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Creating a Food Atlas for Communities

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Creating a Food Atlas for Communities Family and Consumer Sciences FSFCS22 Creating a Food Atlas for Communities Margaret Harris Introduction food long Assistant Professor ­ distances and This guide is to help you develop a Health excess packag­ food atlas (aka food map or food ing and pro­ guide) – a guide that provides infor­ cessing. You mation to community members about are also sup­ where to find food locally. You can per­ porting farm­ sonalize this guide and make it ing practices unique. The guidelines are sugges­ that are more tions for the steps you need to think sustainable – through to develop your food atlas. gentler on the earth. In doing so, your water Your food atlas will probably quality is protected, there is include information on all types of less soil erosion and greater food sources your community offers biodiversity. (i.e., food pantries, local grocers, local farmers’ markets, etc.). Encourage • Local food tastes better: When residents to buy food from local pro­ food “sits” for long amounts of ducers as much as possible. When you time – as is common when it is purchase food, you are making a transported long distances – it not state ment that reflects your values only loses flavor but also loses and culture. It is more than what you nutrients. Buying food locally and your family will eat for the next means you’re eating freshly picked meal – you are making a choice to food that is in season. There’s strengthen your local environment nothing tastier nor healthier! and economy. Here’s how: • Helping your local farms and community heritage: Each time you purchase from a local farmer, you are strengthening your local economy because you are elimi­ nating the “middle man.” This means more of your dollars go back directly to your community. You can ask about the farming practices and know where your food comes from. When you create your community’s Arkansas Is • Helping the environment: On food atlas, you will get to know your Our Campus average, food travels about 1,500 community in ways you didn’t know it miles from the field to you com­ before. Some challenges you will be munity. When you choose to faced with will include finding and Visit our web site at: buy food locally, you are eliminat­ soliciting farmers and businesses for ing the fuel needed to transport your food atlas and distribution. Don’t https://www.uaex.uada.edu University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating be afraid to change and improvise your atlas on a reg­ • Decide on how often you will meet (weekly ular basis. At the end of this document, you are pro ­ meetings are ideal in the beginning). vided with several online resources that can help you • Identify the strengths the members of your group with your own food atlas. These are food atlases from have (i.e, web site development, graphic design, other regions across the U.S. writing skills, calling, fund raising, community Objectives connections, etc.). • Decide on a geographic region for your atlas. • Identify community partners that can be involved You will need to concentrate your efforts to locate in developing a local food guide and contact possible listers and will need to • Describe the process of developing a local food decide who will list, given your purpose identified guide in Step 3. A defined geographic area will help. • Create examples of programs or classes where the • Determine how long you want the food atlas local food guide can be incorporated available – a year, multiple years, etc. Remember, the more often you update it, the more work it Step 1: Identifying Key People in Developing will be. On the other hand, businesses and the Food Atlas farmers come and go. You will want to keep an up-to-date list. You may want to set a tentative Who will be involved in the development of your time and revise after you reach Steps 7 and 8. food atlas? Here are some ideas to think through: One suggestion is to produce a new atlas each • Key producers year, but for your first issue do not print the year so you have the option rather than the • People who have underground knowledge and requirement to publish annually. networks • Grower or producer associations Step 3: Identify the Purpose of Your Food Atlas • Political leaders that need to be in the loop In defining your purpose, you will need to think of the target market featured in the food atlas. A • The Cooperative Extension Service suggested checklist is found in Step 7. • Champions of environmental issues Ask yourself: What food values do you want • Farmers’ market champions/managers your food atlas to convey? To help determine this, • Community garden volunteers start by brainstorming with the activity listed below. • Hospitals Activity: Separate participants into groups of about three to five people (depending on size of • Health groups group). Have participants list their top four food • Social groups values . Food values are ideas that a person believes strongly about food and would like to carry the • Religious groups message into subsequent generations. For example, • School leaders one person’s food values may include that one should cook with whole foods as often as they can, select • Cultural groups organic foods often, have several colors of food on • Hunting and fishing groups your plate and buy from local farmers as often as • Grocery stores and food cooperatives they can. Some ideas that people in the past have used included food values pertaining to learning • A few community residents where food comes from, the food and health connec­ tion, knowing who is growing your food, sustainability In helping you identify your team, read through to support and keep a heritage alive, spiritual aspects Steps 12-15 to see what things you will need to con­ of food (as they are given to us by the Creator), price sider in the distribution and publication of your and quality, preparing food, social aspects of food, etc. community food atlas. What are your food values? Step 2: Your First Big Meeting 1. ______________________ 3. _____________________ • Elect a lead organizer. This person should be 2. ______________________ 4. _____________________ supportive, have excellent communication skills and attention to detail, possess compassion and Have participants talk about their listed food be excited about this effort. values. Chances are, you will start seeing a recurring theme with a few different ideas. As a group, identify new advertising, even if widely distributed. You the food values you would like your food atlas to con­ will need other supporters of your food atlas in vey. Make sure to describe your food values at the your area. Who has talent in soliciting for this? beginning of your food atlas. If your main theme is local foods, make sure to define what you consider • Distribution. Who will distribute the food atlas local foods to be and why it is beneficial for consumers throughout the community? Could they include (the introduction can help you get started). If your community groups? You will need connections theme is healthy foods, identify what is a healthy and labor, possibly volunteers. For more ideas, see food. One suggestion for healthy food is listed below. Step 14. • Point person. Who will be the lead “point person” to contact regarding the food atlas? This person A healthy food is a fresh plant or animal product should be involved with distribution and should that provides essential nutrients and energy to grow, live and stay healthy while satisfying hunger. be excited about the food atlas. It is not processed, or may be minimally processed. To get you started, suggestions of community partners include: Example: A fresh whole apple is an example of a healthy • County Extension office food, but not an apple-filled pastry. • Colleges and universities A baked whole or cut-up chicken is a healthy food, but not chicken nuggets which have been heavily • Local school associations and parent groups processed and are high in fat and sodium. • Hospitals After having this discussion, you should identify • Agricultural groups, such as growers’ associa­ and clearly state the purpose of your food atlas and tions, Future Farmers of America (FFA) or have this stated at the beginning of the publication. 4-H groups You may also provide objectives. Some examples • Food-related national organizations: Heifer, Buy include: “Be able to connect consumers with farmers” Fresh, Slow Food, Farm to School or “Be able to connect consumers with local food resources,” etc. • Food policy council • Health coalitions Based on your purpose, you can now decide who will be included in your food atlas. For instance, if • Religious organizations your goal is to list local food sources, then you may • Volunteer groups decide that all producers and vendors of local food are eligible. If your goal is to list healthy foods, then all Step 5: Create a Database producers and vendors that sell healthy food, as you have defined it, will be listed. For more ideas, check When you start locating your resources, you will the list suggested in Step 7. want to enter the information into a database. The larger your food atlas, the more important this will Step 4: Create Partnerships become. Some things to consider: Make a list of the partnerships in your community. • A program that is easy to use Consider what your partners will be responsible for – Google docs – a common platform where contributing. Some things to think about: people can contribute information in one space – An Excel spreadsheet (make sure you have a • Listers. Who will locate and solicit farmers? Who master sheet maintained by one person so will contact food vendors? You will need someone you do not get confused by constantly chang­ to track the network of communication to locate ing documents) food producers and markets.
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