Local Food Action Plan Project Team Updates
LOCAL FOOD ACTION PLAN PROJECT TEAM UPDATES
A Project Team is a group of food system stakeholders working together to implement actions that support the Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan (LFAP). Project Teams are formed by the Local Food Board and are overseen by a Local Food Board member. The day to day work of a Project Teams is supported and facilitated by Local Food Team staff. Please see below for information on current Project Teams.
Since the adoption of the Local Food Action Plan, the Local Food Board has formed the following Project Teams to support implementation efforts:
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Actions B-3 establishes a farmers’ market management collaborative (August 2017 formation, September 2018 completion)
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Action C-9 connects new or growing small-scale neighborhood food businesses to flexible financial and technical assistance options (August 2017 formation)
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Action B-5 grows the capacity and enhances the viability of civic agriculture to allow more residents to grow food for themselves and their neighbors (January 2019 formation)
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Action B-12 supports the expansion of nutrition and food system education in pre-k-12 curricula (October 2019 formation)
Action B-3
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Action Language: “Establish a Formal Farmers’ Market Management Collaborative Serving the City of Columbus and Franklin County”
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Objective: This action aims to get healthy and affordable food closer to where Columbus and Franklin County residents live, work, and play, and is a way for those who grow to have a profitable market to sell food.
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Contact: Jalisa Dawkins at jmdawkins@columbus.gov
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Action Summary
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Implementation Plan Summary
Update: In September of 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture awarded the Ohio Farmers Market Network $265,284.28 to focus on research and data collection at 31 markets in Central Ohio region, market manager training and technical assistance across the state, and developing a marketing campaign to support local food and farmers. All objectives identified by the project team were built into the USDA funded activities. Thus, the Ohio Farmers Market Network took over all activities of the project team.
Action C-9
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Action Language: Connect new or growing small-scale neighborhood food businesses to flexible financial and technical assistance options
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Objective: This action aims to support and encourage the growth of food-related Columbus and Franklin County small businesses. Through engagement with numerous small business experts, community stakeholders, government agencies, and food-related business owners, the Project Team identified an online food business portal as the best approach to serve food-related businesses. As of 2019, Franklin County is in the process of developing the online food business portal.
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Contact: Brian Estabrook at baestabr@franklincountyohio.gov
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Action Summary
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Implementation Plan Summary
Action B-5
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Action Language: Grow capacity and enhance viability of civic agriculture to allow more residents to grow food for themselves and their neighbors
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Objective: This action aims to address applicable policies and regulations, education and funding that impact urban agriculture in Columbus and Franklin County to make it easier for residents to grow.
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Contact: Cheryl Graffagnino at clgraffagnino@columbus.gov or Jalisa Dawkins at jmdawkins@columbus.gov
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Action Summary
Action B-12
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Action Language: Support the expansion of nutrition and food system education in pre-k-12 curricula
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Objective: This action aims to create and make nutrition and food system education, according to Ohio Department of Education requirements, easier to access and integrate in pre-k-12 education.
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Contact: Cheryl Graffagnino at clgraffagnino@columbus.gov
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Action Summary
To learn other ways to get involved, visit https://www.columbus.gov/publichealth/programs/Local-Food-Plan/Get-Involved/