Sunday, November 22, 2009
New Official Logo and Website Coming Soon!
Keep on the lookout for an official logo and website for the coalition! We are hoping to launch everything in January.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
New Logo and Name!
The vote is in! Our new name is Indianapolis Food & Farm Coalition.
Here is our logo:
Thanks for all the support and don't forget to come to our monthly meetings!
Here is our logo:
Thanks for all the support and don't forget to come to our monthly meetings!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Community Gardens in Indianapolis
Broad Ripple
Green Broad Ripple, a non-profit organization focused on improving the neighborhood's environmental efforts, maintains a garden on 61st Street, between Winthrop and Guilford. The garden provides a space for residents to grow produce, some of which is sold to restaurants and bars in the neighborhood for the benefit of Green Broad Ripple.
Rocky Ripple
Residents of this small but active neighborhood near ButlerUniversity maintain a community garden in one of its park areas. Contact Nancy Barton (255-7628) or Vandra Lindner (259-8297) for more information.
Westside
Registration began this spring on the Mayor's Garden Plots, located at located at 2400 Tibbs Ave., and runs through October. Indy Parks provides tilling services, but gardeners must supply their own plants and water.
For more information, call 327-7418.
Plainfield
This month, CenterCommunityChurch began offering 20-by-20-foot plots just south of the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Academy. Call the parks department, 839-7665, or e-mail cchafin@town.plainfield.in.us for more info.
Green Broad Ripple, a non-profit organization focused on improving the neighborhood's environmental efforts, maintains a garden on 61st Street, between Winthrop and Guilford. The garden provides a space for residents to grow produce, some of which is sold to restaurants and bars in the neighborhood for the benefit of Green Broad Ripple.
Rocky Ripple
Residents of this small but active neighborhood near ButlerUniversity maintain a community garden in one of its park areas. Contact Nancy Barton (255-7628) or Vandra Lindner (259-8297) for more information.
Westside
Registration began this spring on the Mayor's Garden Plots, located at located at 2400 Tibbs Ave., and runs through October. Indy Parks provides tilling services, but gardeners must supply their own plants and water.
For more information, call 327-7418.
Plainfield
This month, CenterCommunityChurch began offering 20-by-20-foot plots just south of the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Academy. Call the parks department, 839-7665, or e-mail cchafin@town.plainfield.in.us for more info.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Granger Movement
Coalition of U.S. farmers, particularly in the Middle West, that fought monopolistic grain transport practices during the decade following the American Civil War.
Support the Indianapolis Food Charter! We want to hear from you!! Tell Everyone You Know.
Please read the Indianapolis Food Charter and give your feedback. We want comments, critiques and your support with a signature.
Post comments below. Post your signatures of support by adding your name, email and address - this can be emailed directly to us.
A Food Charter for the City of Indianapolis
- Whereas the City of Indianapolis supports “the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger,” as stated in the United
Nations Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, and envisions our community one day free from hunger; and
- Whereas food is central to the economy of Indianapolis, and the commitment to food security can strengthen the food
sector’s growth and development; and
- Whereas our globalized food economy affords us great variety, it also fosters food insecurity for both our Indianapolis
citizens and impoverished cultures around the world; and
- Whereas our local food producers can provide a similar variety while fostering food security; and
- Whereas Marion county is the largest in this region and state and the 52nd largest nationwide (out of 3,141);and
- Whereas over one quarter of Indianapolis households have a yearly income of less than $25,000; and
- Whereas citizens in our society who are denied quality food are denied the ability to participate fully in society.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the community (the mayor and city council) of the city of Indianapolis, that to promote food security, we will encourage and facilitate:
1. practical nutrition education programs that promote healthy eating, food shopping, budgeting, gardening and cooking skills, thus enhancing our community’s knowledge of purchasing, handling, preparing, consuming and storing of naturally nutritious, affordable and safe local food;
2. the healthy practice of breastfeeding;
3. conditions that ensure that each child of our community has access to nutritious food that enables effective learning and lifelong health;
4. access to programs by seniors that support health and independence;
5. the preservation of our local agricultural resources and a reliable, economical, clean water source;
6. the creation of infrastructure to support income generating ventures in urban gardening and farming and large-scale local food sourcing, including distribution facilities, agricultural supply centers, and preparation and storage facilities;
7. municipal agreements that promote responsible re-use of the city’s waste and water as well as a sustainable local economy, generating adequate incomes for all;
8. the role of community farmers markets and urban gardens in increasing access to local, fresh fruits and vegetables in neighborhoods, thus increasing food security citywide;
9. local purchasing among major employers, our city institutions and community organizations in order to provide an affordable range of healthy local food choices within their facilities;
10. events which emphasize the city’s distinctive multi-cultural food customs and bring together rural and urban people.
