LOCAL FOOD ACTION PLAN

In 2014, Columbus City Council member Priscilla Tyson and Franklin County Commissioner John O’Grady partnered to launch the Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan, a community planning effort to create a stronger, more sustainable local food system. Local Matters, a non-profit organization was engaged by the City to ensure robust community participation and feedback in the process.

The Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan provides common goals and actions to unify efforts in growing, processing, transporting, selling, consuming and disposing of food. The Plan seeks to address inequalities in access to healthy food, affordable food, and local food. Below is a graphic depicting the implementation structure for the Local Food Action Plan and the Food Council's role. 

Click here to read more about how the Franklin County Local Food Council is supporting implementation of the Local Food Action Plan. 

THE FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOD POLICY AUDIT

The Franklin County Food Policy Audit is an innovative method of assessing the county’s food policy climate by starting from where we would like to be and quantifying progress toward our goals. The report details the findings of a 100-point evaluation that is broken down into four broad categories: Promoting Local Food, Sustainability, and Community Food Security; Strengthening Zoning and Land Use; Addressing Public Health and Food Access; and Fostering Social Equity. Producing a score of 54%, the food policy audit shows us that we are currently over halfway to creating a food system that meets the social, economic, and ecological needs of all of Franklin County’s wonderful and diverse residents.

The report is also meant to encourage future progress in Franklin County and replicability among other localities. As such, it contains recommendations for improving the county’s food policy climate, and for conducting the audit in other towns, cities, counties, and regions.

Click here to read the assessment.

RESOLUTION SOLIDIFYING FRANKLIN COUNTY'S COMMITMENT TO A STRONG AND RESILIENT LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM

On October 22nd, 2013, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a new policy resolution which strengthens and solidifies the County’s commitment to supporting the local food system citing important economic and environmental benefits.  The Franklin County Local Food Council is grateful for the good work the Commissioners have already done and will continue to do to strengthen our local food system.  A stronger, more resilient local food system benefits our economy, our environment, and and our own health.

Click here to read the resolution.

PULSE SURVEY

Franklin County Local Food Council’s community survey is designed to solicit feedback from the public about the current state of the local food system and assess areas for growth. Feedback from this survey helps to guide the council’s work. Thank you to those of you who took our first community survey.

Click here to view the survey.