Food Security

Reports / Plans

• Hartford Advisory Commission Recommendations on Food Policy

  

  This 2012 report puts forth a slate of recommendations for alleviating hunger and providing Hartford residents with greater food security. Action items include: increasing participation in various federal meal programs; incentivizing healthy food production and sale in the City; supporting the success and growth of farmers’ markets; and more.

  Click here to download the full report.

   

   

   

• Regional Plan of Conservation and Development Update-Food Systems and Food Security

  

  Updated by CRCOG in 2014, the Capitol Region Plan of Conservation and Development: Vibrant. Green. Connected. Competitive. is a general guide for the future conservation and development of the greater Hartford area. It encourages the creation of a more sustainable region and presents some of the challenges and choices that will ultimately shape the region’s future. The Food Systems and Food Security chapter calls for a holistic approach to food systems planning and provides a slate of goals and policy recommendations to improve food security in the region.

  Click here to download the Chapter.

  Click here to download the Executive Summary.

  Click here to access the full plan.

• Designed for Disease: The Link Between Local Food Environments and Obesity and Diabetes

  

  According to this California-based study by PolicyLink, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, people living in neighborhoods crowded with fast-food and convenience stores but relatively few grocery or produce outlets are at significantly higher risk of suffering from obesity and diabetes.

  Click here to download the full report.

   

   

   

• Food Policy Councils: Helping local, regional and state governments address food system challenges

  

  This report, prepared by the American Planning Association’s Planning and Community Health Research Center, provides an overview of Food Policy Councils (FPCs), charts the functions of planners on FPCs, highlights common ways that planning departments support these councils and offers lessons learned from across the country.

  Click here to download the full report.

   

   

   

Toolbox

• Sustainable Land Use Model Regulations

  

  CRCOG’s innovative booklet of Sustainable Land Use Model Regulations equips towns with model regulatory language covering ten specific topic areas, including Local Food Systems (with a focus on community gardens). The project, funded by a HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant, also included the creation of renderings to help communities visualize the physical impact of implementing the regulations. The visualizations were created for urban, suburban and rural communities at both a bird’s eye and street-level view. Click here to access: specific regulations by topic, the complete compendium of regulations, the accompanying visualizations and a video about the project.

Resources

• Feeding America

  
  Source Reference for Data Usage: Gundersen, C., E. Engelhard, A. Satoh, & E. Waxman.
  Map the Meal Gap 2014: Food Insecurity Estimates at the County Level. Feeding America, 2014.
  

• Hartford Food System

  

  One of the nation’s oldest organizations championing food security, visit www.hartfordfood.org to learn more about the agency’s pioneering efforts to provide a sustainable, equitable and healthier food environment for Hartford citizens.

• Growing Great Schools

  

  Growing Great Schools is a community-based effort in West Hartford, CT to create healthier schools by connecting food, culture, health and the environment. Its vision is to empower West Hartford Public School students to become active participants in their nutritional and physical health, while caring for the planet. Click here to learn more about their innovative Chefs Moves to Schools program, running Taste Tests and school-based Farmers Markets.

• End Hunger Connecticut!

  

  End Hunger Connecticut! (EHC!) is a statewide anti-hunger and food security organization. By focusing on advocacy, outreach, education and research, EHC! serves as a comprehensive anti-hunger resource for policymakers, community organizations, and low-income families. The work of EHC! is vital to the visibility and coordination of various federal food assistance programs, such as SNAP and Child Nutrition Programs, that are meant to lower the prevalence of food insecurity and hunger. The goal of EHC! is to improve the levels of food security and nutrition among Connecticut families while creating and supporting policies that move families toward self-sufficiency. For more information, visit the EHC! website at www.endhungerct.org.

• The National Mobile Market

  

  In direct response to nationwide food insecurity, The National Mobile Market provides a model for bringing a mobile market to any community or city. Using tried-and-true methods, their team of financial, operational and communications experts guides teams through the process of researching local food deserts, building community partnerships, recruiting financial support and sustaining a social enterprise. The mobile market concept is simply a grocery store on wheels that brings fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, dairy and other shelf-stable essentials to communities that would otherwise lack access to these healthy foods. Their efforts are in place to address and prevent chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity by empowering food-insecure communities with the tools they need to bring new options to their areas. Visit their website to learn more about their approach, their network of partners and affiliates and to view their detailed development materials.