Community based responses:
1. Real food security for all citizens requires good information and practical skills. Food is more than a commodity. It is a basic right. Many of the skills required for good food and nutrition practices in our urban settings have not been passed down from previous generations, thus leaving our citizens vulnerable to food shortages in these inflationary times.
2. Breastfeeding provides reduced instance of disease and the best possible nutrition for infants at almost no cost. Breastfeeding benefits women’s health by lowering the risk of many diseases, such as breast and cervical cancer.
3. Realizing this goal will require: appropriate nutrition for expectant mothers that support unborn children; community and inter-generational cooking programs that create awareness of the need for balanced eating, and the skills needed to implement said knowledge; partnering with public schools to improve food quality, promote school gardens and local purchasing; and creating an awareness of the need for consuming enough water.
4. Seniors health and independence in the community depends on their access to sufficient and nutritious food. Programs focused on senior needs will improve quality of life for seniors and so reduce community costs.
5. As a community we must place value on the components of food security which include (but aren’t limited to) arable land, pollinators, bio-waste, farmers, clean water, and biodiversity.
6. Both the urban and rural economy can be supported by cooperative ventures between food distribution or food retail operations and food producers. Frequently the capacity to grow, process and store food until needed is greater in an area already equipped for agriculture. However, in Indianapolis this is not yet the case, thus food related economic opportunities abound.
7. Potential programs could encompass the redirecting of bio-waste to local composting facilities, used cooking oil to local bio-diesel plants, and implementing the use of rain barrels, rain gardens, composting toilets and grey water re-use systems.
8. In a convenience driven society, easy access to local food producers through multiple retail outlets such as farmer’s markets, Indy Food Cooperative, Basic Roots Community Foods, CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) and other local food distribution operations creates a connection to our food which fosters healthy eating habits. Knowing your farmer is the ultimate food security.
9. As the largest and most visible consumers these organizations should set an example of economic responsibility to local businesses and the health of the citizenry of Indianapolis.
10. Unfamiliar cultures are easily accessed and appreciated through their food customs, while local food sourcing emphasizes the many close ties between the urban and surrounding rural cultures. Connections made are a source of great benefit to all, and cause for community celebration.
Post comments below. Post your signatures of support by adding your name, email and address - this can be emailed directly to us.
A Food Charter for the City of Indianapolis
- Whereas the City of Indianapolis supports “the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger,” as stated in the United
Nations Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, and envisions our community one day free from hunger; and
- Whereas food is central to the economy of Indianapolis, and the commitment to food security can strengthen the food
sector’s growth and development; and
- Whereas our globalized food economy affords us great variety, it also fosters food insecurity for both our Indianapolis
citizens and impoverished cultures around the world; and
- Whereas our local food producers can provide a similar variety while fostering food security; and
- Whereas Marion county is the largest in this region and state and the 52nd largest nationwide (out of 3,141);and
- Whereas over one quarter of Indianapolis households have a yearly income of less than $25,000; and
- Whereas citizens in our society who are denied quality food are denied the ability to participate fully in society.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the community (the mayor and city council) of the city of Indianapolis, that to promote food security, we will encourage and facilitate:
1. practical nutrition education programs that promote healthy eating, food shopping, budgeting, gardening and cooking skills, thus enhancing our community’s knowledge of purchasing, handling, preparing, consuming and storing of naturally nutritious, affordable and safe local food;
2. the healthy practice of breastfeeding;
3. conditions that ensure that each child of our community has access to nutritious food that enables effective learning and lifelong health;
4. access to programs by seniors that support health and independence;
5. the preservation of our local agricultural resources and a reliable, economical, clean water source;
6. the creation of infrastructure to support income generating ventures in urban gardening and farming and large-scale local food sourcing, including distribution facilities, agricultural supply centers, and preparation and storage facilities;
7. municipal agreements that promote responsible re-use of the city’s waste and water as well as a sustainable local economy, generating adequate incomes for all;
8. the role of community farmers markets and urban gardens in increasing access to local, fresh fruits and vegetables in neighborhoods, thus increasing food security citywide;
9. local purchasing among major employers, our city institutions and community organizations in order to provide an affordable range of healthy local food choices within their facilities;
10. events which emphasize the city’s distinctive multi-cultural food customs and bring together rural and urban people.
