CFAC's Accomplishments Since 2005, CFAC has been working to find systemic and integrated solutions to a broken food system. Here’s a sampling of our accomplishments, as of July 2009.
Land Use & Agricultural Viability Committee:
- Secured a new definition of agriculture for both the Missoula City and County subdivision regulations. The new definition includes agricultural soils and clarifies a proposed development’s impacts to agriculture so that it can be more carefully reviewed and mitigated.
- Included maps of agricultural soils in multiple comprehensive planning processes, including: Zoning and Subdivision Regulations Update, Urban Fringe Development Area Project (20-year residential plan), and Envision Missoula (long-range transportation plan).
- Provided written comment and testimony on 24 subdivision proposals regarding their impacts to agriculture in 2008. Involved twelve of our members in the process. As a result:
- One subdivision was outright rejected.
- Three were required to permanently protect farmland as a condition of approval for the first time in Missoula County history.
- Two have been re-designed to include community gardens.
- And developers are contacting us early in the design phase to discuss ways to minimize their impacts to agriculture.
- Missoula’s City Council, County Commissioners, builders, and government agencies are asking for policy guidelines around farmland and development, and the Office of Planning and Grants has prioritized this for the upcoming year.
- Researched farm and ranch transfer programs, and launched Land Link Montana in February 2009 with extensive media cover and very positive responses from area farmland owners and seekers.
Food Security, Access and Consumption:
- Set up Montana’s first Electronic Benefits Transfer (food stamps) at Missoula’s two farmers’ markets, resulting in $5,000+ in sales of fresh, local food to low-income families in 2007, and over $11,000 in 2008.
- Partnered with Missoula County Public Schools (K-12) to establish the Farm to School Program, serving over 4,000 pounds in the 2005-2006 school year, 17,000 pounds in 2006-2007, 31,000 pounds in 2008-2009, and already over 39,000 pounds this school year. The National Association of Counties (NACO) featured our school meal program as a “best practice example” in a major report.
- Conducted policy research for the Missoula City Council regarding urban chicken-keeping and helped draft an ordinance, which legalized raising hens within the city limits.
- Conducted participatory research on food and nutrition policies focused on meeting the needs of low-income people. The report, Food Insecurity in Missoula County: Barriers, Opportunities, & Solutions, described the next steps to promote community food security and policy change, and was disseminated to local service providers and public officials in 2007.
Outreach and Education:
- Organized “Rooted in the Soil,” a farmland protection tour in July 2008 targeted at local elected officials and other key stakeholders to educate the 65 participants about threats to local agriculture posed by development and opportunities for local markets.
- Organized the Reel to Real Food Film Festival, a weekend of documentary films and discussion in both 2008 and 2009.
- Organized Harvest Festival in 2005 and 2006, an educational and celebratory event featuring speakers (Anna Lappe and Michael Ableman) and drawing crowds of 700 people each time.
- Initiated a Farm-to-Chef Collaborative to bring local foods to area restaurants and to promote “Buy Fresh, Buy Local.” Educational presentations and materials are provided at restaurants, and CFAC facilitates periodic conversations between chefs and farmers to share ideas and solve problems.
- Built a solid base of public support for a sustainable, community-based food system through presentations, partnerships with Edible Missoula, our bi-annual newsletters, and our membership drive, which had an exceptional 20% response rate.
- Secured news stories and opinion editorials in local media outlets.
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