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Highlights from the Neighborhood to Nation Conference: Conclusion

Learning about the work of Advocates throughout the Nation – and the World

Thank you for following this short blog series, we hope that you gained something from each post. If you take anything away, we hope we have conveyed some of the inspiration and hope that we gained from this conference. We each have our passion for our work in our sector and it is easy to get tunnel vision but truly we are a nation of inspiring advocates who care about improving our food system and are making real progress.

At the conference we met so many inspirational people from around the country all playing their part to see that good food becomes a part of everyday life!

We met farmers who sell produce to schools and were able to discuss with them the challenges and benefits of doing so. We met lobbyists working directly with policy change and who have good relationships with public figures giving them the ability to help guide change. From them we were able to learn some of the processes involved with creating regulation change. We met with people who work with kids in school gardens connecting them to their food and the environment, and learned from them the benefits and challenges of working with schools.

We also met some Representatives who have CHANGED their policies due to the voice of constituents in favor of urban agriculture and who have seen quality of life be improved as a result. One Representative in particular that impressed us was Mayor Sam Adams of Portland. He started his speech to the whole conference group by talking about his own garden, chickens, and even bees! He spoke of how one of the first things he did when he entered office was to dig up any green space at city hall and plant food gardens whose produce is directly donated to area homeless shelters. He also ensured that more and more unused land in Portland be donated and turned into “shared farms” aka community gardens. We also heard from Joe Cimperman of the Cleveland City Council where he is seeing quality of life improved and neighborhoods being regenerated as community gardens go into them. Truly an inspiration!

We also met some Representatives who have CHANGED their policies due to the voice of constituents in favor of urban agriculture and who have seen quality of life be improved as a result. One Representative in particular that impressed us was Mayor Sam Adams of Portland. He started his speech to the whole conference group by talking about his own garden, chickens, and even bees! He spoke of how one of the first things he did when he entered office was to dig up any green space at city hall and plant food gardens whose produce is directly donated to area homeless shelters. He also ensured that more and more unused land in Portland be donated and turned into “shared farms” aka community gardens. We also heard from Joe Cimperman of the Cleveland City Council where he is seeing quality of life improved and neighborhoods being regenerated as community gardens go into them. Truly an inspiration!

We challenge you to reflect on what in our food system matters to you and explore ways to connect with others to reach your goals and have a loud voice for positive change. If that happens to be school lunch, be sure to reach out to us at The Lunch Box for support.

Cheers to a healthy happy summer and lots of food system improvements to come!

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