Food & Community – OSU Extension Local Foods Signature Program

IMPACT. 1: Buying local foods has a ripple effect on the economy. The farmer/producer benefits as well as their employees, local businesses they frequent, charities they support and the local tax base. -- 2. Food raised on local farms not only reduces pollution from long-distance transportation, but also helps to protect our water sources, conserve nutrient-rich soil and provide habitat for local wildlife. -- 3. Over two million Ohioans are food insecure. Community gardens, farm markets, food banks and simply sharing your extra garden produce can feed these families and connect them to the community.OSU PARTNERS: College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; OSU Extension; Department of Food Science and Technology; Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center; College of Engineering; Department of Food, Biological and Agricultural Engineering; College of Education and Human Ecology; Department of Human Sciences; Ohio AgrAbility Program; John Glenn School of Public Affairs; Knowlton School of ArchitectureCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Americorps VISTA; Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet); Godman Guild Association; Innovative Farmers of Ohio; Local Matters; Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission; Ohio Department of Agriculture Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association; Ohio Farm Bureau; Ohio Farmers' Market Management Network; Ohio Market Maker; Rural Action Council of Ohio Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education ProgramPRIMARY CONTACT: Kate Shumaker (shumaker.68@osu.edu)Farm to Plate. Thirty Mile Meals. Feeding our friends and neighbors, funding the local economy and improving the environment can all be accomplished by participating in the local foods movement. Ohio State University Extension's Local Foods Signature Program addresses the critical need for outreach education around the broad topic of local food systems. One of our themes, Food and Community, features education connecting local food to community gardens, farmers markets, food banks and schools