Economic Development as Framing Strategy for Advocacy: Dispatches from Michigan - PowerPoint...

Economic development as framing strategy for advocacy

Dispatches from Michigan

Deirdra Stockmann | Food System Economic Partnership

Sharon P. Sheldon | Washtenaw County Public Health

Amanda Maria Edmonds | Growing Hope

Fran Talsma | Michigan Institute of Clinical Health and Research

CFSC Food Policy Conference Portland, OR – 20 May 2011

Roadmap

  Build common vocabulary

  Examples from Michigan

  Advocacy toolkit

  Activity: Advocacy action

  Discussion http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2893011093_0e95119bbb.jpg

Community and School Garden Network

Food Gatherers

Ann Arbor Public Schools

Fair Food Network

Cultivating Community (UM)

Agrarian Adventure

Growing Hope

Project Healthy Schools

Creative Change Educational Solutions

Living Stones Community

Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation

Project Grow Community Gardens

Ypsilanti Public

Schools

CS Mott Group for Sustainable Agriculture

(MSU)

Matthaei Botanical Gardens (UM)

Slow Food Huron Valley

Ann Arbor Farmers Market

Repasts Present and Future (SELMA/SFSFI)

Transition Ann Arbor

UM Health System

UM School of Public Health

Ypsilanti Health Coalition

Avalon Housing

Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers Market

Giving Gardens (EMU)

Packard Health Center

St Joseph Mercy Health

System

Food System Economic Partnership

Homegrown Festival and Local Food Summit

Washtenaw County Public Health

Ecology Center

Faith and Food

Summer Youth Employment Program

Ann Arbor Farm to School Collaborative

Woman’s Farm and Garden Association (Ann Arbor Branch)

MSU Extension

Ann Arbor Township Small Farms Initiative

Ann Arbor Township

City of Ann Arbor

Zingerman’s Community of Businesses

Local Orbit Eat Local Eat

Natural Arbor

Brewing Company

Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce

MSU Student Organic Farm

Washtenaw Community College

Local Food Guide

Chartwells Food Service

Local Table

People’s Food Co-op

Ypsilanti Food Co-op

Edible Avalon

Environment and stewardship

Culture and livelihoods

Sustainable Ag. Working Grp (UM SNRE)

Legacy Land Conservancy

Public education

Nonprofit

Public service

For-profit

Foundation

Student group

Collaborative program /initiative

Organization coding Connection coding Money

Information / other support

Formal Collaboration

Informal collaboration/ share key individuals

Office space/land

Ann Arbor Green Belt Commission

Community Action Network

Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation

Campus Dining Services (UM)

Michigan Sustainable Foods Initiative (UM)

Map credit to Rachel Chadderdon, 2009

Health and fair access

Mapping our partnerships Our successes are due to our longstanding partnerships and commitment to working together on common outcomes. We interact on too many levels and initiatives to name

2001 Ypsilanti Health Coalition founded 2003 Growing Hope founded; begins working with Washtenaw

County Public Health, MSUE Extension 2005 MI Dept of Community Health begins Building Healthy

Communities grants Food System Economic Partnership founded

2006 Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers Market founded by Growing Hope 2007 Ypsilanti Healthy Food Access Initiative 2008 Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan

YMCA Pioneering Healthy Communities 2009 Food Gatherers’ Food Security study and plan U-Michigan’s MICHR funds pilot project with Growing Hope

First annual Local Food Summit in Washtenaw County 2010 FSEP Policy Committee founded

Who’s in the room?

Socio-ecological model

Individual knowledge, skills

Interpersonal families, friends

Organizational schools, work,

social institutions

Community relationships among

organizations

Public Policy laws, regulations

Issue framing

  Shapes the message

  Connects issue to other issues

  Influences interpretation of information

  Examples:

  The “death tax”

  Change

  “Advocacy group”

What are some framing strategies for local food policy?

Building common vocabulary

http://jeffhayesfinearts.blogspot.com

the careful use of language or other symbols in public discourse. -- Kosicki, 2008

Beyond “attract and retain” Economic development: The development of wealth to improve

community well-being and quality of life by promoting investment, job creation and access to resources.


