A message from our Director, Maddie Chera: |
April really seemed to sneak up on me (no seeds started in my home garden yet!), as we’ve been busy welcoming and onboarding our newest members within the Food Policy Council (FPC) network. Most notably, these include our new FPC Community Manager, Qeiara Fuller, and seven new FPC Council Members. |
As our newest Green Umbrella staff person and the primary point of contact for our FPC Committees, we’re so happy to have Qeiara on the team. Their journey blends a love for human connection, justice, and tech. With a background as a journalist and educator and over a decade of experience engaging communities all over the world and facilitating connections in nonprofit organizations, Qeiara brings new perspectives and a huge toolkit of skills to our collaborative work. |
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Qeiara is helping our newest Council Members get settled across our four Policy Committees. These amazing food systems advocates are Gary Beatty, Reba Hennessey, Kimberly Jacobs, Joy Kostansek, Pam Rieke, R. Alan Wight, and Tracy Wilking. The new FPC Council Members joined the ten continuing Council Members at the annual kickoff and onboarding session we hosted this past February, which featured a keynote address by Nicole Gunderman, Executive Director of Gorman Heritage Farm. |
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Other highlights from the first quarter of the year include: - visits from Farm to School partner at OH Dept. of Workforce and Development, Rebecca Naab, and from the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) policy team
- joining food systems advocates from across Ohio at the OEFFA Conference, Ohio Food Policy Network Steering Committee meetings, and a roundtable with Warren Co. farmers, US Rep. Greg Landsman, and USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small
- partner events featuring and honoring our members, including Last Mile Food Rescue’s Miles of Smiles event and American Heart Association’s Heart of the Community: Impact Symposium
Our Policy Committees are taking action on their 2024 goals, which include: - hosting learning opportunities on how to start a neighborhood food project (see the Featured Event below!)
- creating resource/network maps
- preparing advocacy briefs about agricultural education, food sovereignty with Black urban growers, and more
- analyzing a wider scope of regional data about fruit and vegetable production and sales and about food needs into the future
- working with institutions to encourage better food policy and programming at local organizations
Our Steering Committee is making sure we pursue these goals with equity at the center of each step, engaging a wide range of stakeholders, and communicating about it all clearly.
Whew! It’s a lot, but we have very capable, passionate people working on it across our Committees. If you would like to get involved, check out our website for more details or reach out to me or Qeiara. We can’t wait to see you soon!
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Cheers,
Maddie Chera, PhD
Director, Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council |
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“Intersect Agriculture converts food waste and byproducts into sustainable animal feed and soil amendments that improve soil health and sequester carbon. Green Umbrella is also passionate about improving soil health and addressing climate change, and we are working together as a part of the Food Policy Council to compile information and resources that will improve access to soil health resources for farmers in the region. We are excited to continue this work with Green Umbrella’s great staff and network!”
- Mark Mitchell, Co-Owner/Operator, Intersect Agriculture
+ FPC Council Member and Facilitator of the Farms & Land Use Committee |
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We celebrated National CSA Week together in February, but if you haven’t signed up for a Community Supported Agriculture share yet, now’s the time, as spring has sprung! It’s important to take the time to figure out the best CSA for your lifestyle. Once you know what you want, we have some resources to connect you with the right farmshare! Read our blog post to learn how we recommend finding a CSA that works for you.
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FPC-Hosted Panel at the Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit (May 2)!
Our FPC-hosted panel, “Neighborhood Food Projects 101: What to Know As You Start,” will discuss resources and key information neighborhood leaders need to launch their community food projects successfully. Whether it's farmers market, food access point, community garden, buying club, grocery store, CSA, or restaurant, there are other experts in our region who have tried it. Their lessons are hard-won, so don't let them go to waste! |
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Join leaders from the Cincinnati area who have been there at the beginning and connect with the support organizations, peers, and other resources you need to get healthy food to your community.
Register now to join us at Duke Energy Convention Center on Thursday, May 2! The Summit will also feature keynote speaker Jacqui Patterson, an art show, and 15+ breakout sessions around this year's Summit theme: From Vision to Action.
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Apr. 1-7, Food Waste Prevention Week (online events everyday!)
- Apr. 3, Nutrition Research Day Poster Session, CCTST
- Apr. 3, Orchard Installation at Carson Elementary, Green Umbrella
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Apr. 10, Statehouse Lobby Day, Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association (Columbus)
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Apr. 13, The State of Black Food Summit, Change Today, Change Tomorrow (Louisville)
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Apr. 14, Ladles Not Landfills, LaSoupe
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Apr. 20, Neighborhood Summit, Invest in Neighborhoods (featuring FPC members!)
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Apr. 21, Policy Film Screening Series: The Ants & The Grasshopper, Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association (Columbus)
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May 4, GrowFest, Civic Garden Center (featuring FPC members!)
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May 11, May Farm Fest, Gorman Heritage Farm
- May 23, Green Drinks at HighGrain Brewery, Green Umbrella
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Professional Opportunities |
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Join us for a 1-hour webinar about the climate impacts of food systems with a focus on opportunities for building circularity in Greater Cincinnati through production and consumption of local food. We will explore how organizations and individuals can track their greenhouse gas emissions savings using shared metrics.
Participants will receive access to a greenhouse gas emissions savings calculator specifically tailored to local food systems that Data Bloom developed for Green Umbrella and RCC members. |
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This event is the first webinar in Green Umbrella’s “Food Systems Circularity” series, which builds on the local and regional food systems work that the Food Policy Council and the Common Orchard Project have catalyzed for years. |
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More opportunities & resources: |
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What food-related media do you recommend we check out right now? |
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Intersectional Environmentalist is a climate justice community and resource hub centering on historically excluded and under-amplified voices in the environmental space. Of their many resources, I’ve found the podcast The Joy Report to be intriguing as it centers joy in the conversation of climate justice and environmental solutions.
- Qeiara Fuller |
FPC Community Manager (Backbone Support), Green Umbrella |
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FPC Steering: Equity committee member, Community Food Advocate |
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Do you have a must-read/-watch/-eat/etc. you want to share with fellow members? Email us with your suggestion for the chance to be included in our next newsletter! |
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Green Umbrella leads cross-sector collaboration to accelerate climate action
across Greater Cincinnati. |
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