This project brings together public, private, and nonprofit organizations, along with community members, producers, and resources, to design and build a more equitable, vibrant, and resilient local…

The Northern Colorado Foodshed Project was awarded a $308,118 Project Grant from the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service under the Regional Food System Partnerships program (CFDA 10.177). The grant will support the design and implementation of a more equitable, vibrant and resilient local food system in Northern Colorado over a two-year period ending in October 2023. Key deliverables include convening community stakeholders to develop plans and frameworks around food sovereignty, access, outreach and education, as well as production and land access. The partnership will collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data to identify innovative solutions and establish performance metrics to measure progress towards its goals. An advisory council will also be formed to promote inclusivity and prioritize marginalized voices in shaping the local food system.

This project brings together public, private, and nonprofit organizations, along with community members, producers, and resources, to design and build a more equitable, vibrant, and resilient local food system in northern colorado. Our goal for the project is to address three key areas of growth and opportunity: food sovereignty and access, community outreach and education, and production growth and land access. To achieve this goal, we will: (1) convene authentic community collaborations with established and potential partners to envision, define, and design the local food system scope and structure. This includes developing data-informed planning processes and frameworks to build an equitable, vibrant, and resilient local food system that is inclusive of all people and addresses the three key areas of opportunity and growth; (2) collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data within the three key areas of opportunity and to create innovative, sustainable, and community-driven solutions toward a more equitable, vibrant, and resilient local food system. This includes conducting assessments and feasibility studies, as well as researching metrics to measure, evaluate, and document the partnership's work. We will also establish time-defined performance benchmarks for achieving partnership goals; and (3) form and establish a local food equity advisory council to promote interconnectivity and inclusivity by prioritizing marginalized voices in the local food system, generating a dialogue between diverse stakeholders and community members, and building capacity for leaders in a more equitable framework.