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Winter 2023 (January)
A message from our Director:
Winter means getting inspired and prepared, right? Whether you’re planning your garden or setting some professional goals, this is the time to gather your tools and get ready to act with intention. That’s what our Food Policy Council has been doing, too!
We received strong applications to serve as a Council Member in 2023 from many of you, which is so exciting! In addition to the 2023 cohort of Council Members who will take on a leadership and facilitation role, this turnout means our new Committees should have plenty of Committee Members.
We are in the process of confirming each Council Member’s intent to serve and their availability so we can get the Full Council and Committee Meetings scheduled for the rest of 2023. Expect a brief meeting announcement and information about accessing and adding to meeting agendas from our Backbone Support team (Green Umbrella staff) to follow in the coming weeks.
The Council and its Committees will be collaborating to set policy-related goals for the rest of the year and beyond. There are going to be numerous opportunities for us to bring in our range of local expertise and experience, align with other organizations in coalition, and educate and advocate in our communities.
You can get involved now by providing public comment on the Food focus area and other sections of the Green Cincinnati Plan if you’re a city resident (through Feb. 8), and staying up-to-date on issues like Healthy School Meals for All and the impending end of the pandemic-related boost to SNAP (you can always reach out to our legislators!). You can submit a panel, workshop, or artwork proposal for the Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit, hosted annually by our parent organization, Green Umbrella (proposal deadline is Jan. 31). Check out the news about the Food Donation Improvement Act passing into law (we advocated on this one!) and about Ohio’s new CAN (Community + Agriculture + Nutrition) program getting locally produced food into our communities via food access points. And stay tuned for more information about how to advocate around the massive package of federal legislation known as the Farm Bill, which will be negotiated this year and will impact stakeholders across our regional food system. We’ll be talking about it throughout 2023. So let’s get inspired, let’s get ready, and let’s go—together!
Cheers, Maddie Chera, PhD Director, Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council
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