1. Food Policy Councils:
An Online Conversation
March 16, 2012

2. Agenda for Today’s Webinar
• Welcome and technology overview
• Who is the Central Appalachian Network?
• Presentations
• The Knoxville/Knox County Food Policy
Council (Tennessee)
• The Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy
Council (North Carolina)
• The Athens Food Policy Council (Ohio)
• Questions and discussion

3. Technology Overview
• Attendee lists – how to hide or
expand
• Meeting chat – ask questions
or make comments
• Address to host (Katy Allen) or
to everyone
• Webinar is being recorded
• Follow-up email: link to
recording and short evaluation
survey

4. The Central Appalachian Network
• Network led by six non-profit organizations
• ACEnet – Athens, OH
• ASD – Abingdon, VA
• CEO – Charleston, WV
• MACED – Berea, KY
• NCIF – Shepherdstown, WV
• Rural Action – Trimble, OH
• Shared purpose is to work for a more just and
sustainable Appalachia

5. The Central Appalachian Network
• Focused on building and strengthening local and
regional agricultural value chains
• Training, technical assistance, network-
building, regional gatherings, online learning
opportunities, policy outreach and
education, small grants program
• For more information, visit www.cannetwork.org

6. A Pioneer in Food Systems Policy Work
Stephanie Welch
Chair, Knoxville-Knox County Food Policy Council
and
Director of Community Development and Planning,
Knox County Health Department

7. Knoxville-Knox County
Food Policy Council
 Established 1982 by Knoxville Resolution (R-202-81).
 Expanded to include Knox County in 2002 (R-02-6-
903).
 Purpose: Monitor Knoxville’s food supply system and
recommend appropriate actions to improve the
system.
 11 Members:
 5 City Appointees
 6 County Appointees

8. How It Started
 1977 report by University of Tennessee
Graduate School of Planning
 Under the direction of Robert Wilson
 Recommendations:
 Establish a Food Policy Council
 Create plans or policies to preserve ag. land
 Support activities to increase urban gardening
 Improve wholesale produce facilities
 Study long-term need for produce facility, food
distribution center, food production center, farmers’
market
 Prepare for solid-waste disposal need of 1982 World Fair
 Monitor food retail operations, particularly effect on
disadvantaged groups
 And More….

9. How It Started
 Assessment report caught the attention
of Knoxville-Knox County Community
Action Committee (CAC)
 CAC received funding from USDA to
support a “Food Supply Project”
 Reps from Food Supply Project
approached Knoxville Mayor to request:
 Staff support from Community and Economic
Development and from planning commission
 Assistance with approaching local food industry
reps, transportation officials
 Ongoing support from his office
 City Council adopted resolution to establish
the Knoxville Food Policy Council

10. Early Activities
 Assessments:
 Interviews and public forum events
 Environmental assessments and interviews in inner-city
food stores
 Price comparisons between inner-city and outlying
stores
 Recommendations:
 Planning to include food distribution
 Developers to provide food facilities for Worlds Fair
residential development

11. Early Activities
 Successful advocacy efforts:
 Bus route changes related to grocery locations
 New “grocery bus”
 Grocery stores began carrying folding carts for persons
who shopped by bus
 Growth of school breakfast to include 5,300 more
children
 Established a school nutrition education position
 Annual Report to City Council

12. Knoxville-Knox County Food Policy
Council Members
City of Knoxville Appointees: Knox County Appointees:
 Chad Hellwinckel, UT  Barbara Monty, CAC Office on
Agricultural Economics Aging
 James Bosi, Sysco  Emily Gonzalez, UT Extension
 Gail Root, Second Harvest  Robert Hodge, El Puente (Vice-
 Charlotte Tolley, Market Chair)
Square Farmers Market  Amy Broyles, Knox County
 Mark Campen, Knoxville City Commission
Council  Jon Dickl, Knox County Schools
 Stephanie Welch, Knox County
Health Department (Chair)

13. Recent Activities
 Partnered with UT to
complete a food equity
assessment
 Convened a series of forums
on community gardens
 Produced a community
garden toolkit
 Compiled a report outlining
the connections between
local food systems and our
economy

17. March 10
L&N Stem Academy
 Helping people become
involved in local food and
active outdoor spaces in
support of their own healthy
living.
 Special event for policy makers:
March 9, 8:30 – 10:30, East TN  Also check out FRESH (the
History Center movie), March 9, 7:30 p.m. at
 Hear from an expert about Relix Variety Theatre
how the food system impacts (across from Time Warp Tea
our local economy Room!)

