Title
Approval of Use of Council Goal Funds and Economic Development Reserves for a Local Food Systems Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to Approve the Use of use $50,000 of the Council Goal Fund and $195,000 of Economic Development Reserves to fund a Local Food Systems Plan.
Report
Issue:
Whether to use $50,000 of the Council Goal Fund and $195,000 of Economic Development Reserves to fund a Local Food Systems Plan.
Staff Contact:
Sylvana Niehuser, Parks, Arts & Recreation Director, 360.753.8068
Presenter(s):
Sylvana Niehuser, Parks, Arts & Recreation Director
Background and Analysis:
Food security and the resilience of Olympia's local food system has received increasing attention in recent years. Supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty surrounding federal food assistance programs, and rising food costs have underscored the importance of strengthening local food access and resilience.
The City has long supported local food systems through investments such as the Olympia Farmers Market and community gardens at Sunrise and Yauger Parks. Olympia's Comprehensive Plan also includes goals related to local food production, urban agriculture, and food security. While these goals have guided individual initiatives, the City has not developed a comprehensive strategy to coordinate its efforts to advance this work.
Recent efforts include partnering with the Thurston Conservation District to map agricultural soils and urban agriculture resources, updating City code to support urban agriculture, supporting additional community gardens managed by the Thurston Conservation District, and conducting a feasibility study for an urban farm park.
An actionable Local Food Systems Plan would build on this work by assessing community needs, identifying opportunities and gaps, and establishing a coordinated strategy to guide future policies, programs, partnerships, and...
Click here for full text