Thirty Ways WE Can Be Food System Changemakers!
click on the CIRCLES to learn more ...
Foster habitat for pollinators
leave the leaves &
raise the blade
Learn about the CT food system and the ways in which the industrialized food system is founded on and perpetuates exploitative, extractive and harmful practices
Solutions are nuanced, understand
the complexities as there is not
one silver bullet
Consider True Cost Accounting when
wondering, why is local, artisanal
produced food so expensive?
Check out all the incredible work CT
is doing around
Farm To School
Protect the integrity of taste + flavor by seeking out heritage breeds, heirloom varieties + artisanal foodways
Slow Food's Ark of Taste
is an excellent resource
Start a school garden, where all children can learn how to grow and celebrate food
Understand food apartheid, learn its origin story and how it impacts communities today + be proactive in supporting BIPOC farmers, initiatives + businesses that foster a just + equitable food system
Donate to your municipal and state land trust; protected land and waterways protect our foodshed and support resilience
Join, start or donate to a community garden. They provide food and land access to those who need it most.
Engage and support your municipal food policy council or alliance ... and if one doesn't exist in your community ...
start one
Source food as if the health and
well being of your life, that of your family, your community and of future generations depends on it;
because it does
Access to fresh nutrient dense food is a human right, all recipients of SNAP, WIC and low income seniors and everyone has the right to fresh produce at their local farmers' market
Check out National Farmers Market Coalition and learn more about activating these programs in your community, and if your farmers market is already on board --
help spread the word!
Ask your local grocery stores, restaurants, and caterers to put seasonal, regional and sustainability produced food on the menu
Support bans on toxic pesticides, chemicals and
gas-powered landscaping equipment that harm wildlife, pollinators and ecosystems
Check out the sustainable food system grants available through the
CT Depart of Agriculture
Bring a nutritious meal to an elder
Show up for BIPOC farmers -- purchase food at the markets that convene BIPOC producers
Divert organics out of the waste stream; set up a compost in your yard, or food scrap recycling drop off in your community
Shop mindfully -- consider the seasons, where you make your food purchases & the quantity;
conscious consumerism works
Acknowledge the Indigenous people who
were the first stewards of this land, the
forests and waterways and who continue to
cultivate foodways that are in balance
with natural cycles
NEVER
underestimate
the POWER of gathering
Learn the barriers and challenges that
new, beginning and BIPOC farmers face in CT, then reach out and ask how you can best support and help them to succeed
Support your local food economy -- shop at
the farmers’ market, independently owned
food markets, or join a CT CSA
know who produces your food
In addition to donating to food security organizations, invest in the economic empowerment of low wealth communities through food entrepreneurship,
land ownership and a seat at the
decision making tables
Familiarize yourself with
the food system lexicon