Recipient Organization
COMMUNITY FARM ALLIANCE
614 SHELBY ST
FRANKFORT,KY 406013460
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
A conventional, top-down approach to food systems has failed to adequately address food security issues for Kentucky residents and threatened the economic stability for small farmers. Building a Grassroots-Driven Food Collaborative in Kentucky" is a USDA NIFA Community Food Project Planning Project that will build capacity for grassroots' democratic participation in determining local food system needs and developing sustainable solutions. This project will address the lack of inclusion of low-income residents and small farmers in Kentucky food and farm policy, as well as a dearth of cross-sector collaboration among stakeholders in the food system. Community Farm Alliance and its partners will convene a Kentucky Food Policy Network (KFPN) to: 1) Determined best approach and structure for collaboration with from a wide range of partners in the food system, including representatives from public health, academic, government, nonprofit and farm organizations, and particularly low-income populations. 2) Increase inclusion of low-income residents and small farmers in deciding local food and farming priorities; 3) Increase awareness among partners of local food, farm and nutrition issues; and 4) Conducted an assessment of the assets that the KFPN partners bring to the table.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
100%
Goals / Objectives
PROJECT GOAL: Build capacity for grassroots' democratic participation in determining local food system needs and developing sustainable solutions. OBJECTIVES: Determined best approach and structure for cross-sector collaboration - the Kentucky Food Policy Network (KFPN); Increased collaboration across stakeholders in the food system including the farm community, state and local government, nonprofit organizations, the private sector and public health; Increased inclusion of low-income residents and small farmers in deciding local food priorities; Increased awareness among partners of local food, farm and nutrition issues; Conducted assets-based assessment of food policy network.
Project Methods
Develop state-wide food policy framework via the Kentucky Food Policy Network. To increase grassroots participation and cross-sector collaboration in the food system, CFA will: organize grassroots partners who have expressed an interest in becoming involved with a Kentucky Food Policy Network (KFPN), invite key food system stakeholders to join the Network, facilitate meetings to foster co-learning and create communication. We will use innovative outreach strategies such as text messages, social media and house parties to ensure a diverse participation of low-income residents and small to mid-size farmers, while also targeting public health agencies, government and nonprofit organizations in traditional recruitment methods by email and phone. KFPNs main task will be to identify statewide, regional and local assets and barriers to effective food system development, community-driven policy prioritization and innovative capacity building programs. This entity will ensure the development of a common language and approach to food security that helps overcome the cultural gulfs that exist between government and community; regional norms and economic drivers; and social services and justice issues (e.g. public health, poverty, empowerment, housing, education, community development and environmental justice). This new understanding will guide the development of a food system's policy framework that can be utilized to engage grassroots involvement in system's changes. As part of this work, the CFA staff and consultants will engage KFPN members in interactive co-learning sessions which help participants explore Food Policy Councils (FPCs), and related food advisory councils or coalitions models from other states that support and advise citizens and officials in developing policies and programs to improve regional, state, or local food systems. Through a series of working groups, KFPN will investigate local assets, pilot test a newly released Community Food Systems Assessment Toolkit, and determine the most effective Food Policy Council (coalition, workgroup, etc.) model for Kentucky. Complete feasibility study of a state-wide food policy council. As discussed above KFPN will conduct centralized quarterly meetings to investigate evidence-based, best practices to improve local or state food systems; encourage local economic development; and increase consumer access to and the availability of affordable, healthy foods; discuss collaborative methods; develop participatory processes for real input from Kentucky's citizens. The Network will also convene workgroups focusing on capacity building, system's changes, public private partnerships, as well as any other identified priority. These workgroups will each develop action plans with outcomes-based objectives, which identify resources (staffing and cash) for implementation. Workgroups will connect with each other at least monthly via teleconference and will share information with each other and other workgroups via a cloud server. Progress will be reported quarterly through diverse formal and informal presentations occurring at the quarterly networking meetings. Conduct assets-based assessment of KFPN members. CFA will hire a consultant to meet with individual KFPN members to better understand individual assets and strengths they bring to the Network. This process will allow the Network to better understand KFPN's current capacity to address local food system needs and build upon its strengths. Also, the consultant will work with KFPN members to identify personal goals and priorities related to food, agriculture and nutrition that will keep them engaged in the Network. In addition, results of the CFSAs that CFA will be conducting in rural communities will be shared with the KFPN. The Network and consultant will use this information to develop common goals and priorities that best foster cross-sector collaboration and move the KFPN towards action. Evaluation CFA will hire a consultant to evaluate the project to determine the levels of increased collaboration across stakeholders in the food system, and increased awareness among partners of local food, farm and nutrition issues. The project will also be evaluated to determine that there was a significant inclusion of low-income residents and small farmers in deciding local food priorities.