Food Policy Resources

This guide presents a menu of tools, approaches and examples, including a model climate-friendly food purchasing policy and standards, acknowledging the many ways that cities and counties can advance climate-friendly and healthy food procurement.

Created by Kari Hamerschlag, Alicia Culver, Chloé Waterman, and Becca Bartholomew

I attended a rally at the FDA where individuals brought in raw milk from Pennsylvania (where its legal) to Maryland for the rally. Homemade cookies were also passed around and shared with the protesters and the police. The police chuckled and said they couldn't accept but some laughed and said they grew up on raw milk. It was a peaceful rally full of good cookies, raw milk, and good cheer. Protests can be playful to make a point. Policy Networks Photo Contest. 

Image credit: Tiffany Bassford, Food Passion Project; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food

Hundreds of people took part in DC's Grocery Walk on October 14, 2017, through historic Anacostia to highlight the difficulty of getting fresh food in parts of the District and to demand food justice and access to healthy foods for all DC residents.

Image credit: Brian Oh, DC Greens; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest. 

Local Produce Link (LPL) is a New York State Department of Health Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program (NYSDOH HPNAP) grant-funded initiative that connects regional farmers with food-insecure communities in New York City. Using the community-supported agriculture model, 9 farmers make weekly deliveries during the growing season to provide fresh produce to food pantries in the five boroughs. Designed with the hub-and-spoke concept, one food pantry serves as the hub host and receives 4-6 shares of vegetables during the June- November season. The host keeps a vegetable share while the hub's participating member food pantries pick up the remaining shares to distribute to clients as part of a balanced food package. An important distinction of LPL is that the vegetables delivered are not gleaned or rescued; the farmers are all contracted with grant funds to grow crops for these pantry communities.

Another unique aspect of the program is the relationship-building that occurs between the pantry communities and the farmers who grow their food. There are annual farm trips when LPL staff invite pantry staff, volunteers, and clients as a group to visit the farms located in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to learn about responsible growing practices directly from their farmers. This image was captured in August 2017 at Whistle Down Farm in Hudson, New York. Guests had a picnic lunch, a tour of the farm's acreage, a dip in the stream, and then harvested purslane. At the end of the trip, everyone was given Health Bucks, which are typically redeemed at farmers markets throughout New York State. Here, Maribel Ambrosio and her daughter Millie are exchanging their Health Bucks for fresh-picked tomatoes from farmer Nicholas Pandjiris. Everyone on the trip was thrilled to take some edible souvenirs from this memorable day back home to the city!

Image credit: Jennifer Horan, United Way of New York City; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

Kassandra Hernandez and Summer Sullivan, AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) members based at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) as the Food Pantry Coordinator and Edible Garden Coordinator respectively, giggle as they learn how to do soil testing in preparation for seed planting. The Edible Garden will bring local, nutritious produce to the campus through the CSUB Food Pantry in an effort to reduce high food insecurity rates on campus.

Image credit: Kern Food Policy Council; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

Vanessa Garcia Polanco, 21, Rhode Island Food Policy Council, visited one of the oldest farmers markets in Los Angeles, CA as part of the Association of Food and Human Values annual conference. The conference offered a food policy and food justice track that bused attendees around town to show them physical success and challenges with food policy in their city. This picture recognizes that direct customer sales like farmers markets were illegal in California until 1978 and thanks to the dedication of many growers and advocates in CA and nationwide, now we have thriving direct market sales opportunities. After this trip, Vanessa was thankful for the over 45 farmers market in her home state of RI. 

Image credit: Vanessa Garcia Polanco, Rhode Island Food Policy Council; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

Chefs and cooks are a crucial connection between farmers and consumers. As drivers of food systems change across all sectors, they can be advocates and leaders in public and private institutions. They can maintain their growing popularity as innovative change activists by creating a culture of care in their kitchens and taking action to influence the decisions of policy-makers. By partnering with producers and waste management, chefs can more efficiently match demand with supply and minimize food waste in the food supply chain.

Image credit: Sylwia Padiasek, Karen Karp & Partners; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

Despite the severity of issues that face our region and its residents, people in Kern County will not willingly come together and engage in the hard conversations. However, the Kern Food Policy Council has done just that. For over two years, this small cadre of folk has successfully managed to convene an extremely diverse group of (historically acrimonious) stakeholders around the hot topic of food security. How? By re-framing things. Turns out that despite our differences, we all want the same thing: a healthy, vibrant food and agriculture economy. The question then became, "How do we measure 'healthy'? How do we measure 'vibrant'?" Once we agreed on the measurements, it then became a matter of doing the math.  This may seem like a simple picture of a report. But, it represents the ingenuity and perseverance of a committed group of average people to bring about the impossible.

Image credit: Jill Egland, Kern Food Policy Council; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

DC Greens' Community Advocates Toni Lawson and Beatrice Evans share a laugh during a Community Advocate training session. The Community Advocates Program provides food-insecure community members robust advocacy training using a train-the-trainer model that enables them to engage fellow community members on food justice issues. DC Greens Community Advocates training program is made possible with funding from a Voices for Healthy Kids grant.

