Reports & Research

An Exploration of Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs

Released in Fall 2023, we supported Produce Perks Midwest in creating a report that explores the process of digitizing nutrition incentives at farmers’ markets. The report assesses Ohio’s varying nutrition incentive programs, including Produce Perks and Produce Prescription (PRx) programming, WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP), and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SMFNP). It includes insight and interviews from farmers’ market managers and vendors across Ohio; offering perspective on the varying payment methods, the increasing demand for a streamlined, digital version of these benefits, and the capacity and infrastructure challenges many markets face.

 

Regional Farm to School Curriculum Guide

Last updated in Summer 2023, the purpose of this guide is to connect educators and foodservice members with a variety of educational resources in service of providing relevant experiential learning and nutritional security to students across the region. The guide addresses the educational components of the Greater Cincinnati Regional Farm to School Action Plan by encompassing the essential ingredients for growing, cooking, and consuming nutritious food on school grounds. Local teachers, environmental education educators, foodservice members, and representatives from health agencies developed this guide together.*

 

2022-2023 Feed Our Future Annual Local Purchasing Report

Last updated in Summer 2023, this report summarizes local food purchasing by school districts that participate in the Feed Our Future Program created by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and adopted by our region. We supported partner school districts in serving food produced in our region and sharing fun educational resources about seasonality, nutrition, preparation, and more! You can read summaries for the whole state of Ohio, for our region, and by district partner, as well as for our 2022 Local Menu Takeover promotion.*

 

2022 Urban Agriculture Report​

Last updated in April 2023, this report was commissioned by the City of Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability and presented to the City Council's Climate, Environment & Infrastructure Committee in May 2023.

 

2022 Strategic Plan​

The Food Policy Council undertook a significant strategic planning process throughout the spring and summer of 2022, with the help of an external food systems consultant. The resultant plan identified short-, medium-, and long-term needs and recommendations for the Council in order to leverage our strengths and continue to serve our community effectively.^

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2021 Impact Report​

Last updated in January 2022, the Impact Report highlights our activities and outcomes​ from 2021, and invites supporters to take actions related to each aspect of our work.^

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How to Support an Equitable Food System & Buy Local

Buying local and supporting an equitable food system is now easier than ever in Greater Cincinnati due to the completion of the Ohio Valley Food Hub Project in 2020. The project addressed the need for better market opportunities for local farms and better access for consumers to fresh, healthy, local food in the Greater Cincinnati region. 

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State of Local Food Report

Last updated in June 2019, this report provides insight into the current state of local food in the Greater Cincinnati region and recommendations for the future. The report includes information on the production, distribution, and consumption of local food,  as well as information on organizational capacity in our local food system and food waste and recovery.

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State of Wasted Food Report

Last updated in September 2019, this report provides information on steps being taken to reduce wasted food being sent to the landfill in the Greater Cincinnati region and recommendations on next steps to further reduce wasted food.

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Integrating Healthy Eating & Healthcare

This report provides a summary of the current state of healthy eating and healthcare and recommendations developed as a result of the Healthy Eating & Healthcare Summit in October 2019.

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Farm to School Regional Action Plan 

Learn about key regional team members and partners, goals, context, opportunities, and action steps identified for the cafeteria, classroom and community components of farm to school programming within our region.*

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Local Food Procurement in Greater Cincinnati: Barriers

and Solutions for K-12 Schools

This brief report outlines barriers to local food procurement among K-12 schools in the Greater Cincinnati region, as well as solutions that have been proposed or successfully implemented.

 

 

A Cincinnati Farming and Food History

Last updated in 2018, this history of the Greater Cincinnati area's food system, with a focus on agriculture, serves as a launching point for the current project Cincinnati's Foodshed: An Art Atlas - Past Present Future.^

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*This project has been funded at least in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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^Funding for this project was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant AM190100XXXXG181. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.