Plan Development
The development of the Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan was jointly led by Franklin County Economic Development and Planning, Columbus Public Health and Local Matters. Employees of each of these agencies were responsible for coordinating and communicating the activities of the planning process. This unique partnership between health, economic development, and the nonprofit sector has led to impactful strategies that will have long-term outcomes.
Plan Research
To create a thoroughly researched and well-constructed plan that will help leverage resources from the public and private sector on a local, state and national level, the project team assessed local, national and international plans that address food-related issues. The Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan joins the still small but growing number of cities that have focused attention on the need to plan specifically for food.
To view plan reports, local and regional plans, neighborhood planning summaries, economic data, local food sector surveys and national food plans click here.
Who was involved in creating the Local Food Action Plan?
Legislative Sponsors: Columbus City Councilmember Priscilla Tyson and Franklin County Commissioner John O’Grady provided leadership and funding for the development of the Local Food Action Plan
The Project Team was convened to develop the Local Food Action Plan. It consisted of three partners: Columbus Public Health, Franklin County Economic Development and Planning, and Local Matters.
Project Team: Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Economic Development and Planning jointly led the planning process, coordinated the Working Committee, and facilitated public comment periods. Local Matters is a not-for-profit organization in Columbus, Ohio that facilitated a series of neighborhood community-engagement and food planning processes along with a comprehensive review of local regional and national food plans to inform the development of the Local Food Action Plan.
The Public: Residents, Producers, Processors, Distributors, Commercial and Institutional Buyers were engaged through surveys, neighborhood–based food planning processes and public comment periods throughout the planning process.
Community Stakeholders: Area Commissions, Health Coalitions and Committees, Economic Development and Planning professionals, township, village and city governments, local chambers of commerce and professional and industry associations were provided with regular updates throughout the planning process. Current conditions and recommended policies and actions were shared with these and other groups representing the Community.
The Working Committee: The Working Committee consisted of individuals and organizations representing the various sectors of the food system in our community, and helped guide a broad, community-focused planning process to develop the Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan. These individuals met regularly throughout the planning process to provide further input on the deliverables produced by the Project Team.
Working Committee members shared their expertise in varied facets of the local food system to inform:
- A vision for the Local Food Action Plan
- Identification of policy and programmatic targets for the Local Food Action Plan
- Development of action steps to achieve our vision
- Preparation of the Local Food Action Plan and supporting documents
See below for Working Committee meeting materials.
Meeting Materials - Working Committee Meeting 4, July 15, 2016
Meeting Materials - Working Committee Meeting 3, March 11, 2016
Meeting Materials - Working Committee Meeting 2, December 11, 2015
Meeting Materials - Working Committee Meeting 1, September 30, 2015
Click here to access additional resources and information that may be helpful as you review the Current Conditions and Vision Report.
Meeting Materials - Working Committee Meeting 0, June 17, 2015
City of Columbus GreenBusiness & Urban Agriculture Strategic Plan
The Green Business and Urban Agriculture Strategic Plan is an outgrowth of several other local food planning efforts and is tied to expanding community interest in green businesses and urban agriculture. The specific focus of this plan is to enable, support, and grow green businesses and urban agriculture facilities within the City of Columbus.
Click here to download the City of Columbus Green Business & Urban Agriculture Strategic Plan.