This document discusses community food councils and their development process. It provides examples of food councils in North Carolina at different stages of maturity. Food councils typically progress through seed, start-up, growth, expansion, and mature phases over 30-42 months. The seed phase involves considering if a food council is worthwhile. The start-up phase focuses on designing the council and cultivating support. Growth involves developing the council's structure and learning about issues. Expansion grows membership to work on priorities. Mature councils develop strategic plans and collaborate with others. The document shares examples of two councils' development histories.