DATE October 30, 2022 TO Charlottesville City Council FROM Cultivate Charlottesville Food Justice Network SUBJECT Food Equity Initiative End of FY22 Report Dear City Councilors, Thank you for your partnership in implementing year three of the Food Equity Initiative (FEI), first passed by City Council on October 18th, 2018. Enclosed is our end of year report against objectives for October 2021— September 2022. The report is organized by the objectives outlined in the Food Equity Initiative proposal. Additional elements include the ongoing food security response, FY22 budget to actual, FY23 objectives, and FY23 budget. Council’s support of the city’s Food Equity Initiative partnership with Cultivate Food Justice Network has made a significant impact in bringing community-based solutions to food equity challenges in our community. Key FY22 Food Equity Initiative accomplishments include: 1. Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform engagement across numerous community events with over 173 individuals and 32 organizations. 2. City staff engagement with the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform including six City departments, three City Manager & Deputy City Managers, Mayor Snook and Vice Mayor Wade, and the Charlottesville City School Board. 3. Collaboration with Community Climate Collaborative and City Climate Action plan to provide recommendations on the intersection of climate justice and food justice. 4. Ongoing network-wide racial equity capacity building with Uprooting Racism support for over 25 partner organizations as well as Cultivate’s internal practices. 5. Selection for and funding for our Power to Grow Initiative community engaged design effort to develop and advance urban agriculture in low-wealth neighborhoods. 6. Contribution of subject expertise and representation of City Council’s Food Equity Initiative at twenty presentations and twelve partner coalitions, amplifying the discourse on building a healthy and just food system. 7. Ongoing grassroots programming including growing and distributing 8,972 pounds of fresh produce to 678 residents, 20,000 healthy school snacks to 2,800 students, 6,800 schoolyard garden experiences, and other on the ground efforts. We commend City Council for your leadership in building food equity for all of the Charlottesville community. If you have any questions, or would like us to present to council, please do not hesitate to contact us. Jeanette Abi-Nader Richard Morris Cultivate Charlottesville Co-Executive Director Cultivate Charlottesville Co-Executive Director Advocacy & Systems Farm & Foodroots jeanette@cultivatecharlottesville.org richard@cultivatecharlottesville.org Food Justice Network – Food Equity Initiative FY22 Year End Report, October 2021-September 2022 Charlottesville Food Equity Initiative FY22 End of Year Report Against Objectives October 2021 – September 2022 Purpose The Charlottesville Food Equity Initiative (FEI) brings together public, private, and non-profit partners working in unique and complementary ways to build a healthy and just community food system for all Charlottesville residents. The Initiative is cultivating community driven processes, resident leadership, and city partnerships to improve access to and quality of nutritious and affordable foods, addressing food equity barriers. The 2021-2022 Food Equity Initiative work focused on implementation support for citywide strategies outlined in the FY22 proposal including: goals established in the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform_2021, MAPP2Health Community Action Plan, the Local Food, Local Places Action Plan, and the specific City Departments food equity action plans. Additional focus areas this year include a) engaging with community members across food justice issues to heighten youth and resident decision making, b) implementation of specific goals of the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform, c) integration of community priorities at the intersection of climate justice and food justice into the City Climate Action Plan, and d) transition of emergency food responses due to COVID-19 to long-term programs. The Food Justice Network also worked to onboard new staff and work with partners to establish their program and organizational racial and food equity goals. The following information includes three sections: a report against the FEI FY22 goals, the FY22 budget to actual, and our FY23 initiatives. Activities and Progress towards Food Equity Initiative Objectives & Outcomes October 2021 – September 2022 I. Compile and disseminate research including an analysis of food system assessments that identifies gaps and opportunities for investment, current food access efforts, and communication strategies to engage stakeholders including community members, business owners, and elected officials. Food System Assessment A. Food