Policy Council Resources & Publications
Please click here for our resources and publications archive which has important information about how to start a policy council, how to use media and information about the New Mexico “food gap”.
Below you’ll find the latest additions to the resources and publications related to food and agriculture policy.
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New Resource: A Food Systems Approach to Health and Wealth in New Mexico
Post Date: Monday, January 19th, 2009This power point provides an introduction to the New Mexico food system and discusses existing challenges and opportunities that the food system presents to healthy people, healthy communities, and a healthy economy. Click here to download A Food System Approach to Cultivating Health and Wealth. If you have any questions about the document, please email info@farmtotablenm.org.
Topics: Resources & Publications |
New Publication: Good News For Local Foods in the Farm Bill
Post Date: Monday, December 22nd, 2008The 2008 Farm Bill had lots of great new programs to help producers and food-related community organizations, now it’s up to us to take advantage of these funding opportunities to build our local food system. To help you figure out which of these programs may benefit you or your organization, we’ve created a brief guide. Click here to download Good News For Local Foods in the Farm Bill.
Topics: Policy Updates, Resources & Publications |
New Publication: Report to the Governor on Closing New Mexico’s Food Gap
Post Date: Monday, December 22nd, 2008This month, the NM Food Gap Task Force presented its report, Closing New Mexico’s Food Gap, to Governor Richardson, Lt. Governor Denish and the NM State Legislature. The Task Force was convened as a result of the passage of House Joint Memorial 10 in 2007 which called on the Governor to appoint a task force to study challenges to food access in the state and to provide recommendations to increase the ability of all New Mexicans to access healthy, affordable and culturally significant foods. The Task Force was composed of representatives of the Departments of Health, Human Services, Agriculture, Transportation, Aging and Long-Term Services, and Indian Affairs as well as representatives from the NM Food and Agriculture Policy Council, the Mid-Region Council of Governments and Legal Aid. The Task Force met monthly from July through November to study the issue and develop the report.
Click here to read the Executive Summary.
Click here to download the Full Report.
Topics: Policy Updates, Resources & Publications |
New Release: New Mexico Food, Agriculture and Fitness Policy Database
Post Date: Thursday, October 9th, 2008Farm to Table is happy to announce the release of the NM Food and Fitness Policy Scan conducted by Farm to Table for the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. This investment by W. K. Kellogg Foundation represents their work towards a “future food system that provides all segments of society, especially those most vulnerable, with a safe and nutritious food supply, grown in a manner that protects health and the environment, and adds economic and social value to rural and urban communities.”
Over eighty non-profit and allied organizations that do policy work throughout New Mexico are included in this policy scan. Participating NGO’s and organizations represented policy work in the following domains: Food and Agriculture Systems, Health, Physical Fitness and Nutrition, Hunger and Poverty, Environment and Environmental Justice, Community and Economic Development, Asset Development, and Community and Transportation Planning. Even though most organizations in this policy scan might be unfamiliar with one another’s policy work or how their work is related to improving the food, farming and health systems of New Mexico, we saw this research project as an opportunity to “cross pollinate” our collective efforts across domains to improve comprehensive policy-making that would directly benefit the communities of New Mexico.
The document includes an introduction and preliminary analysis of the New Mexico policy environment which we hope will deepen a collective dialogue and inspire groups and individuals to become involved in the decision-making process at the local, regional, tribal, state wide and/or federal levels of governance. The policy scan is a great way to enter into the complex but accessible world of policy. We hope you enjoy making the connections between groups working on water quality and quantity issues, smart growth, farm land and greenbelt preservation, better nutrition for kids, sustainable economic development, closing the food gap, clean & affordable energy, fair political processes, living wage and affordable housing, farmers’ market development, walk-able and livable communities, leadership and advocacy development…and plenty more.
Given that Farm to Table’s mission is to help develop and promote understanding about the links among farming, food, health, environment and economic development, we saw this project as an opportunity to start a statewide dialogue among organizations working in diverse but related fields about those connections. More specifically, we were curious to learn about the policy work that various groups were doing, the policy strategies they employed, the natural synchronicities that might emerge, and how those connections might further cross-sector policy development and coalition-building around systemic issues. It also helped us develop a deeper understanding of the work being done that supports children, families, and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that help people achieve successes as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society.
Farm to Table values partnerships and collaborative initiatives because in our experience, we recognize that these relationships are essential to developing a healthy, place-based, sustainable food system in New Mexico. Farm to Table is utilizing this database as a resource for building strategic partnerships that will enhance and strengthen our long term commitment towards creating a food and farming system that serves the diverse needs of New Mexican communities.
Other organizations may find this scan helpful in determining which future alliances may benefit their organizational missions and contributions to broad-based and deeper systemic change. Likewise, you may find this scan helpful in your quest to find others working on parallel initiatives in New Mexico that represent “a better future” for all.
Click here to download the NM Food and Fitness Policy Scan.
Topics: Partners & Other Links, Resources & Publications |