« What to Consider When Developing a Council | Main | Farm Bill Review as of May 17th »
USDA Community Food Project Grantee Organization Profile
Post Date: May 11, 2008
Focus Area
community development, education, farming, farmers’ markets, farm-to-cafeteria, farm-to- restaurant/store, food policy council, minority empowerment, sustainable agriculture, youth, small farms, native american, community food assessment, outreach, research, cooperative development, entrepreneurship, food buying club, native agriculture.
Mission
The mission of Farm to Table is to promote local agriculture through education, community outreach, and networking. Farm to Table enhances marketing opportunities for farmers; encourages family farming, farmers’ markets, and the preservation of agricultural traditions; influences public policy; and furthers understanding of the links between farming, food, health, and local economies.
Background
Farm to Table was incorporated in 1996 as the Friends of Santa Fe Farmers’ Market in order to support the establishment and growth of a thriving farmers market in Santa Fe. Its primary work focused on securing a permanent location for the market – a goal still not brought to fruition, though the farmers’ market is currently negotiating permitting with the city of Santa Fe. In 2002, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute took over as the non-profit advocacy group for the farmers’ market, and Friends of the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market changed its name – and expanded its focus – to Farm to Table.
Farm to Table works with farmers and ranchers in the Four Corners region of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah; promotes farm-to-cafeteria programs; and advocates for sound food and agricultural policy. Farm to Table’s stated purpose is to educate children and adults about the importance of consuming locally produced food and supporting local agriculture; encourage consumers to use farmers’ markets and other direct marketing venues to obtain nutritious, locally produced agricultural products; encourage farmers to participate in farmers’ markets and other direct marketing venues to increase the viability of the region’s agriculture; provide a forum to educate farmers about traditional and innovative agricultural methods; and build rural and urban community networks to collaborate on and influence policy and public opinion.
Programs
Farm to Table programs aim to build a more secure community by teaching children, food buyers and farmers how a strong, local food economy is basic to self-reliance and health. This includes building networks between rural and urban communities through educational programs, regional projects, newsletters, presentations and conferences.
Specific activities include collaboration with the four-state, three-plus year collaborative “Southwest Marketing Network: Expanding Markets for Southwest Small-Scale, Alternative and Minority Producers” which includes an annual multi-state conference, trainings and technical assistance, and quarterly newsletter; providing leadership for and coordination of the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council, a statewide collaboration of more than 100 organizations and agencies involved in food, agriculture, health, environment and education in New Mexico; developing a southwest regional “outpost” in collaboration with the national Community Food Security Coalition and four state partners of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah; offering year-round programming to schoolchildren with curricula focused on regional foods and livestock tied to science, nutrition, health, literature, art, math, and regional cultural traditions; developing gardens in schools and emphasizing food production and physical activity as priorities in order to increase educational opportunities and improve health; and facilitating the development of new markets for farmers by working with food producers, school food service buyers, and other related agencies, organizations and businesses to provide New Mexico’s schoolchildren with fresh, healthy, local foods in their cafeterias.
All of these activities have been enhanced by Farm to Table’s two USDA-funded Community Food Projects.
Topics: Recent Articles |