Community based responses:
1. Real food security for all citizens requires good information and practical skills. Food is more than a commodity. It is a basic right. Many of the skills required for good food and nutrition practices in our urban settings have not been passed down from previous generations, thus leaving our citizens vulnerable to food shortages in these inflationary times.
2. Breastfeeding provides reduced instance of disease and the best possible nutrition for infants at almost no cost. Breastfeeding benefits women’s health by lowering the risk of many diseases, such as breast and cervical cancer.
3. Realizing this goal will require: appropriate nutrition for expectant mothers that support unborn children; community and inter-generational cooking programs that create awareness of the need for balanced eating, and the skills needed to implement said knowledge; partnering with public schools to improve food quality, promote school gardens and local purchasing; and creating an awareness of the need for consuming enough water.
4. Seniors health and independence in the community depends on their access to sufficient and nutritious food. Programs focused on senior needs will improve quality of life for seniors and so reduce community costs.
5. As a community we must place value on the components of food security which include (but aren’t limited to) arable land, pollinators, bio-waste, farmers, clean water, and biodiversity.
6. Both the urban and rural economy can be supported by cooperative ventures between food distribution or food retail operations and food producers. Frequently the capacity to grow, process and store food until needed is greater in an area already equipped for agriculture. However, in Indianapolis this is not yet the case, thus food related economic opportunities abound.
7. Potential programs could encompass the redirecting of bio-waste to local composting facilities, used cooking oil to local bio-diesel plants, and implementing the use of rain barrels, rain gardens, composting toilets and grey water re-use systems.
8. In a convenience driven society, easy access to local food producers through multiple retail outlets such as farmer’s markets, Indy Food Cooperative, Basic Roots Community Foods, CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) and other local food distribution operations creates a connection to our food which fosters healthy eating habits. Knowing your farmer is the ultimate food security.
9. As the largest and most visible consumers these organizations should set an example of economic responsibility to local businesses and the health of the citizenry of Indianapolis.
10. Unfamiliar cultures are easily accessed and appreciated through their food customs, while local food sourcing emphasizes the many close ties between the urban and surrounding rural cultures. Connections made are a source of great benefit to all, and cause for community celebration.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Harvest Time: Peaches
The name “peaches” has been attached to many things - movies, music, a wrestler, a sports announcer, a music store and various characters though time. In the Urban Dictionary under “peachy” is also the definition: a cute arse, resembling a firm, tasty and supple peach.
But we are here to talk about the fruit. Native to China, where peaches still grow wild, they eventually made it all the way to the United States. In fact, in the 1870s they became a cash crop planted to help diversify mono-crop cotton that was being destroyed by a little bug called the boll weevil (like “peaches” the boll weevil is also very popular in music, movies, sports, etc.).
Peaches can be grown in many different climates, depending on the variety, anywhere from the California coast to the East coast, and from as far north as Michigan to as far south as Florida. They come in three main categories –
Cling - meaning that the flesh actually “clings” to the pit. These tend to ripen in May.
Semi-freestones – cling, but not quite as much as “cling” peaches. They ripen a little later, in June.
Freestones – the pit is separate from the flesh. Freestones will ripen from June into July.
But we are here to talk about the fruit. Native to China, where peaches still grow wild, they eventually made it all the way to the United States. In fact, in the 1870s they became a cash crop planted to help diversify mono-crop cotton that was being destroyed by a little bug called the boll weevil (like “peaches” the boll weevil is also very popular in music, movies, sports, etc.).
Peaches can be grown in many different climates, depending on the variety, anywhere from the California coast to the East coast, and from as far north as Michigan to as far south as Florida. They come in three main categories –
Cling - meaning that the flesh actually “clings” to the pit. These tend to ripen in May.
Semi-freestones – cling, but not quite as much as “cling” peaches. They ripen a little later, in June.
Freestones – the pit is separate from the flesh. Freestones will ripen from June into July.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Article on Seldom Seen Farm
Room to Grow - Indianapolis Star
Here is a teaser of the article:
It's that time of year -- time to grab a tote bag, tuck a little cash in your pocket and head to a local farmers market.
While some markets began the season last month, others get under way this week, providing consumers with access to locally raised fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products.
Advertisement
But shopping the markets is about more than just stocking up. Farmers markets also serve as a popular neighborhood meeting place. As local vendor Kelly Funk said recently, "It's hip now to be local."
Apparently so.
Earlier this year, the USDA Agricultural Census announced that direct sales -- that is, food sold by farmers directly to consumers -- jumped nearly 50 percent from 2002 through 2007.
