Southeastern Massachusetts Council on Sustainability
Food & Agriculture Working Group
November 2009
Draft Vision: A robust regional food system that models food-security, local food production, thriving, economically viable farm businesses, and innovative connections between all stakeholders in the foodshed.
Goal: Increase Local Food Production Capacity
Actions:
- Develop or Market existing financing options (grants, loans, micro-finance)
- Educational Programming: develop presentation that can be presented to town councils, etc. Promote existing educational programs such as SEMAP’s season extension workshop, BCC’s OAT program, etc.
- Increase Infrastructure: greenhouses, raised beds, land, etc.
Indicators of success for this goal:
- CSA memberships
- Farmers market activities
- # of community garden members
- # of Green houses
- # of Raised beds
- Money available to seed new projects
Goal: Innovating Marketing and Removal of Unnecessary Policy Barriers
Actions:
- Research/promote/support innovative marketing approaches such as mobile marketing, online farmers markets, subsidized urban CSA, etc.
- Need for promotion or development of a “Best Practices” Guidelines from state-level for local Board of Healths to provide guidance on farmers markets, etc. (promote more universal approach)
Indicators of success for this goal:
- # Farmers Markets increased
- # Direct sales to consumers
- More farmers participating in markets
- # of people accessing non-traditional marketing methods
Goal: Building Local Food Security Through Small-Scale Backyard/Community Garden Production
Actions:
- Support of existing initiatives
- Develop regional initiative/challenge, ala Local Food Challenge, Grow Your Nutrition, Homegrown Health to educate and inspire new growers
- Development of new urban community gardens
[This third goal seems to be part of the first two goals- indicators are contained within those categories]
Major areas to address to move region toward greater food security/local food production:
- Education (one track for consumers another for producers)
- Advocacy
- Infrastructure/Capital
Immediate Actions for the Council In General:
- Sending out 25 word or so biographies of group members, including contact info, what you do, and key interest areas would be helpful way to leverage existing efforts (for example if you want to begin a film series in your town about food issues and another group member already runs such a series, natural to connect.) This would be helpful for entire Council.
- More discussion time during Full Council Meetings