Foodies unite for summer fresh produce season! It is that beautiful time of year when it is easiest to eat local and fresh, and so we hope you are. My heart is full this summer as I have been able to visit and connect with so many amazing people and communities in our region around our food system. During a recent visit with the Beekman Corridor Food Action Team (BCFAT), we explored ways to deepen collaboration and promote a more resilient regional food system in their community and across the region. 

I was truly impressed with BCFAT for doing just that through their community-owned market (with a pay-what-you-can produce program), their rich garden network, and their overall connection to their community. Listening to their challenges and celebrating their wins with them was incredibly insightful and I am grateful for those moments to slow down, connect, and have the hard conversations. Even though our food system faces growing threats on many sides, it's encouraging to see how simply feeding a neighbor can be a strong first step to growing a more resilient community and food system.

Beyond Beekman, we have been connecting with communities and local producers through our Summer Farmers Market Tour (read more about it below). Our Policy, Education, and Advocacy Committee have also been busy working towards refining their projects.

The Food Policy Council’s Policy, Education, and Advocacy Committee (PEAC) met on July 30 to build projects around key identified areas from our Policy Agenda. Three initial projects were selected including:

Our next Committee Meeting will be September 24, so if you are interested in joining this work, please sign up through our webpage! We will also be co-hosting a NKY Candidate Forum in September – you can find more details below along with some other engaging food related happenings this fall. In the meantime, I am wishing you the crunchiest veggies and juiciest fruits for the rest of your summer.

Cheers,

Rosa Baker

Manager, Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council

Reply to this email to reach Rosa, or for questions regarding membership, visit here or email membership@greenumbrella.org.

SoSA is part of a larger gleaning network in 9 other states, focusing on food rescue directly from farms. They organize volunteers to help harvest food that remains in the field after the marketable produce has been taken – often still beautiful and nutritious food. Some rescues are weekly events, while others happen on short notice when growers call.

Volunteers also help collect unsold produce at the end of 3 southwest Ohio markets – Hyde Park, Montgomery, and Findlay Market – every week.  Additionally, they pick up graded-out seconds from farms.  Everything is donated immediately to nearby hunger relief organizations and may even make it to someone's table that same day!

Interested volunteers can sign up to help here. For more info, please reach out to Sue Plummer, Program Coordinator, at sw-ohio@endhunger.org or 513-458-9808.

Interested in becoming a Green Umbrella member and collaborating on future events? Learn more today.

The Food Policy Council has kicked off its Farmers Market Summer Tour during National Farmers Market Week! We’ve already connected with more than 600 community members and 18 local producers. FPC members have also provided key educational materials around reducing consumer-level food waste and eating healthy! Learn more about the rest of our stops and each featured market in our blog and in our tour guide. So far, we have visited Hyde Park and Madeira, where we have had great conversations and made connections at each.

Our remaining stops:

Covington Farmers Market

Saturday, August 29 from 9:30 am-1:00 pm

629 Washington St | Covington, KY | 41011

Boone County Farmers Market

Saturday, September 5 from 10:00 am-2:00 pm

1961 Burlington Pike | Burlington, KY | 41005

Northside Farmers Market

Wednesday, September 9 from 4:00-7:00 pm

4222 Hamilton Ave | Cincinnati, OH | 45223

Westwood Farmers Market

Thursday, September 17 from 4:00-7:00 pm

3460 Epworth Ave | Cincinnati, OH | 45211

For information on additional farmers' markets in the region you can visit to support local food, see the CORV Local Food Guide!

This summer, the store was under threat of closure that would have created a food desert for 20,000 residents. Thankfully, the Vice Mayor's office announced a partnership with Close the Health Gap to help fund the necessary repairs for the Save A Lot to stay open and move to corporate ownership. The Food Policy Council's lifting of resident voices was a key influence on this decision. Read more on our blog.

Saturday, August 29, 4:00-8:00 pm

1660 Blue Rock St, Cincinnati, OH 45223

Hosted by Urban Artifact, Edible Ohio Valley Magazine, & Cincinnati’s Foodshed: An Art Atlas

Join us for Urban Artifact’s annual Fruit Fest, where we celebrate the perennial edibles of the Ohio River Valley Region. This year, an expert panel will lead the audience through a conversation about invasive species. Come and mingle with friends, check out our Fruit Park Food Map Series, and enjoy a special tasty Freshie made with locally harvested fruit.

Wednesday, September 23, 6:00-7:30 pm

Anne Room at the Erlanger Branch of the Kenton County Library 

(401 Kenton Lands, Erlanger, KY)

County Commissioners play a key role in administering county affairs and act as key policymakers in the community. Their influence includes land-use zoning; developing, implementing, and administering food and nutrition programs locally; investing in facilities that provide food to low-income and vulnerable populations such as schools and public libraries; and more.

The Food Policy Council invites you to join us for part two of an in-person candidate forum for candidates running for County Commissioner in Northern Kentucky. The event will be held on Wednesday, September 23, from 6:00-7:30 pm. Topics will include economic development, greenspace preservation, and land use decisions. Community members are welcome to submit questions by September 15 that will be used to craft questions for the candidates.

Tikkun is looking for passionate volunteers to help with animal care, nourishing care, and horticulture. This is a great opportunity to get out in the community and get your hands dirty for the betterment of our food system!

The Livestock Program Assistant will attend to the diverse livestock at Turner Farm, a regenerative, pasture-based operation. If you are interested, send a resume to leevi@turnerfarm.org.

We’re introducing this little corner of the newsletter to feature some fun multi-media resources to inspire food system changemakers in our community! Do you have a must read, watch, recipe, etc? Email us with your suggestion for the chance to be included in our next newsletter!

Our Food Policy Council Member, Taylor Newman, crafted this healthy, delicious summer recipe to share throughout our Farmers Market Tour and with our newsletter subscribers. Taylor is a Registered Dietitian who is passionate about nutrition education and local food. We hope you will enjoy this bright summer salad!

In this short post, Margaret Wheatley argues that today's leaders and activists face a climate of fear, conflict, and eroding trust that older leadership skills can no longer address, calling for a new kind of leader she names "Warrior for the Human Spirit.” Warriors cultivate qualities like patience, presence, clear-seeing, and trustworthiness, learning to respond rather than react, and to see what's needed beyond their own filters and judgments. May we all be Warriors for the Human Spirit.

Reply to this email to reach the new Food Policy Council Manager, Rosa, or for questions regarding membership, visit here or email membership@greenumbrella.org.

Interested in sponsoring the Food Policy Council? Email Director of Engagement and Strategic Partnerships Charlie Gonzalez.