Support and be a part of a thriving local food system

Suggested Practices and Examples for Implementation:

If your area doesn’t have farmers’ market options, host a market with local farmers on your congregational property after worship or other community programming/events
Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), paying shares at a local farm to receive regularly delivered in-season produce in return
- Use that food for congregational meals or divide it among congregants!
If you have congregational land that is currently unused, consider partnering with a farmer. You provide the land; they support your broader community with local food. A portion of their produce could even be donated to the congregation.
- Access to land is one of the most challenging aspects of small-scale farming, particularly for those just getting started. This kind of partnership can make all the difference!
Learn about the farmworker communities in your area. What organizations are supporting migrant worker health/rights? Can you be a part of that work or support these efforts in some way?
Learn about food justice and terms like “food desert” and “food apartheid.”
- Where is there limited access to fresh food in your community? Who is affected? Who is striving to address those needs? How can your congregation help their cause?
Keep growing in your relationships with farmers, farmworkers, seed savers, garden managers, and other agricultural community leaders. Continue to learn about the vital roles of food, land, and those who grow food in your faith tradition.