Justice Organizations with Racial Equity Plans – Of 26 food justice ü 2 key evaluations conducted to partner organizations: 50% have a racial equity commitment, 24% are in the assess food justice network process of developing one or plan to in the future, 24% do not impact over the past two years with input from 26 partner B. Food Justice Network Impact -Feedback highlighted organizations Overall Experience of FJN • 88% (77% strongly) Cultivate has been an effective FJN facilitator and leader • 94% (77% strongly) Cultivate upheld the FJN values • 88% (42% moderately) Cultivate kept FJN focus on its goals Impact of FJN on Organization • 94% (47% strongly) they learned new things about food justice at FJN • 89% (71% strongly) FJN provided more opportunities to engage in food justice • 93% (53% strongly) they shared a strong sense of diverse community at FJN • 76% (53% strongly) they engaged more with other partners at FJN • 76% (53% strongly) FJN helped their organization to make a greater impact Cultivate Charlottesville Food Justice Network – Food Equity Initiative FY22 End of Year Report • 82% (53% strongly) FJN increased commitment to food justice across Cville Completion of FJN Goals • 82% (41% strongly) FJN successfully utilized an equity approach to confront racism • 82% (41% strongly) FJN helped to transform systemic barriers to food equity • 65% (30% strongly) FJN cultivated stronger relationships with community facing food injustice-35% unsure • 71% (53% strongly) FJN strengthened inter-sector collaboration-30% unsure • 72% (59% strongly) FJN increased understanding of the intersection of food equity and: housing, transportation, economic development, and climate • 71% (29% strongly) FJN helped build power, resources, skills for food equity Capacity Building C. Local, Regional and National Presentations on Food Equity ü 173 individuals participated in Local food equity capacity building • FJN City Food Equity Initiative -8 meetings with City Departments ü 24 FJN partners developed • Charlottesville Parks & Recreation Advisory Board – Cultivate specific racial equity plans Charlottesville Urban Agriculture Collective • Charlottesville City Schools Board – City Schoolyard Garden Communication Strategies • UVA Equity Center – Youth Food Justice Interns ü 20 presentations on food equity • UVA President’s Council Public Health Working Group – Health Equity & ü 9 press articles Food Justice ü 198 social media posts for 2,980 • Community Climate Collaborative JEDI Camp -Youth Food Justice Action followers and 12,900 reach • VMDO Architects–Youth Food Justice Intern, Why school gardens? ü 6 FJN Blasts to 690 people & 12 • 100 Black Men of Charlottesville – Cultivate Charlottesville Food Equity Cultivate newsletters to • Picturing Climate Exhibit at Jefferson School African American Heritage 2,732/each Center with Cville Regional Climate Justice Collaborative ü 189 Food Justice Network • Virginia Home Grown –Cultivate Charlottesville Gardens & Food Justice member list • Food Co-op High School Summer Experience – Cultivate Food Justice Regional • VA Department of Education Farm to School Conference-Let’s Talk: Farm to School and Racial Equity • Virginia Home Grown –Cultivate Charlottesville Gardens & Food Justice • Presidential Precinct Fellows –Cultivate CATEC Farm • Jefferson Scholars Leadership Institute –Cultivate Charlottesville National • National Farm to School Network – Racial Equity & School Gardens • USDA Community Food Projects–Cultivate Charlottesville Just Food • HEAL Food Alliance: School of Political Leadership – Cultivate Charlottesville, The Power to Grow • USDA Farm to School Conference – Healthy School Foods Initiative • North American Food Systems Network –Cultivate Food Justice Network • Johns Hopkins Food Policy Council National Meeting: The Power of Food –Cultivate Food Justice Network D. Ongoing research and practice around six tenants of Cultivate Uprooting Racism Action plan based on 6 tenants: 1. Decision-Making, Power & Accountability, 2. Culture, 3. Programming, 4. Movement Building, 5. Accessibility, 6. Budget & Finances E. Outreach Maintained robust communications strategy to engage community members across the Charlottesville area in a deeper understanding of food equity issues.