There are many policy-related issues surrounding local food, and the longer I delve into this topic, the more I learn, the more passionate I become, and the more I realize just how many of our societal hardships revolve around policies changes related to local food.
There are the more obvious policy issues, like changes to local regulations that will make it easier for food producers, aka, cottage food producers, to more easily sell their products. Growing our cottage food industry has so many benefits to our community, as these food producers are also local entrepreneurs, who if giving the opportunity, will grow and thrive. Which means more jobs, more tax revenues, and of course, more local food.
Most of you probably know about the state law passed in 2012 that allows individuals to sell some non-perishable foods directly to buyers. This a great start and should be celebrated. But there is much more that needs to be done.
Denver recently passed an ordinance to allow residents to get a license to sell their home-produced products out of their homes. This is a great example of a regulation change. We could do the same here in C Springs. We could also go a step further to allow additional foods, like pickled items and honies, to be sold under the Cottage Food Act.
I believe it’s also important for us to support local markets, like a planned public market, who could promote and sell local foods.
These are some examples of some of our backyards in Colorado Springs, and a special pic of Penelope, the goat owned by Monycka Snowbird, who took the time to come to City Hall and ask me to make her legal.
She’s pretty adorable and probably changed a lot of hearts and minds that day.
The photo on the left was taken at last weekend’s Urban Homestead Tour that was a part of local food week.
I’m certain there are other policies that can assist our local farmers---from finding ways to allow them to capture rain water, reduce the oversight of local HOAs that prevent urban agriculture or demand a large portion of yards to be grass…which frankly, doesn’t produce any food.
A bigger piece of the development puzzle are urban deserts, and how, we as a community, can bring the market back to our neighborhoods.
Most of you have probably heard of food deserts. Food deserts exist in areas of a community where any citizen does not live witan 1-2 miles of a supermarket. Or a place where one can purchase ‘real’, not processed food. That is the technical term. Ideally, it is best if everyone in your city can walk to a food market within 10-15 minutes. Currently only 6% of those living in Colorado Springs can walk to their grocery store in 10-15 minutes.
It didn’t’ used to be like this. There was a time when our local zoning codes were geared to traditional zoning, or multi-use zoning.
Today’s neighborhoods are built using Euclidean zoning. Where residential, commercial and industrial zones are separated, often by large thoroughfares and great distances, making it difficult to walk or bike to ones local supermarket.
City Council and City Planning are currently undergoing a review of our infill policies and related codes, to see how we can promote good infill. My goal for our food policy group is to be engaged with this process, to:
Encourage traditional zoning that promotes neighborhoods, bikeable and walkable streets, and a close proximity to food stores.
Identify vacant land that can be used for community gardens or other urban ag.
Other issues that could be tackled include:
Antibiotic use in farming, and how they affect our waterways and communities
Making it easier for residential and commercial composting
Looking into policies that make it easier for Small Farm Projects to begin and thrive
Identify vacant land that can be used for community gardens or other urban ag.
The FPC can also encourage future developments to allow urban ag, create common spaces for community gardens and urban farming instead of golf courses or community centers.
Next steps:
Continue discussions with County to see if we can create one board for entire district.
Complete governance – size of board, composition of board
Finalize mission and objectives to ensure it meets the needs of our community
Please let me know if you have ideas, concerns, or if you’d like to help us in any way. This is an exciting time for local food, and if I have anything to say about it, Colorado Springs will lead the charge for other communities to follow.
Thank you.