Last August, the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service reported 4,685 farmers markets nationwide; that's 3,000 more than in 1994, when the service first began tracking them.
But why all the fuss about fresh produce?
Here is a teaser of the article:
It's that time of year -- time to grab a tote bag, tuck a little cash in your pocket and head to a local farmers market.
While some markets began the season last month, others get under way this week, providing consumers with access to locally raised fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products.
Advertisement
But shopping the markets is about more than just stocking up. Farmers markets also serve as a popular neighborhood meeting place. As local vendor Kelly Funk said recently, "It's hip now to be local."
Apparently so.
Earlier this year, the USDA Agricultural Census announced that direct sales -- that is, food sold by farmers directly to consumers -- jumped nearly 50 percent from 2002 through 2007.
Last August, the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service reported 4,685 farmers markets nationwide; that's 3,000 more than in 1994, when the service first began tracking them.
But why all the fuss about fresh produce?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
What does local and/or organic mean to you?
We want to hear from everyone out there what local and/or organic means to you. Please post your comments!
Thanks,
Indy
Thanks,
Indy
FOOD INDEPENDENCE DAY
For the 4th of July source your festivities with local food and ask your governor to do the same!
Sign the petition by clicking the link above.
Thanks!
Indy
Sign the petition by clicking the link above.
Thanks!
Indy
Monday, May 25, 2009
Creating a Central Indiana Farm Fresh Atlas 2009
Call to everyone! We are creating a Central Indiana Farm Fresh Atlas. This atlas will list farms and food-related businesses that sell their goods directly to customers in central Indiana. It will be the link to great-tasting food grown close to home! This will be printed and placed around the city. It will be free.
Please email your farm, restaurant or grocer to us. If you know of someone who should be listed, please email us their info!
What we need:
Name
Address
Email/Website
Short Description
The farms that we will list in this atlas must be all family or cooperatively owned and sell products grown on their farm or produced by their business. They’ve pledged to operate in a way that protects our region’s land and water resources by eliminating the application of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, provides safe and fair working conditions, and treats animals with care and respect.
The restaurants that we will list in this atlas serve local food and follow practices that protect natural resources and worker safety.
Whether selling local food on their shelves, advocating for sustainable agriculture, or educating the public, the businesses and organizations listed here support local eating.
Please email your farm, restaurant or grocer to us. If you know of someone who should be listed, please email us their info!
What we need:
Name
Address
Email/Website
Short Description
The farms that we will list in this atlas must be all family or cooperatively owned and sell products grown on their farm or produced by their business. They’ve pledged to operate in a way that protects our region’s land and water resources by eliminating the application of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, provides safe and fair working conditions, and treats animals with care and respect.
The restaurants that we will list in this atlas serve local food and follow practices that protect natural resources and worker safety.
Whether selling local food on their shelves, advocating for sustainable agriculture, or educating the public, the businesses and organizations listed here support local eating.
Friday, May 8, 2009
What is the role of Social Enterprise in building local food systems?
How can we support local food business, how can they support Indy foodshed?
Post your thoughts/comments/ideas!
Post your thoughts/comments/ideas!
Speaking of canneries....
The above link lists local canneries in your area. We don't have any listed for Indianapolis which made me wonder, "Do we have any?"
So, please post back or send an email if you know of any Indiana canneries!
So, please post back or send an email if you know of any Indiana canneries!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Learn more about food systems
A Primer on Community Food Systems, Cornell University
A Food Systems Assessment for Oakland, Calif.: Toward a Sustainable Food Plan Executive Summary. Oakland Mayor's Office of Sustainability. See Executive Summary.
Impediments to local food systems
See March 1, 2008, New York Times Op-Ed article, My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables) by Jack Hedin.
A Food Systems Assessment for Oakland, Calif.: Toward a Sustainable Food Plan Executive Summary. Oakland Mayor's Office of Sustainability. See Executive Summary.
Impediments to local food systems
See March 1, 2008, New York Times Op-Ed article, My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables) by Jack Hedin.
A summary of food system elements in Indianapolis
1. Production: Any regional agricultural and urban agriculture production intended for local consumption (not commodity sale) such as area farmers (preferably within Indiana); Urban Farm Project (Purdue Extension Marion County); Capital City Garden Project (Purdue Extension Marion County); and community and home gardens.
2. Processing: Community/commercial kitchens to create value-added products (such as pasta sauce created by Homestead Growers made available for sale through markets and area retailers; home canning, and food preservation.
