Improving Access to Fresh Local Food: How You Can Help

• 1. Farm to Every Fork How You Can Help: Improving Access to Fresh, Local Food Kerin Gould, PhD Program Coordinator, Alchemist CDC

2. What does it take? Creative and concrete ideas resilience Redistribution Community-driven, not top-down, long term vision of sustainability Education 3. What does it Take? Creative and concrete ideas resilience Redistribution Community-driven, not top-down, long term vision of sustainability Educationno stigma or judgment (people need to eat) collaboration support for local farmers as well as consumers in need. 4. Many ways to help Do you like individual or group activities? Do you like policy approaches or localized and personal approaches? Find an approach that suits you and that you can see yourself doing long term 5. Influence Local Policy Development: Urban encroachment vs farmland and green space. Zoning: Urban brown spaces scan turn into community gardens Procurement: schools and other public institutions should adopt procurement policies to purchase locally grown, fresh food. Ex: Farm to school programs 6. Influence Local Policy City councils City planning entities School boards etcLook into their food-related activities 7. Influence National Policy Check out the Farm Bill and ask your representatives about it 8. Sponsor Individually or collectively sponsor a project Provide supplies or cover fees/ costs to help a others realize change 9. Sponsor Examples: Sponsor a community garden so low income gardeners can use the space for free Sponsor a booth at a farmers market so food stamp users can spend their benefits on fresh, local food 10. Improve your shopping habits Buy food in a way that supports local farms, good practices, small businesses, and quality nutrition -Participate in or be a drop-off for a CSA -Buy local influence your stores! -Shop seasonally -Shop farmers markets 11. Improve your shopping habits Buy food in a way that supports local farms, good practices, small businesses, and quality nutrition Less processed food less additives, more natural, get nutrients fresh and in original package These foods also put more money into the hands of farmers. More flavor, real flavor (not invented in a lab) 12. Volunteer! Food banks Gleaning Community gardens T each related skills such as cooking, home finances, gardening, food preserving/ canning 13. Volunteer! Food banks Gleaning Community gardens T each related skills such as cooking, home finances, gardening, food preserving/ canning 14. Volunteer! Volunteer with Alchemist 15. Volunteer! Volunteer with Alchemist satisfying to see people/families get/afford great food share recipes help farmers sell more make both sides feel understood/ appreciated/? good for local economy