*See Cultivate Charlottesville Press Page for list of press pieces at https://cultivatecharlottesville.org/stories/press/ Cultivate Charlottesville Food Justice Network – Food Equity Initiative FY22 End of Year Report Page 2 II. Establish mechanisms for community voice including both formal and informal meetings with oversight by community stakeholders and community members on programs and broader food access issues. A. Hosted 14 Food Justice Network planning team and six FJN Whole ü 6 Virtual CFJN Whole Measure Measures large group gatherings for a combined 173 community members community meetings |32 and 32 organizations. Partner Profiles included: organizations engaged • Albemarle County Department of Equity and Inclusion ü 14 CFJN Planning Team • Neighborhood Development Services and Cville Plans Together meetings |25 Planning Team • City Department of Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion members • New Hill Development BEACON Kitchen Incubator ü 9 Comprehensive Planning & • Community Climate Collaborative Climate Action Recommendations City meetings attended • Charlottesville 12 City Schoolyard Garden Sundial Dedication ü 11 youth food justice interns • Local Food Hub Black Farmer Directory engaged in 26-week program • White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health ü 100+ youth advocated for B. Youth Voice & Choice | I Believe In Me Girls | Youth Food Justice Camp Healthy School Foods student • 11 Food Justice Interns participated in an intensive 6-week program and selections continued on for 20 additional weeks of food justice work ü 16 community members and • 100+ student tastings and fresh food menu item selections organizational partners engaged • 24 youth gathered at UAC CATEC urban farm site to explore Black girls in Sisters Healing Circles in the and gardening Garden C. City Climate Action Plan – FJN team collaborated with C3 and the City’s ü 24 girls of color engaged in I Climate Action team to make recommendations on the intersection of food Believe In Me Girls garden event justice and climate justice D. Women’s Initiative Sisters Healing Circles In the Garden – 16 women of colored gathered for two Healing in the Garden workshops in partnership with Women’s Initiative and PHAR III. Plan for sustainability by pursuing additional funding for long-term investment at the city, agency and community member levels. Charlottesville City Schools Cultivate Charlottesville and Charlottesville City Schools implemented 4 culinary Nutrition Department Trainings skills training workshops with Antwon Brinson of Culinary Concepts, AB. Culinary ü Hosted four training units Concepts provided the following training units. Staff were paid for each training. totaling 93 hours with Chef ● Competency Workshop (Jul) – Equipment Skills and Culinary Skills Training Antwon Brinson of Culinary ● Competency Workshop (Aug) – Equipment Skills and Culinary Skills Training Concepts for 50 CCS Nutrition ● Leadership Class – Leadership style test, team building, time management, Staff kitchen Management, discovery, and discussion ● Kitchen Training – Equipment demo, knife identification and skills demo, etc. Matching Funds A. Funding Partners – In addition to general operating funds raised for 2021- ü $155,000 matching funds raised 2022, Cultivate Charlottesville has secured $155,000 in funds for FY22 to for FY21 plus $55,000 in match the City Council Food Equity Initiative contribution from the national additional support specific to USDA Community Food Projects ($125K), the state Virginia Foundation for food equity initiative Healthy Youth ($30K) grants, and additional local foundations ($55K). ü $50,000 Healthy Meals support B. Emergency & Healthy Foods Funding – Cultivate has leveraged funds at the ü 38 volunteers for meal prep and local ($100,000 in CACF Strengthening Systems), regional ($50,000 in No Kid delivery Hungry), and federal ($100,000 in USDA Farm to School) level. Diversified Multi-year Funding A. Cultivate received a USDA Farm to School two-year grant ($50K/year) to ü $50,000 USDA Farm to School support the Healthy School Foods Initiative with training to Charlottesville grant City Schools nutrition staff by Culinary Concepts. ü $291,860 NCS Urban Agriculture B. Cultivate was awarded a NCS Urban Agriculture Innovations Program two- Innovations Program grant year grant ($291K total) to support development of citywide urban agriculture policies, designs, and practices driven by community residents. Cultivate Charlottesville Food Justice Network – Food Equity Initiative FY22 End of Year Report Page 3 IV. Contribute subject matter expertise to discussions on transportation, zoning, and other planning and policy development to ensure that the City, the University of Virginia, community organizations and citizens are aware of the impact of policy on food equity. FEI Implementation A. City Department FEI Support – Hosted meeting with City departments to ü 6 City Department leads, 3 City review the Food Equity Initiative Policy Platform and glean feedback. & Deputy City Managers, 2 City B. Food Equity Implementation – Specific focus on the intersection of Climate Councilors, and 5 School board Justice and Food Justice. Collaborated with C3 and City’s Climate Action Plan members engaged around Food to make 20 recommendations for inclusion of food equity language, 7 of Equity Initiative implementation which have been included to date. ü 7 of 20 Climate Justice & Food Justice recommendations incorporated