A message from our Director, Maddie Chera: |
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In August, I attended the National Farm to School Network’s annual meeting in Minneapolis, collaborating with advocates for healthy school meals and local food procurement, and hearing from inspiring leaders like indigenous food sovereignty activist Linda Black Elk. I joined in meetings with other regional and local food policy councils and spoke with an architect of Minnesota’s universal school meals legislation, a nonprofit food hub, and a community organizer empowering neighbors through garden education. This short trip emphasized the importance of building strong foundations through background research and coalition building, anticipating possibilities, and staying agile to act when they arise. More elegantly, this was distilled by one speaker into the wisdom: “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.”
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It’s not a new slogan or a new concept, but, especially as we enter this season of harvest and reflection, hearing this message really brought into relief for me how valuable our Food Policy Council’s strategy has been over the years. Big splashy leaps forward don’t always happen as fast as we want them to, especially in the collective impact model we use, but the time we take to diligently foster ties across a really broad network and to build projects, resources, and policy goals in many areas of the food system and many scales of policy all at once is paying off. We’re preparing for a resilient regional food system on all fronts, and steady work across the board from all of us is positioning us well to act.
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We’re working with partners across Ohio to advocate for soil health, farm to school incentive programs, and more, as we prepare for upcoming elections and what will come after (see “Other News”). We’re tapping our expertise in data analysis and storytelling to communicate about the health and climate impacts our members are facing (see our Food Systems Circularity Series and stay tuned for a forthcoming spotlight series from FPC Council Member Polly Campbell). And we’re contributing to local and regional planning through processes like Community Health Improvement Plans, the Sustainability Playbook for Greater Cincinnati, and collaborative grant applications, setting the stage for integrated food systems planning.
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And of course, we are doing it all as a network, celebrating our connections and all we have achieved together (see Featured Story below). Since this is our last newsletter of 2024, I’ll leave you with this: We are ready for all the opportunities 2025 has to offer! |
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| Cheers,
Maddie Chera, PhD
Director, Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council |
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Reply to this email to reach Maddie, or reach out to FPC Community Manager, Qeiara, for general information or to get involved in a Policy Committee at qeiara@greenumbrella.org |
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The Incubator Kitchen Collective is a non-profit, shared-use commercial kitchen space that supports food entrepreneurs in the Greater Cincinnati Region. They offer a comprehensive framework of support that helps food start-ups overcome the unique barriers in the food industry, and have helped over 200 businesses get started & grow. No dream is too big or too small to grow with them! The Incubator has been a Green Umbrella member since 2016. We were so excited to collaborate with Incubator Kitchen Collective to feature their food businesses as vendors at Cultivate + Connect!
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Interested in becoming a Green Umbrella member and collaborating on future events? Learn more today. |
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First Cultivate + Connect Event Brings Together Food System Champions Across the Region |
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Green Umbrella’s Food Policy Council and the Common Orchard Project hosted a celebration at Urban Artifact’s the Reliquary on September 19th, focusing on the intersections of food, climate, and community. The evening buzzed with energy as 140 food system champions came together to share stories, applaud each other’s wins, get inspired, and enjoy delicious food, drink, and flowers from 18 local businesses. Attendees also participated in an interactive photo activity that mapped each of our vital roles in the regional food system. The program featured six storytellers involved in our programs, including Cincinnati City Council Member Anna Albi. Read more and see images from the event on our new blog!
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We’re proud to co-host our October Green Drinks with Last Mile Food Rescue and cross-pollinate their network of passionate volunteers with the broader Green Umbrella community. Green Drinks is Green Umbrella’s monthly social event that offers an opportunity to network with sustainability leaders from across Greater Cincinnati. This free event is open to anyone interested in climate action issues and getting involved in local sustainability initiatives. Join us for an evening of informal networking at Little Miami Brewing in Milford, OH (and come pick up your Polaroid from Cultivate + Connect while you’re there!).
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Professional Opportunities |
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More opportunities & resources: |
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What’s your favorite food-related fall activity
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Growing up on a farm in northern KY, I have great memories of hickory nut hunting with family in the Fall with our grandparents, riding the haywagon back on their land. Then helping Mom crack and pick the hickory nuts from their shell. When I crack walnuts now, sends me back in my memories to those Fall outings. - Rosie Allen |
FPC Council Member and Facilitator of the Access & Education Committee; Nutrition Education Program, University of Kentucky |
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We enjoy apple picking at McGlasson Farm, because we can do it as a family, get some exercise, and enjoy the fall weather. We also love going to fall farm fun festivals - Gorman Heritage Farm's Sunflower Festival & The Browns Family Farm in Ross, Ohio.
- R. Alan Wight, Ph.D. |
FPC Council Member and Facilitator of the Farms & Land Use Committee; Community & School Forest Garden Liaison Office for Innovation & Community Partnerships College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services University of Cincinnati |
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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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The Food Policy Council Is Sponsored By: |
Edible Ohio Valley Urban Artifact |
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Green Umbrella leads cross-sector collaboration to accelerate climate action across Greater Cincinnati. |
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