let's start a food council, cfsa sac 2015

Abbey PinerCenter for Environmental Farming Systems

Jared CatesCarolina Farm Stewardship Association

Tyler JenkinsCarolina Common Enterprise

Let’s Start a Food Council!....

What is a food council?

What is a food council?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooe8dURgHsA&feature=youtu.be

Let’s show the first 1:38 of this LA food council video and have folks write down the ‘key words’ they hear/notice.Have folks say those words out loud….That frames the ‘what is a food council’ conversation….




What words jumped out at you?

Yes! All of that…

Around 40 NC Counties are involved in a discussion around developing a food council.

Over 25% of NC counties have established food councils or task force groups working on food council development.

Each of these councils looks a little different – show 4 quick examples on this slide.

Food Council Development

Intentional Networks…and Commitment to a grassroots development process

A successful method for developing strong food councils is emerging in North Carolina.

A successful method for developing strong food councils is emerging in North Carolina.

Seed

Start-Up

Growth

Expansion

Mature

Approximately 30 – 42 months from Seed to Mature

Seed

Start-Up

Growth

Expansion

Mature

Consider which of these 3 phases best articulates where you are in your own

experience/understanding of food councils. We will divide into groups in a minute based on that

assessment.

Range of tolerance image goes here.

Notes section…describes use of this image

Goals for Activity

• Have a sense of what a food council in this stage of development is working on

• Engage with the potential of intentional networks

• Start to see the evolution/building process from one phase of development to another

Activity!

There might be another slide here for post activity de-brief, but is more seamless to be

done with ppt at this point, I think.

Thank you.

Abbey PinerCenter for Environmental Farming Systems

Jared CatesCarolina Farm Stewardship Association

Tyler JenkinsCarolina Common Enterprise

Thank you!

• Does it already exist?• Is there any history?• Task force volunteers?

• Government interest?• Community interest?• Facilitation support?• Host a Public Forum

During the seed phase, a community considers whether a food council might be worthwhile.

3-6 Months

Seed Start-Up Growth Expansion Mature

During start-up, a task force begins to design a council while cultivating a supportive climate.

• Get educated• Formulate a picture• Collect feedback

Enlist government Secure funding Recruit members

9-12 Months


During the growth phase, new council members develop their structure and learn about issues.

• Decide how to decide• Affirm purpose• Develop structure

Create bylaws Build support systems Develop strategic plan

12-18 Months


During the expansion phase, council membership expands to work on priority issues.

• Involve more people• Identify priorities• Take action together

Learn what works Find leverage points Build social capital

12-24 Months


Once mature, the council develops strategic plans and collaborates with other councils.

• Self-assess for impact• Improve performance

Update strategic plans Join other councils

Ongoing


Outer Banks Local Foods Council • Feb 2013: a public meeting was held to discuss local foods

• June 2013: a meeting was held with community members led by Community Food Strategies to discuss the possibility of forming a food council

• Dec 2013: the Dare County Local Foods Task Force came together, hosted by the Dare County Cooperative Extension, bringing together key stakeholders and community members to generate ideas to improve the local food system.

• Jan – July 2014: the Task Force created a Charter for the proposed food council and met with government officials for buy-in.

• July 2014: the Dare County County Commissioners passed a resolution supporting a local food council for Dare County, the Outer Banks Local Foods Council.

• Currently Dare County Cooperative Extension is supporting the council through administration and facilitation during it’s first 3-5 years of existence.

• Currently the group is working on some guidelines and rules for council members and they are beginning the process of a food system assessment using some intern help

Durham Farm and Food Network • 2009-2012: Durham Food Prosperity Council was active in the community and helped to influence

the Urban Development Ordinance to allow for commercial production of food within Durham city limits.

• 2012 – 2014: The Durham Network of Agriculture (DNA) was formed after the mayor of Durham met Will Allen and learned about the work that Growing Power is doing in the Midwest. The group had meeting space at the Durham Neighborhood Improvement Services office and was all citizen led.

• Summer 2014: a community meeting was held to gauge the interest in formally developing a food council.

• July – Sept 2014: a planning group met to plan and host a public forum to invite input from the community around food and agriculture and to invite members of the community to join a Task Force to form the food council

• Oct 2014: public forum was attended by 90 people, members of the group agreed to join a Task Force

• Jan 2015 – Present: funds for third party facilitation were secured through grants. A facilitator has been working with the Durham Farm and Food Network Task Force to help the group to figure out the structure, membership and purpose of a food council and network in Durham County, as well as to work on some preliminary food system assessment with the support of student interns. Plans are in the works to host another public forum once the work of the Task Force is complete. The group wants to report back to the community about their work and what they have learned.