  Additional Links:

  • Connecticut Chapter of Northeast Organic Farming Association (CT NOFA)
  • USDA Food Security Programs and Services
  • Food Security Network

Funding Sources

• Aetna Foundation

  

  The Aetna Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of our 2016 Cultivating Healthy Communities grant program. We recognize that health is local: it begins in our homes, schools, jobs, and neighborhoods. By creating more chances to make healthy choices in these places, we can empower whole communities to lead healthier lives.

  With this RFP, we seek to fund programs that will increase opportunities for health in underserved, low-income communities. We’re focusing on five target areas:

  • Healthy Behaviors
  • Community Safety
  • Built Environment
  • Social/Economic Factors
  • Environmental Exposures

  To strengthen our impact, we’ve selected specific indicators of success–outlined in the RFP–that programs should address. Though the scope of this year’s RFP is broader, we’re still committed to programs promoting physical activity, urban gardening, and local food. With the addition of new focus areas, we hope to reach more spaces in the communities we serve.

  This will be our only open RFP this year. We expect to award up to $2 million in grants to organizations in the continental United States through this program.

  This will be a highly competitive, multi-staged funding opportunity and application process. All Stage 1 applications must be received by April 15th 2016 at 3PM ET. We will not accept any late or incomplete applications. You must submit a Stage 1 application in order to be considered for Stage 2.

  For more information, please visit the Foundation’s website, and review the RFP. Some frequently asked questions appear at the end of the RFP. Due to the anticipated number of applicants, regretfully, the Foundation is unable to respond to individual questions about the program.

• NewAlliance Bank

  

  This New Haven-based foundation provides support to the non-profit community in four key areas, including Community Development, and targets “food security for all” as one of many funding priorities designed to support community stability. Fifteen CRCOG towns fall within its funding jurisdiction. The deadline for submitting applications in 2016 is July 1st. For application guidelines, visit www.newalliancefoundation.org.

• Bank of American Charitable Foundation

  

  The Bank of America Charitable Foundation is offering grants for nonprofits working to address issues pertaining to hunger and basic human needs in their communities, with an emphasis on the delivery of integrated services. Funding priorities include: hunger relief; feeding the hungry and food access.

  The application period for grants focusing on Hunger Relief is open from July 18 through August 5, 2016. To learn more about the Bank of America Charitable Foundation program, visit the Foundation’s webpage. To review specifics about the Basic Needs funding priority, click here.

• Partners for Places

  

  Partners for Places, a collaborative effort of the Funders’ Network and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, is a successful matching grant program that improves U.S. and Canadian communities by building partnerships between local government sustainability leaders and place—based foundations. National funders invest in local projects developed through these partnerships to promote a healthy environment, a strong economy and well—being for all residents. Past awards have supported energy efficiency challenges, urban agriculture projects, efforts to increase active transportation and food system improvements. The anticipated release date for the next RFP is June 2016. Visit the Funders’ Network website for more information and to view its project Idea Bank.

In the News

Implementation Projects

• 2017 CRCOG Regional Sustainability Award Winner!

  

  For the second year in a row, the Town of Coventry has received CRCOG’s Regional Sustainability Award–this time for its exemplary stewardship of the Coventry Farmers’ Market, a flagship regional destination and the only municipally-owned farmers’ market in the state. Since taking the helm in 2015, the Town has creatively managed and expanded the 22-week, ‘country-fair-type’ venue to maximize the market’s economic development opportunities as well as to provide local and regional small business and agricultural support. Success to date has hinged on strong partnerships, an innovative operations model, a committed cohort of volunteers, creative marketing efforts and a commitment to the market’s long term sustainability.

  Click here to access the Market’s website.

• Hartford Mobile Market

  

  The Hartford Mobile Market aims to address the lack of access to affordable and high quality produce in many Hartford neighborhoods. It is a year-round mobile produce market for targeted low-income neighborhoods, bringing fresh fruits and vegetables into areas with limited healthy food access. In addition to providing a source of locally and regionally grown produce for underserved communities, the Hartford Mobile Market also provides a new market for local farmers since the majority of the products sold over the course of the year on the mobile market are sourced locally.

  The Hartford Mobile Market began operating in December 2014 with two weekly stops, one at Hispanic Health Council/WIC and one at Community Health Services. SNAP and debit are accepted at all stops. Additional market stops will be added throughout the first year of the mobile market’s operations. Download a PDF of a flyer for the mobile market here.