Indianapolis needs co-op or commercial kitchens for rental in and around the city. Please contact the Web site administrator if any are currently available.
3. Distribution: Farmers' markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA); subscription services; area retailers; schools and universities; hospitals; restaurants; and food pantries. (See the resources page for local food sources.)
When you purchase food, do you know if that food was produced locally? Ask around, the answers might surprise you.
4. Consumption: Community food security is defined as "a situation in which all community residents obtain a safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes community self-reliance and social justice." (Hamm, M. W., & Bellows, A. C. (2003). Community food security and nutrition educators. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 35(1), 37–43.)
Would you describe Indianapolis a food-secure city? Do all Indianapolis neighborhoods have equal access to high-quality, culturally-appropriate food?
5. Waste: Waste recovery provides a way to "close the loop." Minimal packaging means less waste, trash, and pollution. Packaging that can be recycled, such as glass, helps close the loop. Excess edible food can be redistributed to area food pantries. Organic waste can simply be composted to enrich soil, which leads to enhanced production. Remember the three "Rs": Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
How much food is wasted at your house? How much of your trash is from food packaging? What does it mean to adhere to a principle of "zero waste?" Find out more about zero waste at http://www.grrn.org/zerowaste/zerowaste_faq.html
2. Processing: Community/commercial kitchens to create value-added products (such as pasta sauce created by Homestead Growers made available for sale through markets and area retailers; home canning, and food preservation.
Indianapolis needs co-op or commercial kitchens for rental in and around the city. Please contact the Web site administrator if any are currently available.
3. Distribution: Farmers' markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA); subscription services; area retailers; schools and universities; hospitals; restaurants; and food pantries. (See the resources page for local food sources.)
When you purchase food, do you know if that food was produced locally? Ask around, the answers might surprise you.
4. Consumption: Community food security is defined as "a situation in which all community residents obtain a safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes community self-reliance and social justice." (Hamm, M. W., & Bellows, A. C. (2003). Community food security and nutrition educators. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 35(1), 37–43.)
Would you describe Indianapolis a food-secure city? Do all Indianapolis neighborhoods have equal access to high-quality, culturally-appropriate food?
5. Waste: Waste recovery provides a way to "close the loop." Minimal packaging means less waste, trash, and pollution. Packaging that can be recycled, such as glass, helps close the loop. Excess edible food can be redistributed to area food pantries. Organic waste can simply be composted to enrich soil, which leads to enhanced production. Remember the three "Rs": Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
How much food is wasted at your house? How much of your trash is from food packaging? What does it mean to adhere to a principle of "zero waste?" Find out more about zero waste at http://www.grrn.org/zerowaste/zerowaste_faq.html
What is a food system?
A food system is the sum of all activities required to make food available to people. It is comprised of the following elements: production, distribution, processing, consumption, and waste. A sustainable food system keeps all elements as close to home as possible, thus minimizing costs and waste.
Why are sustainable food systems necessary?
From the Hancock Harvest Council
Why buy direct from local farmers? Local farming provides more than fresh, safe food and fiber. Preserving local farmland and farmers benefits:
* Economic Diversity
* Food Security
* Preserves Heritage and Culture
* Economic Development
* Preservation of Landscapes
* Quality of Life
* Tourism
* Reduced Transportation and Energy Costs
* Environmental
* Wildlife Habitat
In this section, you'll find a running commentary from other organizations that illustrates why it is important that we pay attention to our food system.
From the Organic Consumers Association
Written and edited by Craig Minowa and Ronnie Cummins
Corn-based ethanol adds to global food crisis
* In the past 12 months, the global corn price has doubled.
* Because corn is the most common animal feed, this affects the price of milk, cheese, eggs, meat, as well as corn-based sweeteners and cereals.
* In the U.S., milk prices have nearly doubled.
* Butter prices in Europe have spiked by 40 percent.
* Pork prices in China are up 20 percent.
* In Mexico there have been riots in response to a 60 percent rise in the cost of tortillas.
* In six of the past seven years, global grain consumption has exceeded production. As a result world grain reserves have dwindled to 57 days. This is the lowest level of grain reserves in 34 years.
* While the UN lists 34 countries as needing food aid, 30 percent of next year's grain harvest in the U.S. will be converted to ethanol to fuel cars.
