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Food and Nutrition Committee Report
GOAL
Every child age 0-6 in Greene County should be food secure and consistently consume enough nutritious food to enter school ready to learn.
GAME CHANGING OBJECTIVES/METRIC(s)
Decrease the number of children under age 6 who are food insecure by 25% by 2024.
Decrease the number of children under age 6 who are overweight or obese by 10% by 2024.
STRATEGIES
Build a network of mutually supportive “neighborhood healthy food sourcing centers” that empower members of the neighborhood (residents, businesses, organizations, churches …) to increase healthy food access, affordability, and use.
• Feed young children immediately using Convoy of Hope’s experience in the developing world to create culturally appropriate food products
• Increase the use of WIC vouchers, as well as increase the participation by eligible citizens
• Increase the number of community gardens
• Increase the use of SNAP by eligible participants with children under 6, as well as maximize/stretch the food dollars to include health foods
• Increase the number of nutrition education programs for people living with food insecurity
• Property tax credit to local farmers and community gardens that would incentivize them to sell to food co-op’s.
• Regulatory reform that addresses issues within the city/county to support local food growers
POTENTIAL PILOT(s)
Two part Request For Proposal (RFP)
PART 1:
Funding to help establish/support neighborhood healthy food sourcing co-ops in 2-3 pilot ready-to-go neighborhoods. The co-ops would facilitate group food buying, particularly of fresh fruits and vegetables, including local foods. The co-ops would incorporate WIC foods and potentially work with a Convoy of Hope product for immediate food needs. The co-ops would incorporate or plan for community gardens, community kitchens, education, and programming.
PART 2: • Follow up RFP in approximately Year 3 to incentivize and support further healthy food sourcing center development. (E.g. existing food cooperatives further integrating healthy food environment components such as community gardens, community kitchens, programming) • Build on Part 1 RFP in which co-ops are expected to share successes and challenges, provide peer to peer support, assist with development of a workbook, and serve as a model for future co-ops.