6/11/2013 ARLINGTON RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A COUNTY FOOD ACTION PLAN Recommendations for a Food Action Plan Urban Agriculture Task Force Report to the Arlington County Board Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................ 5 ARLINGTON COUNTY BOARD ‐ CHARGE TO THE TASK FORCE ................................................... 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 8 RECOMMENDED PRIORITIES ................................................................................................................................ 8 INTRODUCTION: WHY A FOOD ACTION PLAN? ................................................................................................ 9 URBAN AGRICULTURE TASK FORCE METHODOLOGY ................................................................................... 12 SECTION A: GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT ‐ REGULATORY STRUCTURES AND RESPONSIBILITY ............................................................................................................................................ 14 ADVISORY COMMISSION TO THE COUNTY BOARD ........................................................................................ 14 RECOMMENDATION A.1: PERMANENT COUNTY ADVISORY COMMISSION ..................................................... 14 REVIEW OF PLANNING DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................................ 14 RECOMMENDATION A.2: REVIEW OF COUNTY PLANNING DOCUMENTS ........................................................ 15 PARTICIPATION IN REGIONAL SOLUTIONS ..................................................................................................... 15 RECOMMENDATION A.3: REGIONAL INVOLVEMENT ........................................................................................ 16 COUNTY ZONING AND REGULATIONS FOR FOOD SUSTAINABILITY ............................................................ 16 RECOMMENDATION A.4: COUNTY ZONING AND REGULATIONS ..................................................................... 16 INTEGRATING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND URBAN AGRICULTURE ................................................ 17 RECOMMENDATION A.5: COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS ......................................................................................... 18 SECTION B: EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION ......................................................................... 19 PROVIDING INFORMATION AND EDUCATION RESOURCES ........................................................................... 19 RECOMMENDATION B.1: NON‐PROFITS, LIBRARIES AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ............................... 19 ENHANCING VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION EFFORTS........................................................................ 20 RECOMMENDATION B.2: VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION ....................................................................... 20 PROMOTING COMMUNITY WELLNESS ............................................................................................................. 21 RECOMMENDATION B.3: FRESH FOODS ARLINGTON BRAND ........................................................................... 21 URBAN AGRICULTURE AND FRESH FOOD FOCUS ON COUNTY WEBSITE .................................................... 21 RECOMMENDATION B.4: INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS ...................................................................... 22 ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ‐ SUSTAINABILITY, EDUCATION, PARTNERSHIPS ...................................... 22 RECOMMENDATION B.5: ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS .................................................................................. 22 Urban Agriculture Task Force Report to the Arlington County Recommendations for a Food Action Plan Page 2 Board SECTION C: SOILS AND COMPOSTING ................................................................................................ 23 SOIL CREATION AND SOIL ................................................................................................................................. 23 RECOMMENDATION C.1: SOIL BUILDING AND COMPOSTING ........................................................................... 23 RECOMMENDATION C.2: SOILS AND SOIL TESTING........................................................................................... 24 RECOMMENDATION C.3: WATER HARVESTING ................................................................................................ 24 RECOMMENDATION C.4: GARDENING TOOLS AND SUPPLIES REUSE ............................................................... 24 SECTION D –DEVELOPING LOCAL FOOD GROWING OPPORTUNITIES ................................... 25 INVENTORY OF SPACES SUITABLE FOR FOOD PRODUCTION ......................................................................... 25 RECOMMENDATION D.1: INVENTORY OF POTENTIAL GARDEN SPACES .......................................................... 25 YARDS AND YARD SHARING ............................................................................................................................. 26 RECOMMENDATION D.2: YARDS AND YARD SHARING ..................................................................................... 27 COMMUNITY GARDENS IN GENERAL AND ON PUBLIC LANDS ..................................................................... 27 RECOMMENDATION D.3: COMMUNITY GARDENS ............................................................................................. 29 GARDENS AT SENIOR CENTERS, HOUSING PROJECTS AND CARE FACILITIES ............................................ 30 RECOMMENDATION D.4: SENIORS ...................................................................................................................... 30 GARDENS AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ........................................................................................................................ 31 RECOMMENDATION D.5: SCHOOL GARDENS .................................................................................................... 31 GARDENS ON PARKS AND OTHER PUBLIC LANDS ......................................................................................... 31 RECOMMENDATION D.6: PUBLIC LANDS ........................................................................................................... 31 COMMERCIAL FOOD PRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 32 RECOMMENDATION D.7: COMMERCIAL AND LARGER SCALE PRODUCTION .................................................. 33 ROOFTOP FARMS AND OTHER BUILDING‐RELATED GROWING SPACES ..................................................... 33 RECOMMENDATION D.8: ROOFTOPS AND OTHER URBAN SPACES .................................................................. 34 PROMOTION OF BUSINESSES AND JOBS RELATED TO URBAN AGRICULTURE ............................................. 35 RECOMMENDATION D.9: BUSINESS AND JOB DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................... 35 LIVESTOCK: ANIMALS, FISH, HENS AND BEES ................................................................................................ 36 RECOMMENDATION D.10: LIVESTOCK FOR FOOD PRODUCTION ...................................................................... 37 SECTION E ‐ ACCESS TO FRESH AND LOCAL FOODS AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION ............... 37 OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................................... 38 RECOMMENDATION E.1: DIRECT CONSUMER ACCESS TO FRESH FOODS ........................................................ 40 FRESH FOOD AVAILABILITY FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS .................................................................. 41 RECOMMENDATION E.2: DIRECT CONSUMER ACCESS FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS ........................... 42 FRESH FOODS ACCESS FOR GROCERY STORES, COMMERCIAL KITCHENS AND INSTITUTIONS ............... 42 RECOMMENDATION E.3: RETAILERS AND COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FOOD SERVICE .................... 43 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................................... 45 APPENDIX A ‐ SUMMARY OF OBJECTIVES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................... 45 APPENDIX B ‐ MINORITY REPORTS ................................................................................................................... 48 Recommendations for a Food Action Plan Page 3 APPENDIX C ‐ INVENTORY OF EXISTING COUNTY PROGRAMS ..................................................................... 50 APPENDIX D ‐ RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................. 58 APPENDIX E ‐ VIRGINIA FOOD SYSTEM ........................................................................................................... 66 APPENDIX F ‐ TASK FORCE MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES ....................................................................................... 70 APPENDIX G ‐ GLOSSARY OF TERMS ................................................................................................................ 73 Recommendations for a Food Action Plan Page 4 Acknowledgements Members of the Arlington County Board Walter Tejada, Chairman Jay Fisette, Vice Chairman Libby Garvey