HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 05-10-22; 4 - Discussion on the Orange County Food Council and Next Steps 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: May 10, 2022
Action Agenda
Item No. 4
SUBJECT: Discussion on the Orange County Food Council and Next Steps
DEPARTMENT: County Manager
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ashley Heger, 919-245-2146
Food Council Progress Report (2019-
2022)
PowerPoint Presentation
PURPOSE: To receive a progress report from the Orange County Food Council regarding its
work from 2019 through spring 2022 and discuss next steps.
BACKGROUND: The Food Council Coordinator was hired in July 2019. This new Coordinator
position was established through an interlocal agreement process and is jointly funded by Orange
County, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough and Carrboro. The Coordinator is charged with coordinating the
Food Council and helping it achieve its goals. This presentation and discussion will provide an
update of the Coordinator's work and progress since late 2020 and an overview of the Food
Council's plans for the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The County's portion of the Food Council's budget for Fiscal Year 2022-
23 totals $28,501.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goals are applicable
to this item:
• GOAL: FOSTER A COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT REJECTS OPPRESSION AND
INEQUITY The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race
or color; religious or philosophical beliefs; sex, gender or sexual orientation; national origin
or ethnic background; age; military service; disability; and familial, residential or economic
status.
• GOAL: ENABLE FULL CIVIC PARTICIPATION Ensure that Orange County residents are
able to engage government through voting and volunteering by eliminating disparities in
participation and barriers to participation
• GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY The creation and preservation of
infrastructure, policies, programs and funding necessary for residents to provide shelter,
food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their dependents.
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The Food Council operates within a systems change and racial equity framework where social
justice is centered. The efforts of the Food Council most clearly align with the Social Justice Goals
to "Foster a Community Culture that Rejects Oppression and Inequity" and "Enable Full Civic
Participation". The Food Council's makeup reflects the purpose of this goal and all of the Food
Council's efforts are centered on recognizing systemic inequities and developing strategies to
foster a more community-driven, equitable, and sustainable local food system.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: There is no Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal
impact associated with this item.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive an update from the
Orange County Food Council about work from 2019 through spring 2022 and discuss next steps.
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Food Council Progress Report:
Based on goals identified in the Food Council's 2019-2020 Work Plan and coordinator work
plans from 2019 to 2021
INTRODUCTION
The Food Council's 2019-2020 work plan was designed to be a living document that would
evolve over time. The work plan was requested during the process to approve the MOU to
create a Food Council Coordinator position in the county during the winter of 2018-2019. Any
changes made to the Food Council's work plan and/or the Coordinator's scope of work have
been approved by the County Manager and the Food Council's Executive Committee. These
changes have been communicated in past Food Council Coordinator reports and board
presentations.
In 2020, the Food Council shifted its focus to developing connections between community
expertise and decision-makers. This work has involved 1) building trusting relationships with the
most impacted communities, 2) institutional capacity building, 3) data collection and policy
evaluations, 4) community-led research and recommendations.
In 2022, the Food Council will expand these efforts to include the following:
1. Food Access Assessment: The assessment began in fall 2021 and will run through
spring 2022. A final report will be provided to County and Town leadership in late
summer of 2022. The final report will include a community evaluation of food access
data and recommendations for service providers and policy makers. This assessment
has been designed and facilitated with community experts who have lived experience
with food insecurity and hunger.
2. Expanding Local Food Markets Pilot Program: Facilitate a stakeholder input process
with Cooperative Extension to gauge the interests, needs, and challenges of food
producers in Orange County. After evaluating stakeholder responses, the Food Council
and Cooperative Extension will provide recommendations for future pilot programs to
support expanding markets and increasing access to local products. The stakeholder
input process will include food producers and growers in Orange County plus local
institutional buyers and regional distributors.
COORDINATOR WORK 2019 — 2022
The Food Council Coordinator was hired in summer of 2019. An annual work plan is developed
by the Food Council's Executive Committee and the County Manager approves a final plan. The
following are highlights of the Food Council Coordinator's work from 2019 to 2020:
• Staff liaison to Piedmont Food Processing Center: Coordinated the completion of a new
Management Services Agreement and managed County reporting needs for a
collaborative Golden Leaf Foundation grant.
• Regional Coordination: Attend regular monthly meetings of statewide and regional
networks including NC Farmworker Advocacy Network, North Carolina Network of Food
Councils, NC Food System Advocacy Coalition, and regional meetings with TJ Council
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of Government, Triangle area food councils, and Cooperative Extension Food Security
Coordinators.
• Food Council Coordination: Organize and facilitate all food council meetings and
administrative needs, support board development with co-chairs, manage all requests
from elected boards, coordinate and implement Food Council projects, committees, and
activities.
