I gave this presentation to my colleagues on the city council of Staunton, Virginia on Food Day, October 24, 2013. It consisted of recommendations from the citizens' Food Policy Council on how to make local food more widely available to all city residents, regardless of their income.

1. STAUNTON FOOD POLICY TASK FORCE
RECOMMENDATIONS
OCTOBER 24, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 13

2. Thursday, October 24, 13

3. FRESH
IS BETTER THAN
PROCESSED
Thursday, October 24, 13

4. LOCAL
IS BETTER THAN
TRANSCONTINENTAL
Thursday, October 24, 13

5. WE AGREE
MEN & WOMEN
BLACK & WHITE
BOOMERS, XERS & MILLENNIALS
Thursday, October 24, 13

6. THEY AGREE
4 PUBLIC MEETINGS
WEBSITE
A DOZEN NEWS STORIES
Thursday, October 24, 13

7. WHY “POLICY”?
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
WHO WILL DO IT
HOW IT WILL BE DONE
Thursday, October 24, 13

8. FOOD POLICY IS NOT ABOUT
TAKING AWAY YOUR
BIG GULP
Thursday, October 24, 13

9. IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING THE
FOOD POLICE
Thursday, October 24, 13

10. IT IS ABOUT
WORKING
TOGETHER
TO ACHIEVE COMMON GOALS
Thursday, October 24, 13

11. TWELVE
FOOD COUNCILS OR TASK FORCES
ACROSS VIRGINIA
Thursday, October 24, 13

12. IN STAUNTON
WE WANT EVERYONE
TO HAVE REAL ACCESS TO
GOOD FOOD
Thursday, October 24, 13

13. GOOD FOOD IS
LOCAL, HEALTHY &
SUSTAINABLE
Thursday, October 24, 13

14. REAL ACCESS
SUPPLY AND DEMAND
FOUR FACTORS
Thursday, October 24, 13

15. 1.
YOU’RE
ABLE
TO GET IT
Thursday, October 24, 13

16. 2.
YOU
WANT
TO EAT IT
Thursday, October 24, 13

17. 3.
YOU KNOW
WHAT
TO DO WITH IT
Thursday, October 24, 13

18. 4.
YOU
THINK
IT’S WORTH THE
EFFORT
Thursday, October 24, 13

19. BUT IT’S NOT ALL
FUN & GAMES
Thursday, October 24, 13

20. ONE IN EIGHT FAMILIES IN
STAUNTON STRUGGLES WITH
HUNGER
Thursday, October 24, 13

21. NEARLY 1/3 OF ALL WORKING
FAMILIES STRUGGLE TO
MAKE ENDS
MEET
Thursday, October 24, 13

22. TOO MANY HUNGRY PEOPLE ARE
SENIORS
Thursday, October 24, 13

23. AND TOO MANY ARE
KIDS
Thursday, October 24, 13

24. 1 IN 3 KIDS IS ALSO
OVERWEIGHT
Thursday, October 24, 13

25. DIET IS A MAJOR
FACTOR IN CHILDHOOD
DIABETES
Thursday, October 24, 13

26. UNHEALTHY FOOD COSTS
FAMILIES & SOCIETY
REAL MONEY
Thursday, October 24, 13

27. UNHEALTHY FOOD IS
EVERYWHERE
Thursday, October 24, 13

28. PROCESSED FOOD IS AT
GROCERY
STORES
Thursday, October 24, 13

29. JUNK FOOD IS AT
GAS STATIONS
Thursday, October 24, 13

30. FAST FOOD IS NEAR
SCHOOLS
Thursday, October 24, 13

31. FARMERS MARKETS DON’T OFFER
DOUBLE
COUPONS
SHOPPING CARTS, GAS POINTS,
SELF-CHECKOUT, ALL-NIGHT HOURS
Thursday, October 24, 13

32. EATING HEALTHY CAN BE A
HASSLE
Thursday, October 24, 13

33. “COOKING
IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT
THING YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE
YOUR FAMILY’S
HEALTH AND
WELLBEING.”
-- MICHAEL POLLAN
Thursday, October 24, 13

