Community Development through a Regional Food System Plan

Community Development through a Regional Food System Plan

Summary

The project is to create a regional food system plan for the Eastern Shore of Virginia and have it adopted by the two counties as a first step towards greater food self-sufficiency, diversifying the agricultural sector, providing better access to nutritious fresh food for low-income citizens, creating self-employment opportunities for low-educational-attainment citizens, and increasing prosperity within our region by retaining and re-circulating food dollars within the community.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Goal #1: Solicit public participation to develop the food system plan by holding a four public meetings (two in each county) with a target attendance of 2% of total population or 1000 by the third month of the project.
Goal #2: Form a working committee of volunteer citizens and professionals by month four of the project. The committee will research and prepare the Virginia Eastern Shore Food System Plan based on its research and community input.
Goal #3: Complete the Virginia Eastern Shore Food System Plan and have it formally adopted by local governments by 11th month of the project.
Goal #4: Form a non-profit organization to implement The Plan by the 12th month

Accomplishments/Milestones

Goal #1 – public meetings have not yet organized. (see next)
Goal #2 – a committee of volunteer professionals met in July 2003 to talk about the process and how to proceed in presenting the idea of a regional food system to the public. The team decided it would be best to first draft a plan and present it to the public and ask for their ideas and support. At that point, volunteers would also be sought to join the project. The team asked the project manager to draft a plan. The project manager’s work load increased dramatically in August 2003, and the draft plan is still being researched and written. A one year extension was requested and granted by SARE in order to complete the project by March 31, 2005.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

None yet—project to be completed by March 31, 2005.