• Administrative Support: Manage the Food Council's administrative needs including
annual budgets, invoicing and contracts, grant writing, annual reports, County staff
requirements, and email/website communication.
• Education and Capacity Building: Coordinate and lead trainings, attend regular
webinars/professional development workshops, read relevant research, and stay up to
date on equitable food system practices.
2019-2020 WORK PLAN GOALS, PROGRESS, AND OUTCOMES
Network Development & Community Engagement
Goals Performance Summary of Progress Outcomes
Measures
Facilitate conversations Attend 4 regional *Co-led the Regional collaborative
between regional food meetings per year; development of the able to engage in larger
councils, food system increase Triangle Regional Food scale food policy
practitioners and collaborative Council Collaborative
elected officials to build activities and sharing *Coordinate and Strong partnershipsparticipate in regular with regional planners,
collaboration as a of regional meetings economic developers,
regional foodshed. resources/information between cooperative and policy makers
extension, food interested in regional
councils, and TJCOG work
*Participated in Project
40 (including elected Workshops facilitated
officials, food system by this network and
practitioners, regional UNC School of
planners, and Triangle Government
J COG)
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Hold regular food Convene monthly *Monthly meetings 6 new council members
council and workgroup meetings with Food have continued and
meetings and Council members, workgroup participation New designated seat
community forums. workgroups, partners expanded from 2018 to for Cooperative
and community 2020 Extension
members and *Relationships with
biennial community community members Expanded partnerships
forums; increase the have deepened and we with food agencies and
number of people have expanded the practitioners
participating amount of community
partner organizations Council leadership
we work with includes lived
*New website was experience with food
launched in spring insecurity and farming
2020 and meeting
minutes will be updated Website with user-
soon friendly resources
*community forums
planned for 2020 - More workgroup
2021 fiscal year are members and one new
postponed due to the workgroup created
Covid19 pandemic;
smaller gatherings are
happening via zoom
Learn about barriers A listening session Change: in A methodology for
and opportunities to guide is developed; conversations with equitable community-
engage hard to reach collaborate with community leaders and based food system
populations in creating community partners it was development
determined a listening *the methodology is
a stronger county food organizations like session guide would being built through two
system. Jackson Center, not support the actual pilot programs
Family Success goal. The Food Council happening in the
Alliance, EI Centro, has redirected their beginning stages of a
and Refugee efforts to engage Food Policy Agenda
Community directly with community process
Partnership members most
impacted by issues in
the food system. Two
projects have come out
of this proess since
2020: Orange County
Black Farmer Think
Tank and a community-
led Food Access
Assessment.
Develop and implement Regular social media *Information and Emergency food
a broad communication posts and website resource sharing resources and
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strategy to build updates happens regularly information shared
awareness of the
resources, activities Regular updates about
and needs within the events shared
Orange County Food Increased page traffic
System Website with new
resources
Local Food Economy
Goals Performance Summary of Progress Outcomes
Measures
Identify funding Regular workgroup *Workgroup met Ag Trust Fund Policy
sources to stimulate meetings are held (at monthly from 2018 - Proposal created
economic growth and least 10 annually) until March 2020,
increase demand for workgroup leads Racial Equity
local foods A presentation is have been meeting Assessment of two
developed on the use remotely via zoom county agriculture
of other funding *From 2018 - 2019 programs completed
sources for local food the Local Food
system activities. Economy Workgroup Black Farmer Think
Develop a plan for and members of the Tank group (ongoing)
the use of the Ag Preservation
identified funding Board met to develop Stronger partnerships
sources to stimulate an Agricultural Trust with regional
economic growth and Fund Proposal. The planners, food
increase demand for proposal focused on processing facilities,
local foods. the use of deferred farmers, and
taxes through the economic developers
Present-Use Value
Program.
