Farm-Fresh Local Foods

GOAL: To increase the availability of fresh, local fruits and vegetables for children and families while supporting rural and urban economies, and in some cases, providing a space for neighbors to socialize.

Farm-Fresh Local Foods

1. Support Farmers’ Markets

The Issues and the Research: Improving the availability and accessibility of farmers’ markets is another strategy to increase fresh, healthy food options for children and families. At least two studies have demonstrated that the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs for elders and lower-income women in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) may lead to improvements in their intake of fruits and vegetables.^1,2

Potential Stakeholders

Policy-makers
State and local elected and appointed officials

Other Government and Community Stakeholders
Parks and recreation officials
County and city health officials
Food policy councils
Local farmers/farmers’ market organizers
Community members

Policy and Program Options

Food policy councils
State and local policy-makers can pass a resolution for a food policy council or task force that advances healthy food options and includes farmers’ markets.

Administration of farmers’ markets
A city-run farmers’ market can provide benefits to the community and revenue to local governments. Local policy-makers can develop an ordinance that outlines rules and regulations that govern the market. Local governments can also dedicate staff people to manage the markets and/or they can develop a local farmers’ market commission and/or advisory board.

Financial incentives to market operators
Local and state policy-makers can support underserved communities and local farmers by providing incentives, grants and subsidies to create farmers’ markets in those areas. Local government officials can also support farmers’ markets by aiding in their development and promotion.

Coupons and lower-income incentives
Local and state governments can encourage farmers’ markets to accept Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. For example, governments can provide subsidies to farmers’ markets to accept electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards from SNAP. Local policy-makers can encourage market managers to offer residents in lower-income areas products that are affordable by providing financial support to farmers’ market operators at the outset. Market managers can then agree to lower vendor fees to farmers so they can offer lower prices.

Getting Started

State and local policy-makers can develop a food policy council (FPC) that includes state government officials, retail industry leaders, state and local health and zoning boards, nonprofit organizations and economic development or redevelopment officials. Some FPCs include officials from agriculture departments and schools. Farmers’ markets may need to be part of a more comprehensive food retail development program.
State policy-makers can introduce and pass legislation that provides grants for farmers’ markets.
Local policy-makers can support local farmers’ markets by designating public land for markets and providing logistical support, such as traffic control and cleanup.
Local officials can provide additional support in the form of a steering committee, dedicated staff positions, a centralized source of support within the city administration, or policies that encourage the growth of new markets.
State and local policy-makers can implement programs that provide support for the purchase of wireless electronic benefit transfer (EBT) devices at farmers’ markets to increase sales among EBT card users. They can also require that all new farmers’ markets accept EBT cards.

Resources

International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Community Health and Food Access: The Local Government Role
This report examines the need for local government intervention to ensure that all citizens have access to healthy food. According to the report, legislators can intervene by supporting farmers’ markets or community gardens, using zoning laws to restrict fast-food restaurants and supporting supermarket development in lower-income areas.
http://bookstore.icma.org/freedocs/E43398.pdf

National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN), Establishing Land Use Protections for Farmers’ Markets
NPLAN, in collaboration with Public Health Law & Policy’s Planning for Healthy Places program, developed Establishing Land Use Protections for Farmers’ Markets to help create more opportunities for farmers’ markets and ensure their long-term viability. This package includes model land use policies for supporting and protecting farmers’ markets, and provides model general plan and zoning language to encourage these uses. The language can be tailored to meet the needs of individual communities.
http://www.nplanonline.org/nplan/products/establishing-land-use-protections-farmers-markets

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)
This Web site contains information about WIC FMNP, which provides fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding post-partum women and to infants and children up to 5 years of age who are found to be at nutritional risk. Recipients are issued FMNP coupons that they can use at approved farmers’ markets or stands.
www.fns.usda.gov/wic/FMNP/FMNPfaqs.htm

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farmers Market Promotion Program Guidelines
This document provides the guidelines for entities seeking funding from the USDA Farmers’ Market Promotion Program. Eligible entities include local governments, nonprofit corporations, agricultural cooperatives, and other domestically-located entities whose main source of income results from producing and selling produce directly to consumers.
www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5067826&acct=fmpp