ORGANIC BYTES, a publication of:
Organic Consumers Association
6771 South Silver Hill Drive; Finland, MN 55603
Phone: (218) 226-4164
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Why the Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act will Fail to Curb Hunger
Senate bill sponsored by Senators Lugar and Casey called the Global Food Security Act (S. 384) sailed through committee two weeks ago. Members of the US Working Group agree that the bill presents failed solutions to the global food crisis and misguidedly advocates a leadership role for the United States in implementing failed food strategies in developing countries. Notably, developing nations have not been consulted about the wisdom of the strategies proposed in the bill, much less the farmers and consumers of those developing countries. Our colleagues at FoodFirst developed a Policy Brief, vetted by the US Working Group on the Food Crisis, that demonstrates how science and experience are being ignored by the strategists of the Lugar-Casey bill and why those strategies will fail to a address the global food crisis while exacerbating climate change. In addition, one of the primary strategies put forward in this bill stipulates that foreign assistance for agriculture shall include genetically modified (GM) technologies. This would be significant change in US policy and one that most of the scientists who worked on the UN sponsored IASTAAD Report would not support. In fact, our colleagues at the Union of Concerned Scientists released a report this week that speaks directly to that question. Their report called "Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops" shows that the claims of the biotechnology industry, promising better yields since the mid-1990s, do not hold up to scientific scrutiny. "Failure to Yield" documents that the industry has been carrying out gene field trials to increase yields for 20 years without significant results.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
What can I do?
You can create more change together than alone.
You can:
• Connect with a local group about what you can do. LIKE US!
• Talk to friends and neighbors about the changes you want to see and what you can do together.
• Learn more about food issues. Read publications or watch videos with friends and discuss what you are learning.
• Share skills to help people learn to grow, preserve, or cook their own food.
• Ask local stores, schools, and institutions to provide healthy food from local and environmentally friendly farmers.
• Talk to local government do to help make good food available to everyone.
On your own, you and your family can:
• Eat good food. Your body will thank you, and you’ll feel better.
• Grow some of your own food in a home or community garden.
• Vote with your dollar. Support the types of farmers, stores, and organizations you believe in through your daily purchases.
You can:
• Connect with a local group about what you can do. LIKE US!
• Talk to friends and neighbors about the changes you want to see and what you can do together.
• Learn more about food issues. Read publications or watch videos with friends and discuss what you are learning.
• Share skills to help people learn to grow, preserve, or cook their own food.
• Ask local stores, schools, and institutions to provide healthy food from local and environmentally friendly farmers.
• Talk to local government do to help make good food available to everyone.
On your own, you and your family can:
• Eat good food. Your body will thank you, and you’ll feel better.
• Grow some of your own food in a home or community garden.
• Vote with your dollar. Support the types of farmers, stores, and organizations you believe in through your daily purchases.
What does it look like in action?
• Stores in every community sell healthy, high quality foods
• Local, environmentally friendly family farms are thriving, and their food is widely available through nearby stores and farmers’ markets.
• Schools and other institutions serve healthy and delicious meals that include food from local farms.
• Neighbors grow some of their own food in community and home gardens, and share food and their cultures with each other.
• Government policies support a healthy food system, and people have a voice.
• Local, environmentally friendly family farms are thriving, and their food is widely available through nearby stores and farmers’ markets.
• Schools and other institutions serve healthy and delicious meals that include food from local farms.
• Neighbors grow some of their own food in community and home gardens, and share food and their cultures with each other.
• Government policies support a healthy food system, and people have a voice.
What is Community Food Security About?
• Good food — food that’s fresh, delicious, and healthy!
• Everyone having access to good food—no matter where we live or how much money we have.
• Supporting local and independent farms and businesses that support our communities.
• Producing and distributing food in ways that protect our
planet and our climate.
• Taking charge of our communities by working together to create positive change.
• Everyone having access to good food—no matter where we live or how much money we have.
• Supporting local and independent farms and businesses that support our communities.
• Producing and distributing food in ways that protect our
planet and our climate.
• Taking charge of our communities by working together to create positive change.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Hello Everyone!
Hello everyone and welcome to the Greater Indianapolis Food Security Initiative!
Please check back as we will have updates soon!
Our Vision Statement:
The Indianapolis Food Security Initiative works to make Indianapolis a more food secure city through education, awareness, public programs, and connecting consumers to farmers.
We envision a food secure Indianapolis in which all community residents obtain a safe, culturally appropriate, nutritionally adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes community self-reliance and social justice.
Our members include volunteer representatives from government, consumer, business, farm, multi-cultural, anti-hunger advocacy, faith and community development groups who are working together to bridge the gap between producers and consumers.Please check back as we will have updates soon!
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