The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service, announced new technical assistance to help 13 communities develop local food system and placemaking strategies. The assistance is provided through Local Foods, Local Places (LFLP), a federal initiative that helps communities reinvest in existing neighborhoods and improve quality of life for all residents as they develop the local food economy.
The project encourages community-led downtown and neighborhood revitalization, enhanced local economies and job creation, improved diet and health, and increased environment protection efforts.
“Local Foods, Local Places is a great example of how federal and local partners can come together to support community efforts that build food systems, improve equitable access to healthy food, create job opportunities, and enhance environmental protection efforts,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I am excited to see how these communities thrive over the next several years and become models for other locations across the nation.”
Each selected community will work with a team of federal, state, and regional experts to address local agricultural, environmental, public health, economic development and equity issues. Together, they will develop a community-led action plan to strengthen the local food system and spur revitalization of often-overlooked neighborhoods in the community.
Since its launch in 2014, LFLP has assisted more than 125 communities across the country to develop local food enterprises, such as farmers markets, community gardens, cooperative grocery stores, and food hubs that improve environmental, economic, and health outcomes.
The Family Center/La Familia multicultural family resource center seeks to engage Latinx residents in the predominantly low-income immigrant corridor of Ft. Collins to create more options for upward economic mobility, celebrate existing local cultural culinary talents, and support a more comprehensive and resilient local food system.
For more information on Local Foods, Local Places, visit: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/local-foods-local-places