*Invested more time
in determining racial
requity gaps and
needs in the proposal
*Met regularly with
local farmers'
markets, Cooperative
Extension, and
Economic
Development to
understand regional
supply and demand
Identify a baseline of Meetings of the Local *Worked with Chapel Local foods
locally grown food Food Economy Hill Mayor's office, purchased by UNC
consumption in Workgroup are held Farmer Foodshare,
and UNC to create a Increase of local
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Orange County public with representatives relationship for an foods purchased by
institutions and of local institutions to ongoing local Orange County
through strategic chart out a plan to procurement Schools
partnerships support meet the goal. The commitment
*Convened meetings Local farmers selling
an increase in the Local Food Economy between school directly to several
amount of locally Workgroup will nutrition directors and child care centers
grown food procured facilitate relationship Farmer Foodshare to
by the identified building between support schools in
partner institutions local food providers sourcing some local
and agencies and local public foods with available
(measured in dollars institutions to help entitlement dollars
spent for food meet the determined from Department ofDefense funding
purchasing). goals around local *Supported the
food procurement. Orange County Farm
to Early Child
Education Coalition
to increase locally
grown foods in
childcare centers and
develop partnerships
between farmers and
centers
Food Access
Goals Performance Summary of Progress Outcomes
Measures
Increase community 10 meetings of the *Food Access Community Food
awareness of food Food Access Workgroup met Resource Guide
access resources Workgroup are held monthly from 2018 - available on website
available in Orange each fiscal year. March 2020, and in PDF (in
workgroup has been multiple languages)
County. Develop a meeting via zoom
Community Food since the pandemic Workgroup
Resource Guide that began membership grew
incorporates the *Created a and diversified
many different Community Food
resource guides Resource Guide in 3 community
available through collaboration with workshops hosted
various agencies in food access providers
the county. and community
leaders
*Guide is updated 1-2
annually or anytime
someone contacts
the Coordinator with
new information
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Coordinate with Town 6 meetings with Town *Met over 12 months Relationships formed
and County and County with strategic with food agencies
departments and departments and partners including and County agencies
associated partners food system partners county staff, HHS
leadership, Food for Presentation given to
to research (Health, Housing, the Summer program BOCC at annual
successful policies Aging, DSS, Summer partners, elected board retreat
that provide Food Program etc.) to officials, and
incentives, help provide presentations community members Food insecurity report
subsidize purchasing on findings to the with lived experience with pandemic data
and/or increase advisory boards around food access;
access to healthy, associated with the focus of meetings Food Security
fresh foods. Town and County was to understand 1) infographic
what programs,
departments. resources, and Increased food
Town and County policies currently access
departments as well exist that address the representation on the
as food provider issue of hunger and Food Council
partners that are 2) look at the issue of including direct
better informed on access to fresh, service agencies and
nutritious, and community members
policies and practices culturally appropriate with lived experience
that can help foods through a multi-
increase access to sector approach (how Food Access Think
healthy foods and housing and cost of Tank is in
help the Town and living impacts access development
County departments to food)
meet their strategic *Participated inmeetings with food
goals councils and
advocates across NC
and around the U.S.
to better understand
best practices and
innovative
approaches to
address the systemic
issues that cause
hunger and limited
access to fresh food
*Developed a report
and presentation that
was shared at the
annual County
Commissioner retreat
in January 2020
*Create an
infographic that was
shared across our
network, with the
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Food Council, and
elected liaisons
(infographic will need
to be updated due to
the pandemic); the
infographic is
intended as a tool to
help policy makers
and community
members understand
a systems change
and racial equity
approach to solving
hunger
*Cross sector and
cross departmental
identification of
resources, data, and
best practices is
ongoing
Identify redundancies Food council *Met with outside Resource list created
and recommend representatives agencies working to help agencies
more efficient use of attend, convene, together to map
resources and and/or facilitate overlap and improve Attend monthly Food
practices for the Summer
effective program meetings between *Shared best meetings (now
implementation outside agency food practices and other focused on Covid
providers at least six resources with coordination)
times per fiscal year. outside agencies
Food Access about racial equity Partnerships and
Workgroup convene approach to food communication
Orange County and access channels created with
*Met work CHCCS food agencies
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Sustainability
public schools to Director, Nutrition Hosted school
better understand Director, and some garden tour and
how food access can faculty to understand provided educational
be improved in the the impact and materials to elected
school system. potential growth of officials
school gardens
*Co-facilitated a Partnerships between
school garden tour farmers and school
for elected officials in nutrition directors
the county
*Provided a Increased local foods
presentation on best purchased by school
practices for farm to systems
school with support
from CHCCS
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Sustainability Director
and CEFS North
Carolina Farm to
School Coordinator
Food Waste
Goals Performance Summary of Progress Outcomes
Measures
Reduce food waste 10 meetings of the *Waste Recovery Over 10 meetings