18. Ingredients for Success
 Leadership:  Focus:
 Facilitation  Realistic expectations
 Passion  Tied to guiding principals
 Communication skills  Based on: data, opportunity,
 Time/energy passion and expertise of
 Cultivate future leadership
members
 Structure:  Relationships
 Within team
 Bylaws, guiding principals
 With stakeholders
 Organizational support
(minutes, meeting  Resources
reminders, etc.)  Dedicated staff and funding
 Membership rotation is useful

19. Knoxville Knox County Food Policy Council
http://www.cityofknoxville.org/boards/food.asp
Stephanie Welch, Chair, Knoxville-Knox County Food Policy
Council
Director, Community Development and Planning
Knox County Health Department
Stephanie.welch@knoxcounty.org; 215-5297

20. Asheville-
Buncombe Food
Policy Council
Addressing
Poverty, Public
Health, Local
Commerce and
Sustainability through
Food Security

21. Food Security
The world health
organization defines
food security as existing
“when all people at all
times have access to
sufficient, safe nutritious
food to maintain a
healthy and active life”

22. Regional Food
Security
• 14 of Buncombe County’s 15 ZIP codes
contain a food outlet of some sort yet 1
out of 6 people in WNC experience food
insecurity
• 27% increase in county residents
receiving food assistance in 2010
• 50% of students within Buncombe
County School system were enrolled in
the free and reduced lunch program
during 2009-2010 year, up from 47% the
previous year
•Asheville has now been ranked third in
the nation for food hardship, up from 7th
in 2010

23. Problems associated
with Food Insecurity
•Impaired mental and physical
development in young children
•Food insecure children are 90%
more likely to be in fair or poor
health than food secure children
•A poorly prepared and
uncompetitive work force
•Family and personal
instability, where uncertainness over
“the next meal” creates a roadblock
to dealing with other problems

24. Causes of Food
Insecurity
•“Food Deserts”-areas that do not have a
convenient, affordable, healthy food
source nearby, or full scale grocery store
•High prices for healthy food even when
it is available
•Inadequate cooking education and
nutrition information
•Limited public awareness on the
necessity and accessibility of
affordable, healthy food
•The availability of Local sustainable food
to the population

25. Opportunities to a
Food Secure
Community
We have enormous
opportunities regarding our
community’s commitment to
ensuring a
stable, healthy, and
affordable food supply. Food
security encompasses issues
of poverty, public
health, local commerce, and
sustainability.

26. Improving Food
security
•Local food is a
simple, convenient, and
powerful tool to achieve food
security
•Local food is reliably healthy
and beneficial to the
economy
• Local food increases access
and affordability of fruits and
vegetables

27. Buncombe County &
Asheville
•In 2007 there were 72,087 acres
used as farmland
•There are currently 15 major
tailgate markets in Asheville and
growing
•There are approximately 11
community gardens in Asheville
and growing
•There are many community
gardens in Buncombe County and
growing

28. Improving food
security infrastructure
•If the food and farm economy
were expanded in WNC an
additional $200 to $300 million
would be spent on locally sourced
food within the region
•Expanding could increase
employment opportunities
•Local food expansion could
address poverty, public
health, commerce, and
sustainability within any
community or region

29. Local Food Policy
Council
•Food insecurity is complex and cannot
be solved by one organization or one
initiative
•In WNC several organizations are
concerned with hunger and food
security
•Buncombe County and Asheville have
a good foundation with strong local
food awareness and community
support
•The opportunity to work across
sectors, government, business, non-
profits, educational institutions and
other organizations

30. Food Policy Council
Makeup
•Diverse makeup, farmers, community
leaders, food banks, faith based, health
directors, hospitals, community
centers, local restaurants, educators, and
community members
• Local food production, distribution, and
education
•These stakeholders are people with the
ideas, resources, and ability to make a
difference and who, given the
opportunity, will make a difference

31. Goals of the council
•Improve food sustainability
within the region
•Coordinate production and
distribution to increase
efficiency
•Expand food education
•Improve land usage
•Increase access of healthier
food options

32. Food Working Group
Brandee Boggs- Director- UNCA
Student Environmental Center
Darcel Eddins- Executive
Director, Bountiful Cities
Olufemi Lewis- Public Housing
Resident and Community Gardener
Austin Fero- UNCA Intern
Fred Porter- Asheville High School
Intern
Jodi Rhoden- Local Business
Owner, Board Member, Bountiful
Cities
Gordon Smith- Asheville City Council
wncfoodpolicy@gmail.com

33. Starting Asheville’s
Food Policy Council
The Asheville-Buncombe Food
Policy Council began as a
collaboration between a local urban
agriculture organization (Bountiful
Cities), the University of North
Carolina Asheville, community
members, and City Councilman
Gordon Smith. This working group
met with representatives of over 50
government, private sector, and
community organizations to
introduce the idea of a food policy
council. The first convening in Fall
of 2011 saw over 80 community
members in attendance.

