Growing a Community Food System

Steven Garrett and Gail Feenstra

Community Ventures: Partnerships in Education and Research Circular Series. Western Regional Extension Publication in Cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. WREP0135. Washington State University. 1999

The last half of the twentieth century has marked dramatic trends in the food and agriculture system worldwide. According to this new Western Regional Extension Publication, the dominant trend has been toward increasing industrialization of the food system. As a consequence, according to the authors, farmers have seen the slow erosion of their share of the food dollar, rural communities are deteriorating socially and economically, and, despite a growing economy, many consumers struggle to feed their families healthy, nutritious meals. Most have little idea where their food comes from.

In the face of these trends, this publication describes a growing interest and participation in community-based food systems. Across the country, local projects are linking residents working together in different sectors of the food system to:

• improve access by all community members to an adequate, affordable, nutritious diet;
• support a stable base of family farms using sustainable production practices;
• use marketing and processing practices to link farmers and consumers directly;
• develop food and agriculture-related businesses and microenterprises to recirculate financial capital locally;
• improve working and living conditions for food and farm labor; and
• create food and agriculture policies to promote local, sustainable food production, processing and consumption.

Growing a Community Food System presents the practical steps communities interested in this alternative path need to take in order to be successful: build strong coalitions and plan strategically (visioning, community food system assessment, development of project concepts, evaluation). Once these foundations have been laid, communities are ready to launch their programs.

The first step, according to the publication, is to develop project resources (including funding) and establish an organizational infrastructure. The authors discuss various aspects of project implementation including education, entrepreneurism, policy and celebration. Finally, the publication addresses integrating evaluation into the project design.

The publication includes in-depth descriptions of two community food system project models—The Tahoma Food System in Pierce County, Wash. and PlacerGROWN in Placer County, Calif.—examples of two communities meeting the needs of their citizens. The authors conclude with a summary of the key lessons they have found helpful for community groups which have initiated and sustained these efforts.

To order Growing a Community Food System contact UC SAREP, (530) 752-7556, sarep@ucdavis.edu. Price: $2.50 (Calif. residents add 7.25% sales tax; U.S. checks or money orders payable to “UC Regents”; note title of publication on check), or order from Washington State University at (800) 723-1763.

For more information: Gail Feenstra, SAREP, One Shields Ave., University of California, Davis, CA 95616; Email: gwfeenstra@ucdavis.edu.

DEC.599 Contributed by Gail Feenstra