2. Support Community Gardens

The Issues and the Research: An increasing number of community gardens have been established on vacant lots in inner cities. In fact, more than 10,000 community gardens already exist in the United States, according to the American Community Gardening Association, with New York City having the most of any city.³ In addition to increasing residents’ access to fresh produce, community gardens provide residents with environmental education, green space and significant savings on their food.⁴ For example, community gardeners in Philadelphia reported an annual savings on food bills of $700 per family.⁵

Potential Stakeholders

Policy-makers
State and local elected and appointed officials

Other Government and Community Stakeholders
Parks and recreation officials
County and city health officials
Land-use planning and economic development committees
Community-based organizations and national programs such as the American Community Gardening Association
Community members

Policy and Program Options

Food policy councils
State and local policy-makers can pass a resolution for a food policy council or task force that advances healthy food options and includes community gardens.

Conversion of blighted areas to community gardens
Local governments can convert neglected areas into green spaces that can be used for community gardens or provide community garden grants and support. A community garden provides green space in urban areas and encourages food production by providing gardeners a place to grow vegetables, fruits and flowers.

Getting Started

State and local government officials can develop a food policy council that includes state government officials, retail industry leaders, state and local health and zoning boards, nonprofit organizations and economic development or redevelopment officials. Although food policy councils may take a variety of forms, they are typically commissioned by state or local governments. Some food policy councils include officials from agriculture departments and schools. Community gardens may need to be part of a more comprehensive food retail development program.
Suburban sprawl has left some inner-city neighborhoods with vacant parcels of land. Local policy-makers can partner with private land owners to buy/lease unused land for community gardens and promote and protect community gardens through resolutions, land-use plans or zoning ordinances.
Local policy-makers can issue bonds to nonprofits to transform vacant lots.
Local policy-makers can further promote gardens by providing city resources to nonprofit groups who run community gardens, reducing or waiving plot fees or locating the gardens within walking distance of lower-income neighborhoods.
Local policy-makers can start an initiative to redevelop and clean up vacant land that can be transformed into community gardens.

Resources

American Community Gardening Association
This organization works to promote community gardening across the United States and Canada. Community gardening allows people to come together while beautifying their neighborhoods, getting physical activity and producing quality fruits and vegetables. This association supports community gardening initiatives, encourages research into the benefits of gardening and hosts educational training programs.
www.communitygarden.org

Northeast-Midwest Institute, Summary of Notable Federal Brownfield and Vacant Property Programs and Initiatives
This document highlights a number of programs and loans available to help increase economic development and housing and neighborhood revitalization in cities, states and urban counties.
www.nemw.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24&Itemid=55

National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN), Establishing Land Use Protections for Community Gardens
NPLAN, in collaboration with the Planning for Healthy Places program of Public Health Law & Policy, has developed a model policy “package” explaining why land use policies are important for supporting and protecting community gardens, and providing model general plan and zoning language to encourage these uses. The language can be tailored to meet the needs of individual communities
http://www.nplanonline.org/nplan/products/establishing-land-use-protections-community-gardens

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program
This program provides funding for community-based food and agriculture projects nationwide. Eligible projects help increase access to food for lower-income people, increase a community’s ability to provide for its own needs, promote comprehensive responses to local nutrition or food needs and meet specific needs for long-term viability in infrastructure improvement and development.
www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/fundview.cfm?fonum=1080

3. Support the Procurement of Locally Grown Food

The Issues and the Research: is not a coincidence that childhood obesity rates in the United States increased at the same time the food environment experienced profound changes. In fact, it is estimated that more than one-third of calories consumed by Americans come from junk food.⁶ Perhaps an even more thought-provoking fact is that agricultural, distribution and retail practices may be drivers of our overconsumption. Policy-makers have an opportunity to rethink how food procurement impacts production and consumption. In many communitiefs, particularly lower-income neighborhoods, it can be very difficult to find foods that are not low-nutrient and energy dense. Policies that increase local sources of food will provide consumers with healthier choices, farmers with more marketing opportunities and communities with powerful economic development opportunities.⁷

Potential Stakeholders

Policy-makers
State and local elected and appointed officials
School officials (e.g., state boards of education, local school boards and school administrators)

Other Government and Community Stakeholders
County and city health officials
Food policy councils
Local businesses (e.g., restaurants and supermarkets)
Local farmers

Policy and Program Options

Food policy council
State and local policy-makers can pass a resolution for a food policy council or task force that advances healthy food options and includes local food procurement.