Image credit: Lauren Shweder Biel, DC Greens; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

The California State University, Bakersfield Food Pantry is stocked in preparation for the visits of Bakersfield's Mayor Karen Goh, and later on, the CSU Chancellor, Dr. Timothy White. It is essential that we acknowledge our student needs, including the high food insecurity rates on campus and within the surrounding communities‚ prior to advocating for food policy reform. 

Image credit: Kassandra Hernandez, Kern Food Policy Council; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

Summer Sullivan, the California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) Edible Garden Coordinator, volunteers to teach easy, nutritious meals to students living in the dorms. Using items that can be found in the campus pantry, she helps spread awareness and reduce the stigma of campus food insecurity. 

Image credit: Kern Food Policy Council; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

Building community and advocacy for healthy food access takes hard work, but it is also a lot of fun!  A great group of Dorchester Food Co-op members proved this well by walking 3.2 miles in the annual Dorchester Day Parade dressed as healthy foods. Everyone had a lot of fun while working to raise awareness of The Dorchester Food Co-op‚ a food, racial, and economic justice project aimed at empowering our community and making healthy food more accessible and affordable to everyone. Hooray Veggies!

Image credit: Davida Andelman, Dorchester Food Co-op; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

For years, our focus (and economic dependency) on the global food system has steadily eroded our local food system to the point where the 50 or so small and medium Kern-based farms travel to Los Angeles and the Central Coast to sell their produce. But this is shifting. Bakersfield has a farm-to-fork cafe now. And our regional supermarket, FoodMaxx, is carving out more and more space to feature local fruits and vegetables. Every day, I drive by this sign painted on the side of Hen's Roost, one of several food system micro-enterprises that have emerged in the last few years. I read "Eat Local!" and I feel hope. 

Image credit: Jill Egland, Kern Food Policy Council; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

The Lake County Community Food Council has constructed and distributed almost 600 garden boxes in the past two years in the rural county they serve. Council volunteers have worked side by side with families, sharing how to start small gardens regardless of where they live. This effort has started to expand out into surrounding communities. Families express gratitude for being able to touch the soil, choose their own plants, and share this experience as a family. Relationship starts in the garden‚ conversations happen, laughter is shared, and memories are made. There is a connectedness to the earth and each other that is hard to explain. The mother of this child in the photo shared, "I love when my child and I can get our hands dirty together". The joy of creating something together and the anticipation of what is to come is beautiful. As permaculture consultant Geoff Lawton said, "All the world's problems can be solved in a garden".

Image credit: Kendra Gibson, Lake County Community Food Council; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

There is so much wealth, beauty, and joy in food grown well. This is an ode to the people who grow food with love.

Image credit: Amanda Chin, The Food Project; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

An early morning glean in Boulder, Colorado, harvested more than 4,500 lbs. of fresh cabbage that was delivered same-day to Community Food Share, a local food bank. Ten volunteers cut and then tossed veggies into the crisp morning air, getting a workout for their bodies and a lift to their spirits. 

Image credit: Sarah Galligan, Colorado Food Policy Network and UpRoot Colorado; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

Kern County is known for its bounty as well as its high rate of food-insecure families. Here's a way one family farm has come up with for getting healthy produce distributed. 

Image credit: Jill Egland, Kern Food Policy Council; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

Neighbors thank each other for sharing in the hard work of maintaining the Five Loaves Two Fishes community garden at 55th and Lancaster Ave in West Philadelphia. 

Image credit: Ali Mendelson, Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

Gratitude in the Garden displays three images of joy from Promise Garden located in the heart of downtown New Brunswick, NJ. The first image shows an Orchard Installation Day performed on 11/17/17 in partnership with New Brunswick Community Food Alliance, the City of New Brunswick, FoodCorps NJ, corporate partners, and local residents. The second image offers garden green harvests from the Summer of 2017. The third image shows one of 6 cubic-yard wood palette compost bins as part of The Compost Project. This project has diverted over 12,000 lbs of food waste from Elijah's Promise over 2016-2017 and demonstrates our commitment to achieving zero waste as an agency first and, ultimately, as a community. We are grateful for these garden programs and all who collaborate to make Promise Garden successfully grow food, soil, and community!

Image credit: Andrew Schlesinger, New Brunswick Community Food Alliance; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.

The California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) Food Pantry Coordinator, Kassandra Hernandez, stands by the Pantry's "Open" sign. The Food Pantry officially opened in September, thanks to Kassandra's hard work and dedication. She has helped to supply quality food to over 630 CSUB students!

Image credit: Summer Sullivan, Kern Food Policy Council; CLF Food Policy Networks Photo Contest, 2017.

By downloading this image, you agree to use the photo within the context that it was taken. You also agree to never use it for commercial purposes. The image always belongs to the original photographer and should be attributed to the photographer and Center for a Livable Future Food Policy Networks Photo Contest.