across all sectors Waste Recovery Workgroup met annually held
within Orange County Workgroup are held monthly from October
each fiscal year. 2018 to March 2020 Increased number of
The number of (meetings will begin businesses utilizing
again in fall 2020) the OC Solid Waste
businesses utilizing *Facilitated a composting program
the Orange County relationship between
Solid Waste OC Solid Waste and Collected valuable
composting program Joe Van Gogh Coffee data via a regional
will increase. which helped JVG food recovery survey
Create a toolkit for Coffee transition to all
compostable Partnership
waste diversion best products developed between
practices, programs *Developed a survey Orange Co Solid
and resources that was distributed Waste and Orange
Create a toolkit for across Orange Co Schools
waste diversion best County and the
practices, programs Triangle to gather Composting pilot
and resources best practices and program adopted by
waste reduction Orange Co Schools
Work with the Orange strategies from
County Solid Waste institutions and the SOP's for food
Advisory Board as private sector recovery created at
one of the (findings are being state level (via
stakeholder groups in compiled into a DHSS)
the 2019 strategic report)
*Discovered other
planning process toolkits focused on
Develop goals and waste reduction and
recommendations for workgroup
decreasing food determined a new
waste toolkit was not
needed
*Convened meetings
between OC Solid
Waste, Brooks
Composting, and
Orange County
Schools to develop a
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pilot compost
program modeled
after CHCCS's
program (program
now on hold due to
Covid19)
*Worked with a
statewide coalition to
advocate for the NC
DHHS to develop
standard operating
procedures for
prepared food
recovery and
donations (including
the issue of sharing
tables in schools and
other food recovery
practices)
*Working with OC
Solid Waste and plan
to participate in future
SWAG strategic
planning process
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Orange County Food Council
Who we are: Coordinator, elected liaisons, council members,
community partners
Mission: Grow a sustainable and equitable local food system
How we work: Invest in relationships, work with community
experts to identify issues and opportunities, research and develop
solutions, and build bridges between community wisdom and
decision-makers
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2020 - 2022 Accomplishments & Projects
Our work in 2020 included...
• Developed a racial equity scorecard & report for the county food system
• Presented a food access report at the County Commissioners annual retreat
• Completed an equity assessment of 2 agricultural programs
• Supported the development of the Orange County Black Farmer Group
• Hosted weekly then monthly covid food system coordination calls
• Facilitated community feedback to emergency food assistance programs
Projects 2021 to now...
• Community food access assessment
• Growing local food markets pilot program
• `Community-Rooted' Development Training with Communities in Partnership
• Farmworker Advocacy Network
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Equity Framework (how we work part 2)
Lessons learned
• It's not just what you do, but how you do it
Operationalizing equity
• Moving at the speed of trust / relationships
• Ask: Who makes decisions for whom, and how?
• Shifting power and resources to those most impacted
• Lived experience = subject matter expertise
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QUAL!� LIBERATION
"citizen participation is a categorical term for
Citizen Control citizen power. It is the redistribution of
power that enables the have-not citizens,
7 Delegated Power Citizen Power presently excluded from the political and
economic processes, to be deliberately
Partnership included in the future. It is the strategy by
which the have-nots join in determining how
Placation information is shared, goals and policies are
set, tax resources are allocated, programs are
=l Consultation Tokenism
operated...
There is a critical difference between going
Informing There
the empty ritual of participation and
Therapy having the real power needed to affect the
outcome of the process."
GVonparticipation
i Manipulation
Source:. lithgow-schmidt.dk/sherry-arnstein/ladder-of-citizen-
participation_en.pdf
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Community Food Access Assessment
The what & the how: Final Report will include:
Design process -4 Community-led analysis of
Timeline budget data
Methods Community experts gaps
♦ Shifting power
♦ Centering community analysis
experts Recommendations for decision
makers from the most impacted
Consultation communities
Stories and wisdom from lived
experience that can guide
future decisions
EQUALITY EQUITY WLIBIEIAATIfn)N
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Food
Access
Criteria
ECOMMK Kov mg and
Dewtopmmi Cbmwiinry
Dtvekppne
ABPA Funding for Food Access B ► Category 20
HousingMultiple category
Multiple
represents wrap-
around services. For
0 Foo example,
organizations that
provide both housing
or utility assistance
OR $1 ,216,845 and food assistance.
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Expanding Local Food Markets Pilot Project
At the recommendation of the chair of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, the
Food Council and Cooperative Extension have been exploring options for a pilot program to
expand markets for Orange County growers and increase access to local foods for regional
buyers.
• Stakeholder interviews
• 18 month pilot program
• Support 6-8 growers in an online selling/marketing platform to connect to regional
buyers
• Pilot participants will help advise program implementation and evaluation
• Data collection and 2-4 staff reports annually
• Intended timeline: July 2022 to December 2023
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MOU Renewal
Original MOU was signed in 2019
Executive Committee Recommendations for an updated MOU
• Remain in effect for 5 years
• Update funding percentages with 2020 census data
• Remove the number of council seats from the MOU
• Include reference to racial work
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Questions & Discussion
Ashley Heger
aheger@orangecountync.gov