34. YET, YOU CAN’T BLAME FAMILIES
FOR LETTING
CORPORATIONS
DO MOST OF THE COOKING
Thursday, October 24, 13

35. IT’S A BATTLE OF
DAVID VS.
GOLIATH
Thursday, October 24, 13

36. WE WANT TO GIVE GOOD FOOD A
FIGHTING
CHANCE
Thursday, October 24, 13

37. IT MAY NOT FEED THE HUNGRY
TOMORROW
Thursday, October 24, 13

38. IT COULD HELP US ALL FEED
OURSELVES FOR
DECADES
Thursday, October 24, 13

39. GOOD FOOD WILL HELP OUR KIDS
GROW UP
HEALTHY
Thursday, October 24, 13

40. GOOD FOOD IS ABOUT
PROSPERITY
Thursday, October 24, 13

41. GOOD FOOD IS ABOUT
CITY BEAUTY
Thursday, October 24, 13

42. GOOD FOOD IS ABOUT
RESILIENCE
Thursday, October 24, 13

43. WE ALREADY HAVE
A LOT OF GOOD FOOD
EFFORTS
Thursday, October 24, 13

44. WE CAN DO MORE
WITH A GOOD FOOD
MOVEMENT
Thursday, October 24, 13

45. MANY CITIES ARE LOSING THE
BATTLE FOR THE
FUTURE
Thursday, October 24, 13

46. TO WIN, CITIES MUST
INNOVATE
Thursday, October 24, 13

47. WE INVENTED THE
CITY MANAGER
Thursday, October 24, 13

48. WE SECURED OUR
WATER SUPPLY
Thursday, October 24, 13

49. WE ATTRACTED
ARTS TOURISTS
Thursday, October 24, 13

50. WE’VE INCUBATED
ENTREPRENEURS
Thursday, October 24, 13

51. “SUCCESSFUL CITIES & TOWNS
THINK SMALL
IN A
BIG WAY.”
-- CITIES BACK FROM THE EDGE: NEW LIFE FOR
DOWNTOWN
Thursday, October 24, 13

52. STAUNTON CAN BECOME THE
GOOD FOOD
CAPITAL
OF THE EAST COAST
Thursday, October 24, 13

53. WE DON’T NEED
BIG
GOVERNMENT
Thursday, October 24, 13

54. WE JUST NEED
LEADERSHIP
& VISION
Thursday, October 24, 13

55. “COMMUNITIES THAT EMBRACE THE
FUTURE WILL
PROSPER.
THOSE THAT DO NOT WILL
DECLINE.”
-- RICHARD FLORIDA
Thursday, October 24, 13

56. FOR CITIES GOOD FOOD IS
THE FUTURE
Thursday, October 24, 13

57. MEET THE PRIZED WORKERS OF
TOMORROW:
MILLENNIALS
Thursday, October 24, 13

58. YOUNG WORKERS WILL SUPPORT
OUR GROWING COHORT OF
RETIREES
Thursday, October 24, 13

59. WE’LL COMPETE FOR YOUNG
WORKERS WITH
BIG CITIES
Thursday, October 24, 13

60. FIRST MILLENNIALS FIND A
COOL PLACE TO LIVE
& THEN THEY
FIND A JOB
Thursday, October 24, 13

61. FOR MILLENNIALS,
A COOL PLACE HAS
COMMUNITY
Thursday, October 24, 13

62. FOR MILLENNIALS
FOOD =
COMMUNITY
Thursday, October 24, 13

63. GOOD
FOOD
CAN PAY
BIG DIVIDENDS
Thursday, October 24, 13

64. ATTRACT THE
YOUNG
FIGHT
HUNGER
PROMOTE
PROSPERITY
Thursday, October 24, 13

65. “THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT YOUR
FUTURE IS TO
CREATE IT.”
-- ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Thursday, October 24, 13

66. HERE’S TO
STAUNTON’S NEXT
300
YEARS
Thursday, October 24, 13

67. OUR PROPOSALS
1. Convene a Food Policy Council
2. Adopt a Food Charter
3. Allow Business Gardens
4. Encourage Edible Landscaping
5. Allow City Markets to Expand
6. Encourage Rain Barrels
7. Incentivize Community Gardens
Thursday, October 24, 13