Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Low income residents living in food deserts, farmers, retailers, universities, students, health care organizations, consumers, distributors, municipalities, foundations, non-profits, chefs, state agencies. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? We have worked extensively with students to provide class projects and intern opportunities including Oklahoma State University, University of Oklahoma, Langston University, Tulsa University, and McLain High School. Students have assisted with surveys, compainion programs, marketing, social work, economic development, GIS mapping, and volunteering at events. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Reports are shared with partners through written reports and through presentations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This effort resulted in the reservation of the name “Heartland Healthy Food Enterprises” (HHFE) with the Oklahoma Secretary of State. HHFE is envisioned as a nonprofit community development corporation to function as a permanent, mission-driven organization to plan, support and help implement public and privately owned food enterprises within the Tulsa metropolitan area and the northeast Oklahoma foodshed. MISSION: (HHFE) improves the public health and economic well- being of sustainable communities through the expanded production and consumption of healthy local and regional foods. VISION: ?Thriving, equitable regional economies support sustainable food systems rooted in local communities and centered on healthy food – food that is nutritious, green, fair and affordable. The HHFE CDC will work in partnership with community partners to advance a number of current food initiatives and undertake a number of new “next stage” ventures over 1-5 year time frame. The Pearl Farmers Market objective was deferred due to the closing of the market. The planning efforts explored ways to promote economic development – minority and microbusiness development; neighborhood revitalization by creating “inner-city” jobs. The following enterprises showed the most potential and implementation has begun due to the efforts of this planning grant. 1. Mobile Grocery Stores. A business plan for a mobile grocery store. Interviews and surveys were done of local leaders and residents within the community to determine grocery store needs within the Tulsa area food deserts. Mobile food trucks were visited including the National Mobile Market in Nashville and MoGro in Albuquerque to see first hand the design, sales, logistics and visit with operators and customers. Funding to support capital costs were obtained by HCSI, Inc., the Health Community Store Initiative, to complete the project. The store offers fresh, healthy food options including sourcing produce from local farmers. Stop locations were carefully chosen to provide economic development of local brick and mortar healthy corner stores by local residents. New stores will be brought into a cooperative to receive entrepreneurial training, technical assistance and access wholesale food distribution. In addition to access to healthy food options, residents will receive nutrition education, healthy tastings and recipes, cooking demonstrations, and health screenings. Funds have been raised to implement a Double Up Food Bucks program. 2. A food hub, distribution center and food packing plan. The Oklahoma Food Cooperative provided hands on experience in sourcing and distribution of locally produced foods across Oklahoma. Visiting local farmers and ranchers, working with local farmers markets and local produce distributors from small independents to larger regional companies have provided insight to the barriers that need to be overcome to get local food to our schools, markets, and institutions. HCSI, Inc. has begun a low-level distribution system that will steadily grow as farmers build capacity. Through the planning grant we visited the University of Oklahoma School of Design who has agreed to design a plan for a year round farmers market that can act as a regional food hub. 3. Incubator Kitchen.Field trips were taken to tour existing entrepreneurial incubator kitchens including the Mixing Bowl in Albuquerque and the Taos Economic Development Corporation in Taos, New Mexico. Information was gathered regarding equipment, storage, partner programs, financing, logistics, and rental rates. In Tulsa an environmental scan was done of local farmers, caterers, food trucks, and students interested in starting a food business in the Tulsa area. A scan of available commercial kitchens for rent to the public was also done. There is a great demand for commercial kitchens at an affordable rate. A business plan has been put together to help finance an entrepreneurial incubator kitchen in the Tulsa area. Stone Soup Venture is taking the lead on this project and has facilitated an in-kind lease with the Tulsa Public Schools for land to build a community café with a public kitchen. Oklahoma University School of design is also working on including an incubator kitchen within the facility of the year round farmers market. Numerous partnerships have been cultivated to provide in-kind and financial support of identified programs in excess of $200,000. The Tulsa Food Security Council and HCSI will continue to move these partnerships forward in providing resources to local food programs. Several organizations have come together to advocate for improved policies. Advocacy issues include removal of sales tax from groceries, farm to school program incentives; healthier restaurants, federally supported meal programs and food pantry programs; and increased availability of healthier and more affordable raw and value-added foods at local grocery stores. A graduated policy inventory is being conducted and will be used to further policy work. The Tulsa Food Security Council has been a leader in moving policy forward on a local, state and national level. The Council in partnership with the Tulsa Wellness Partnership is working on an Active Living, Healthy Eating project working with local cities located in Tulsa County will help city councils pass resolutions to encourage local production, distribution, and marketing of locally grown food. An Oklahoma Food Security Summit was held in Tulsa on October 29 as a result. Twenty-three speakers across the food supply chain provided interactive sessions to farmers, policy makers, consumers, distributors, and non-profit organizations. Four videos were produced in each of the categories to share barriers in the production, distribution, retail markets and access to health food. Participation in the Oklahoma Food Policy Council and the Tahlequah Food Policy Council helped advocate for new food policy changes state wide. The planning team organized around a strategy to include policy, awareness, connectivity, and economics (P.A.C.E.) of food security and the Tulsa food system. On going plans and strategy is being conducted to incorporate projects identified in the planning process. A tremendous amount of outreach has taken place throughout the grant year. Volunteers set up booths at neighborhood events, festivals, block parties, organizational events, starting community gardens, cooking demonstrations, attending community meetings, interviews and surveys. Inviting residents and local leaders to become part of the coalitions and partnerships, as well as volunteering at events have been very successful.
Publications
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