34. Structure: Clusters
Model
The Asheville Buncombe Food
Policy Council agreed to move
ahead with a Spokes and Hub
model of organization. The
spokes, or Clusters, meet to
address specific aspects of food
security and then send
representatives to be a part of the
formal Food Policy Council. We are
now working with the following 7
Clusters - Communications; Asset
Mapping; Legislation, Policy, and
Advocacy; Land Use Policy; Public
Health, Wellness, and Education;
Access; and Local Food Flow.

35. Decision-Making:
Dynamic Governance
The Asheville-Buncombe Food
Policy Council has agreed to use the
model of Dynamic Governance for
decision making. Attendees agreed
that the decision-making process
seems to be fair, democratic and
efficient. The process allows each
voter to ask questions, share
responses and have a voice.
Dynamic Governance is a decision-
making structure that combines the
most effective qualities of
traditional decision-making (like
Robert’s Rules of Order) with newer
models such as Consensus.

36. Contact Asheville-
Buncombe Food Policy
Council:
www.abfoodpolicy.com
Asheville-Buncombe Food
Policy Council on Facebook
wncfoodpolicy@gmail.com

37. Athens Food
Policy Council
Athens County, Ohio

38. Why A Food Policy
Council?
Community Member Driven: sparked from Athens City Town Hall meeting
Public support for the local food economy
Public interest in developing front yard garden policy for Athens City
Public concerns about food access gaps
Provided needed structure for collaboration between organizations

39. AFPC Membership
 Farmers and Producers
 Athens City-County Health
Department
 Rural Action
 ACENet
 Community Food Initiatives
 Locavore Business Owners
 Ohio University faculty and staff
 Live Healthy Appalachia
 Athens City Chamber of
Commerce: 30 Mile Meal
 Extension Office staff
 Local government officials
 And many more!

40. AFPC Goals
 Mission Statement
 “The mission of the AFPC is to grow
healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems in
our region.”
 Focus Areas
 Education
 Local Foods Marketing
 Access and Equity
 Economic and Food Community Assessment
 Advocacy
 Policy

41. Structure
 Monthly Meetings
 Open to the public
 Agency-sponsored
facilitator
 Subcommittees
 Open forum for Children enjoying local apples
agenda items

42. Policy Changes
May be a law, ordinance, resolution, mandate, regulation, or rule (both formal
and informal) that guide or influence behavior. Big “P” or little “p.”
 Front Yard Gardening
Policy
 Ohio University
commitment to local foods
Chesterhill Produce Auction: (from Left) Leslie Schaller
of ACENet, Debbie Philips of Ohio Congress, Matt
Rapposeli of Ohio University

43. Environmental Changes
Involves physical or material changes to the
economic, social or physical environment.
Eight Local Community Gardens
Fruit and Nut Tree Planting and Mapping
Youth Entrepreneurs vending at Athens Farmers
Market

44. System Changes
Impact all elements of an organization, institution, or system.
Can include a policy or an environmental change strategy.
 Food is Elementary
 Country Fresh Stops
 Nelsonville and Trimble Farmers
Market
 Local Food is Schools (from public
schools to the university)
 Worksite CSA Delivery
Country Fresh Stops at Cee-Dee Handi-Mart in Chauncey, Ohio

45. Education and Advocacy
 30 Mile Meal
 Live Healthy Appalachia
Summit
 Cook’s Conferences
 Community Education and
Outreach
Southeastern Ohio Cook’s Conference, 2011
 University students and
professors providing research
and grant writing
Bob Fedyski teaching knife skills workshop for AmeriCorps Members

46. Educating Ourselves
 Panel Discussion on Food Policy with City, County and
State Politicians
 USDA & Farm Bill Policy-Mike Strode
 Natural Gas Industrial Activity and Impact on Agriculture-
Sonia Marcus, Natalie Kruse, and others

47. Challenges
 Keeping farmers engaged
 Addressing diverse interests within membership
 Sustainability: there is a need to develop a representative board
to meet quarterly.
 Need for Food Systems Infrastructure
 Funding
 Ongoing need for community education
 Need to directly connect AFPC with State-level sustainable
agriculture umbrella organizations (OEEFFA, IFOH, Farm Bureau, etc)

48. Athens Food Policy Council
 Contact Information
 Bob Fedyski
 Rural Action Sustainable Agriculture
 740-767-4938 bob@ruralaction.org
 Ruth Dudding
 Athens City-County Health Department
 740-592-4431 ext 225 dudding@health.athens.oh.us
 Mary Nally
 Athens City-County Health Department/AmeriCorps
 740-592-4431 ext 226 marycomcorps@gmail.com