market provides a public, shared space that is filled with the sights and sounds of music, conversation, and laughter. Additionally, farmers markets often offer events, like cooking demonstrations or live music performances, to further draw in the public and foster personal connections.

Farmers markets are an invaluable asset to every community because they provide local, sustainably-grown produce, from organic to heirloom items, directly from the farmers. They bring together the local community to create a connection between farmers and the public, and serve as an important source of healthy and nutritious food for families. Furthermore, farmers markets foster a greater sense of community involvement by not only providing fresh food, but also by offering educational, cultural and entertainment activities for all ages to enjoy.

Find farmers markets in your area by doing the following:

1. Use online resources to find local farmers markets. Websites such as LocalHarvest.org and USDA.gov have directories where you can search for farmers markets near you.

2. Ask locals in your area if they know of any local farmers markets. Friends, family, neighbors, and local businesses may be able to provide valuable information and insights.

3. Check your local newspaper or magazines for weekly or monthly ads that list local farmers markets.

4. Look up local Farmers Markets on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

5. Ask your local municipality for information about farmers markets in the area. City or county offices may keep lists of local markets.

6. Ask at area grocery stores and co-ops if they have information about local farmers markets. Many of these stores partner with local farmers or have ongoing relationships with the vendors.

A. Walker-Thomas, Intern

South Augusta Farmers Market

Growing Augusta: Arts, Agriculture, & Agency ~ Urban Pro Weekly

+1 (762) 233-5299