to date Advisory Roles and Food Equity A. Steering Committee – Cultivate staff are on the Steering Committee of the Leadership City’s Cville Plans Together working to integrate food equity priorities. ü Cultivate Team engaged in Local B. University of Virginia Sustainable Food System Coalition is developing a Coalitions multi-year sustainability plan for the university and community. C. Move2Health Equity – Engaged in the Food Access team D. Community Input – UAC hosted weekly community markets to distribute food grown and engage in conversations on redevelopment, garden design and healthy communities, and the city comprehensive plan. V. Implement opportunities to highlight the City’s food equity work statewide & nationally. ü 20 presentations and trainings Provided Thought Leadership in conferences, panels, and presentations: Presented engaging a collective 1,317 at twenty local, regional, state and national venues (detailed in Section I.C. above) people at those presentations Statewide & Regional A. Virginia Tech Center for Community Food Systems & Transformation Steering ü Cultivate Team engaged in 3 Committee, Cultivate Co-Executive Director, Jeanette Abi-Nader Regional Coalitions B. VA Farm to School Regional Planning Teams, Cultivate City Schoolyard Garden Program Director, Jordan Johnson, and Farm to School Coordinator, Shamera Banks participated C. Blue Ridge Area Hunger Action Coalition Backbone Organization Cultivate Charlottesville transitioned leadership of the HAC to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank which represents the complete health district region National A. Johns Hopkins Center for Livable Futures -Food Policy Council Racial Equity ü Cultivate Team engaged in 6 Community or Practice Cultivate Co-Executive Director, Jeanette Abi-Nader, National Coalitions represents Cultivate on this National Learning Group B. National Farm to School Network Equity Evaluation Cultivate Co-Executive Director, Jeanette Abi-Nader serves on this national steering committee to establish guidelines for evaluating racial equity in farm to school efforts across the country C. HEAL Food Alliance Steering Committee – Cultivate Co-Executive Director, Richard Morris, was selected to join this national steering committee D. Mother Earth News Online Fair - Urban Agriculture Collective Program Director, Amyrose Foll, is a featured speaker on Indigenous Foodways E. No Kid Hunger Centering Equity Cohort– Cultivate Co-Executive Directors, Richard Morris and Jeanette Abi-Nader F. Rooted In Justice Cohort — Cedar Tree Foundation engaging six youth food justice organizations from across the country. City Schoolyard Garden Program Director, Jordan Johnson, and Cultivate Co-Executive Director, Richard Morris Cultivate Charlottesville Food Justice Network – Food Equity Initiative FY22 End of Year Report Page 4 Food Equity Initiative: Emergency & Ongoing Food Access Cultivate Charlottesville Food Justice Network was a centralizing stakeholder in the food security response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in Charlottesville and surrounding areas. Over the past year we have wrapped up COVID-19 response efforts and transitioned some of the most critical emergency responses to more sustainable, long-term initiatives. While the focus of the Food Equity Initiative partnership with City Council is to develop and implement system-wide solutions to persistent hunger and food insecurity issues in Charlottesville, we also recognize the need for integrated approaches of direct food provisions, especially fresh, community grown produce. This section summarizes a few of those efforts. Activities and Progress towards Emergency & Ongoing Food Access October 2021 – September 2022 A. Community-based Food Security Infrastructure: Build an emergency food security response infrastructure that enables the Charlottesville community to effectively respond to expanding food insecurity. Community Gardening & Food Equity A. Spring Seedling Give-Away – Youth Food Justice Interns and Buford Capacity Building Urban Agriculture students worked with the City Schoolyard Garden team ü 5,000 spring seedling transplants to continue our annual tradition of supporting home, nonprofit, and distributed to local nonprofits and community gardens by growing and sharing spring seedlings. community members B. Students in the Garden – Youth are 3 times more likely to eat food that ü 6,800 student garden interactions they have grown. The City Schoolyard Garden Coordinators play an ü 80 students totaling 720 hours important role in engaging youth through the Charlottesville public participated in cooking club in schools in hands-on garden experiences. Buford Urban Farming Kitchen C. Nutrition Education – Cultivate’s new Farm to School Coordinator, Shamera Banks, worked closely with Buford middle school students with weekly cooking classes. This