Students on this team work to catalyze a profound change in the way we produce, consume and value local and regional foods in the greater Flagstaff region. In collaboration, the team is working to assemble a broad and diverse Community Food Task Force that will assess Flagstaff food security needs and facilitate policy changes to influence how the local food system impacts the health of Flagstaff residents, addresses hunger and food insecurity, and supports an economically viable, socially just and environmentally sustainable food system.
Flagstaff Foodlink is a community organization that aims to offer strong educational, organizational and fundraising tools to the exciting, emergent local food movement in the greater Flagstaff community. Flagstaff Foodlink believes there are abundant opportunities to connect farmers, ranchers, restaurateurs, food distributors and sellers, the general public, community organizations, and the governments of the City of Flagstaff and Coconino County into a more democratic food network to encourage local economic self-sufficiency, community and individual health, greater food security and energy-conserving agricultural practices. By creating sustainable agriculture curricula for Flagstaff schools, convening members of the Flagstaff food system on a regular basis, and channeling funding opportunities to food system innovators, Flagstaff Foodlink is an organizational body which can catalyze profound change in the way we produce, consume and value local and regional foods here in Flagstaff.
Students on this team put their relational skills to work as they engage with members of Flagstaff Foodlink to assemble a strong, diverse and enthused Community Food Task Force. Since September of 2009, students have been playing a key role in: deliberating about what sort of diversity (public/private; ethnic and racial; neighborhood, food producers, distributors, health workers, representatives from the emergency food communtiy, etc) is needed on a task force of this kind, meeting with and assessing the skills, insight, and commitment of potential task force members in the community, giving shape and definition to the vision of a just, sustainable, more democratic food system in Flagstaff,convening and facilitating the first face to face meeting of the task force members they successfully recruit.
The convening meeting of the Greater Flagstaff Community Food Task Force was held April 24, 2010. Students will continue to support and help realize the vision and work of the Task Force, improving how the local food system impacts the health of Flagstaff residents, addressing hunger and food insecurity, and increasing access to SOLE (sustainable, organic, local and ethical) Food.
For more information, please contact Dr. Kimberley Curtis at Kimberley.Curtis@nau.edu.
Website www.flagstafffoodlink.com