Two models:

http://avigroup.co/ http://www.msuorganicfarm.org/

Attract and retain large-scale, outside investment

Grow and support small-scale, inside investment

Advocacy coalitions

Effective coalitions:

  Engage diverse partners

  Build strong, reciprocal relationships

  Tell good stories about successes and impact


people from a variety of positions who share a particular belief system—for example a set of basic values, causal assumptions, and problem perceptions—and who show a nontrivial degree of coordinated activity over time.

-- Sabatier 1988

Coalition members include:

  Local gov’t officials (elected and appointed)

  Nonprofit representatives

  Businesses

  Schools

  Researchers

  Community members

Food and Farming in Michigan

  Second largest economic sector   55,000 farms; 10 million acres in farming

  $70 billion economic impact

  1 million jobs (~25% of Michigan workforce)

  Michigan Food Policy Council (2006)

  Michigan Good Food Charter (2010)   C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable

Agriculture, Michigan State U.

  Michigan Food Policy Council

  Food Bank Council of Michigan

Examples & Lessons

Two successful Michigan strategies:

  Increasing institutional food purchasing using local/regional growers contributes to local economic development

  Increasing access to local and healthy foods for the general population as well as low income, vulnerable populations drives economic development

Examples and lessons from Michigan

Start by identifying your goals…..

If economic development is identified as an important goal at the outset, programs will be developed with that priority.

Goals:   Increase freshness and variety of foods

  Stimulating the local economy   Building relationships between schools/

institutions and the local community   Increasing knowledge about local food

system


Farm to School – Economic impact

  Michigan K-12 schools represent about $200 million statewide spending on food.

  On 2009 survey, 42% of food service directors (FSD) said they were already purchasing from local producers

  If all schools spent just 5% on local food, school FSD’s would contribute $10 million to support local farmers/vendors and the local economy.


Student enjoys fresh, local melon from the school fruit & veg bar

Farm to School – Success stories

  Define “local”: Often a buzzword, local does not always need to cost more

  Put control in hands of the FSD

  Start small and expand efforts

  Schools can approach food service purchasing using a “tiered” approach:   Produce from local/regional

farmers   Other ingredients from state or

regional grower/producers (beans, pasta)


Bryant Elementary students show off their seed balls.

Farm to School – Ann Arbor P.S.

Timeline: •  2006: Chartwells contract started district wide

•  2006-07: Doubled produce purchasing (100% increase)

•  2007-08: Additional 25% increase in produce purchasing as they instituted mobile fruit/vegetable bars

  Strong local wellness policy (see link to toolkit) enhanced support for development of Farm to School and institutional food purchasing changes

  Overlap in participation on Wellness Policy Committee and Farm to School Committee helped to keep momentum and direction consistent


Farm to School

Talking to decision-makers

  School Administration and School Boards   Need specific examples of how Concord and Ann Arbor have

elevated the conversation to these levels through changes to purchasing contracts and other school policy changes

  School food service is the base ; build up from there!   Often FSD’s have the leeway to work within their existing

budget to bring local fresh foods in;

  Farm to School classroom content often follows and may require more formal integration with administration/school board; next steps are often school garden/hoophouse


Hospitals and healthcare

Health Care Without Harm Pledge: “Through food purchasing decisions, the health care industry can promote health more fresh, good tasting and nutritious choices for patients, staff and the community. And by supporting food production that is local, humane and protective of the environment and health, health care providers can lead the way to more sustainable agricultural practices.”