Procurement policies
State and local officials can encourage school and government procurement policies that favor local, healthy foods at government-supported facilities, schools, cafeterias, events, etc. The resolution can also support small farms and direct farm-to-institution relationships.

Financial incentives to support local food procurement
State and local officials can support farm-to-cafeteria opportunities, farmers’ markets and other regional food initiatives, and provide processing and distribution financial assistance to regional produce farmers.

Getting Started

State and local officials can develop a food policy council that includes state government officials, retail industry leaders, state and local health and zoning boards, nonprofit organizations and economic development or redevelopment officials. Although food policy councils may take a variety of forms, they are typically commissioned by state or local governments or are grassroots efforts. Some food policy councils include officials from agriculture departments and schools. Local food procurement may need to be part of a more comprehensive food retail development program.
Local government agencies can work with schools and school districts as well as local supermarkets and restaurants to develop a food distribution plan that incorporates local, farm-fresh produce in school cafeterias, restaurants, supermarkets and other entities.

Resources

Farm-to-School Program
This Web site provides resources about the farm-to-school program broken down by state. It includes guides, reports and strategies. The site also includes state and local policy recommendations aimed at fixing the current school meal programs to incorporate fruits and vegetables from local farms.
www.farmtoschool.org
www.farmtoschool.org/policies.php

The FoodRoutes Network
FoodRoutes Network is a nonprofit organization that provides information about promoting community-based food systems.
www.foodroutes.org

International City/County Management Association, Community Health and Food Access: The Local Government Role
This report examines the need for local government intervention to ensure that all citizens have access to healthy food. According to the report, legislators can intervene by supporting farmers’ markets or community gardens, using zoning laws to restrict fast-food restaurants and supporting supermarket development in lower-income areas.
http://bookstore.icma.org/freedocs/E43398.pdf

National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN), Understanding Healthy Procurement: Using Government’s Purchasing Power to Increase Access to Healthy Food
State and local government agencies often buy food, in large quantities, to provide or sell to employees and residents – and the more they purchase, the greater impact they can have on community health. This guide shows how governments can adopt healthier “procurement” (purchasing) policies to help improve public health, lower overall costs, and provide leadership for the private sector to do the same.
http://www.nplanonline.org/childhood-obesity/products/understanding-healthy-p

Northeast-Midwest Institute, Summary of Notable Federal Brownfield and Vacant Property Programs and Initiatives
This document highlights programs and loans available to help increase economic development and housing and neighborhood revitalization in cities, states and urban counties.
www.nemw.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24&Itemid=55

1 Johnson D, Beaudoin S, Smith L, et al. “Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Homebound Elders: The Seattle Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Pilot Program.” Preventing Chronic Disease, 1(1): A03, January 2004.
2 Anderson J, Bybee D, Brown R, et al. “5 A Day Fruit and Vegetable Intervention Improves Consumption in a Low Income Population.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 101(2): 195-202, February 2001.
3 Washington K. “Who is Raising Food in Cities? From Backyard Gardeners to Commercial Growers.” Portland, OR: Community Food Security Coalition, February 2002. Available at www.foodsecurity.org/urbanag.html#IV.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Block G. “Foods Contributing to Energy Intake in the US: Data from NHANES III and NHANES 1999-2000.” Journal of Food Chemistry and Analysis, 17: 439-447, June 2004.
7 Food Without Thought: How U.S. Farm Policy Contributes to Obesity. Minneapolis, MN: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, November 2006. Available at www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?ots591=0C54E3B3-1E9C-BE1E-2C24-A6A8C7060233&lng=en&id=47634 .

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Farm-Fresh Local Foods