healthy food - Alaska's food system - is it like the North Country? - SIBEJO

Mark Winne, a leading voice on food system issues has a new blog entry about food issues in Alaska.  I was struck by the similarities to the North Country.  For example, try substituting "North Country" for "Alaska" in his closing paragraph (and ignoring the oil comment):

"How Alaska copes with its multiple food system vulnerabilities bears watching. Resiliency in the face of climate change will take on new and challenging dimensions in this highly exposed northern reach, not the least of which may be the hot, sweaty hordes escaping from the Lower 48. The lessons of oil, the lessons of subsistence, the lessons of the limits of human endurance, and the lessons of public policy that can be farsighted or shortsighted should not be ignored because they come from a place as remote as Alaska."

Read Mark's blog entry in its entirety here:  Roadkill Stew, Bad-ass Cabbage, and the Midnight Sun � Lessons from Alaska

-Gloria

healthy food - BEST PRACTICES FOR AN EQUITABLE & SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEM - SIBEJO

A new report outlines the state of food insecurity in the United States and highlights successful tools to bring healthy and sustainable food sources to underserved communities. The reportnotes that people of color, low-income communities, and families with children are most likely to live in �food deserts� with limited or no access to consistent sources of healthy food. The authors illustrate successful policies and approaches to address food insecurity through case studies of programs to (1) create healthy corner and nonprofit grocery stores and food cooperatives; (2) develop farm-to-school networks; and (3) use and improve state and local governments procurement policies, land use ordinances, and permitting processes to improve residents� diets and bring more local, fresh, and unprocessed food into low-income neighborhoods.

Source: Center for American Progress, 5/12/16, Best Practices 

healthy food - Free Webinar on How to Evaluate Economic Benefits of Local Food Systems - SIBEJO

Local and regional food systems are helping revitalize rural and urban communities across the country.  The authors of a new U.S. Department of Agriculture guide to evaluate the economic impacts of investing in farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA), food hubs, and other local food systems will discuss the toolkit during a free webinar on Thursday, April 28, 2016, at 3 p.m. E.T.

The Economics of Local Food Systems: A Toolkit to Guide Community Discussions, Assessments and Choices, developed by the USDA�s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) in cooperation with Colorado State University (CSU), uses real-world projects, experiences, and applied research to help community leaders, planners, economic development specialists, public agencies, and private businesses or foundations evaluate the economic benefits of local and regional food systems.

Audience:       Community leaders, planners, economic development specialists, public agencies, and private businesses or foundations

What:              Free webinar on how to use The Economics of Local Food Systems: A Toolkit to Guide Community Discussions, Assessments and Choices. The webinar will last approximately 90- minutes.

When:             3 p.m. E.T., Thursday, April 28, 2016

Speakers:        Debra Tropp, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

Alfonso Morales, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Becca Jablonski, Colorado State University

Dave Swenson, Iowa State University

Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University

To register for the webinar, please use this link: http://goo.gl/forms/JIOrvfQiMM

If you have any questions, please email: becca.jablonski@colostate.edu

healthy food - North Country Matters features GardenShare - SIBEJO

Gloria McAdam, the Executive Director of GardenShare, discusses issues of poverty, food deserts, local food systems, and the work of GardenShare to address them with real solutions with host Ann Carvill.

healthy food - STATE TRENDS IN LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS - SIBEJO

In recent years, state legislatures have been active across a several policy areas: local food system approaches; farm-to-school programs; farmers� markets; community gardens and urban agriculture; healthy grocery retail and food policy councils.  Take for example farmers� markets. There are now 8,394 farmers� markets in the U.S. as compared to 1,755 in 1944. State policymakers have recognized farmers� markets ability to provide access to healthy, local food options for low-income and food insecure populations. From 2012-2014, eight states passed legislation supporting or expanding the ability to use SNAP, WIC, and senior nutrition program benefits at farmers� markets. In New York, the Governor�s FreshConnect Check Program provides incentive checks for SNAP consumers at farmers market and Veterans, Servicemembers and their immediate family members at Veteran�s Affairs Offices. 

Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, 3/30/16, State Trends

healthy food - BUILDING LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS - SIBEJO

A new resource from USDA can help communities make the economic case for investments in local food. �The Economics of Local Food Systems: A Toolkit to Guide Community Discussions, Assessments and Choices� will help local food stakeholders�including farmers markets, food hubs, and other local food outlets�tell the story of how investing in strong local and regional food systems can revitalize rural and urban economies across the country.  The toolkit allows communities to conduct reliable economic impact assessments of investing in local food system initiatives.  The Toolkit uses real-world projects, experiences, and applied research, making it a practical and useable resource for community leaders, businesses, and others.

Source: USDA, 3/24/16, Local Food Systems