Michigan Green Health Care

  Mission of Michigan Hospital Association (MHA): “…establish a Michigan’s health care sector to improve the health and well-being of the state’s ecology and its citizens”

  An innovative program: the A-Z Environmental Purchasing Campaign is a framework for participants to purchase and market Michigan food products

  Build awareness of local food purchasing through on-site farmers markets


St. Joseph Mercy Health System   Recent change in leadership

led to signing on to “Health Care Without Harm” pledge (use of American Heart Association guidelines)

  All foods in cafeteria labeled to display nutrient content; offer a $5 healthy meal daily

  Purchasing produce from Four Seasons Produce Cooperative (Jackson County)

  Importance of marketing and education


John T. Greilick / The Detroit News

Farmers Market at St. Joes

St. Joseph Mercy Health System

  “The Farm at St. Joe’s”: a 4-acre farm with two hoop house structures (season extenders in Michigan) growing tomatoes, peppers and winter greens.

  Produce sold at on-site Farmers Market (employees and visitors) and to hospital cafeteria (visitors and employees)

  1500 lbs donated to low income families


The Farm at St. Joes

  State/locally funded, evidence-based public health interventions to:   Increase physical activity levels

  Increase fruit and vegetable intake

  Increase tobacco-free environments

  Use community health policy and environmental assessment and review community data such as:   Healthy Communities Checklist

  Nutrition Environmental Assessment tool

  BRFSS/Local data

  www.mihealthtools.org


  The Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers’ Market began in 2006 to bring better access to healthy food downtown, while providing outlets for local entrepreneurs and contributing to downtown revitalization.

  Growing Hope manages the leads the market, with strong partnerships including:

  Ypsilanti Health Coalition

  Ypsilanti Food Co-op- Manages EBT/credit machine

  Washtenaw County Public Health- Prescription for Health

  MSU Extension- Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

  Fair Food Network- Double Up Food Bucks




In 2006, Growing Hope’s Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers’ Market was the third in Michigan to accept food stamps; now, over 60 accept them.

A strong MI Farmers’ Market Association links these markets together and is a key peer support network.



Snapshot of market impact •  Food assistance and incentive programs represent 24% of market sales •  55% of customers report eating more fruits & veggies because of the market •  Market sales have risen from $8,000 in year one to over $100,000 per year •  There are 15,000 visits to the market on Tuesday afternoons May-Oct •  Vendors include rural and urban growers, bakers, crafters, et al, and the majority

earn less than $25,000 a year

Cottage Food Bill In 2010, Growing Hope helped advocate for the passage of the Cottage Food Bill.

  Bill allows direct-sale of food-safe items (baked goods, jellies) at farmers’ markets up to $15,000; helps new entrepreneurs overcome barriers to entry

  Bill had been introduced several times before and had gone no where; in 2010 it was passed unanimously by state legislature

  Framing during advocacy was that this is a win-win for urban & rural, bi-partisan could support

  In July 2010, Governor Granholm came to Growing Hope to sign the bill into law!


Lessons from the Great Lakes State

  Clusters of local & regional efforts building momentum for statewide efforts

  Statewide efforts:   Michigan Food Policy Council   MI Food and Farming Alliance   MI Farmers Market Assoc.   MI Good Food Charter   C.S. Mott Group at Michigan

State University   MI Hospital Assoc.   MI Community & School

Garden Network


Stars mark clusters of regional activity on food-based economic development

Planned Advocacy

  The Advocacy Continuum An integrated advocacy plan allows for rapid response to opportunities as well as unexpected challenges.

  The Message/Audience relationship

Our advocacy toolkit

Advocacy Action Plan

  Frame

  Fortify/Amplify

  Know your Audience

  Identify your barrier

  Create an advocacy team

  Budget


Discussion


Thank you!

Amanda Edmonds, [email protected] Sharon Sheldon, [email protected] Deirdra Stockmann, [email protected] Fran Talsma, [email protected]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9807632-52.html

Resources & References

Ann Arbor Public Schools Wellness Policy: aaps.k12.mi.us/aaps/boe.policies/boe_policy_5000_-_student#5700

Growing Hope: growinghope.net

Food System Economic Partnership: fsepmichigan.org

Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan: michigan.gov/hkhm

Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR): michr.umich.edu

Michigan Good Food Charter & Campaign: michiganfood.org

Washtenaw County Public Health Department: ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/public_health

* See the Toolkit for additional resources and references.

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