was a critical addition since there is no longer a family and consumer science class at the school. Healthy School & Community Meals A. Healthy Meals – While many of the direct meal provisions that flourished ü 20,000 Harvest of the Month fresh during the first two years of COVID are no longer being provided, Cultivate snacks shared with 2,800 students worked with CCS and UAC partners to share fresh, healthy meals, snacks, profiling 8 local crops and produce. ü 1,000 servings for 250 families of Sweet Potato Chili Ingredients at CCS REN event ü 75 local meals distributed at community market gathering Cultivate Direct food relief- A. Urban Agriculture Collective –Community Produce Market Hosted 39 community produce market market days and distributed a total of 8,972 pounds of fresh, locally grown ü 8,972 pounds UAC grown produce produce at no cost to residents at Friendship Court, South 1st Street, 6th ü 2,348 pounds donated/purchased) Street, Westhaven, Midway Manor, Riverside, CATEC, and other locations ü 39 Community Market Days in Charlottesville. ü 678 Residents participate B. CATEC Community Farm -To continue to address the loss of community ü 87 community volunteers urban agriculture space, Cultivate UAC program partnered with CATEC to ü 10,000 sq ft additional growing establish a 10,000 sq ft production farm on site. Students in culinary and space construction engaged in onsite projects. Cultivate Charlottesville Food Justice Network – Food Equity Initiative FY22 End of Year Report Page 5 Charlottesville Food Equity Initiative FY22 End of Year | Budget to Actual October 2021 – September 2022 Cultivate Charlottesville Food Justice Network – Food Equity Initiative FY22 End of Year Report Page 6 Charlottesville Food Equity Initiative FY23 Core Priorities FY23 Looking Forward Over the past year Cultivate, like many organizations, underwent staff transitions. We are excited to start this next phase of the Food Equity Initiative work with a full FJN team including: FJN Program Director – Onawa Dufresne-Barger, FJN Community Engagement Program Director – Christopher Simms, FJN Policy Associate – Quentia Taylor, Cultivate Outreach and Resource Program Director – Aleen Carey, and our Co-Executive Director of Advocacy & Systems – Jeanette Abi-Nader. We have seen increased commitment and implementation of racial equity practices among FJN partner organizations. Throughout this year, we have continued to prioritize the voices and choices of youth and community members affected by food insecurity as we bridge community advocacy, increased partner engagement, and intensified thought leadership around building food equity and racial equity. As we look forward to this next three-year phase of our partnership with the city, we will be moving towards strong deliverables with the launch of a Power to Grow campaign to restore urban agriculture land to Charlottesville’s low-wealth neighborhoods, ongoing recommendations at the intersection of Climate Justice and Food Justice, heightened authority of community leaders to shape food equity goals, and ongoing advocacy across multiple organization and city departments. FY23 Core Priorities 1. Community Leadership In addition to cohorts of Community Advocates and Youth Food Justice Intern deepening our investment in grassroots community leadership, we plan to host several community circles to cultivate community decision-making around the urban agriculture initiatives. 2. City Climate Action Planning With the city’s comprehensive plan in the final stages, we will continue to focus on clearly identifying specific food equity actions in line with climate action and implementation of the Comprehensive Plan food equity goals. 3. Food Equity Policy Platform Public Education Efforts Food Justice Network will continue to host community events to build support for and understanding of the platform planks as well as represent Charlottesville at numerous state, regional, and national spaces. We will solicit robust community feedback and modify as needed with specific focus on implementation needs. 4. City Department Food Equity Plans During this year’s meetings with City staff, we recognize and ongoing commitment to integrating food equity into numerous city departments. This year we aim to build out implementation plans and budgets for their food equity priorities as outlined in the Policy Platform. 5. Power to Grow The plan to launch a Land Is Liberation campaign last year was slowed to ensure more significant and updated community input. Based on community feedback, we have renamed the initiative to The Power to Grow and now have matching funding to implement this intensive community design process. 6. REVISIT Food Equity Fund One key goal for FY22 was the launch of a Charlottesville Food Equity Fund. But because of the tight city budget, and our interest in fully funding Charlottesville City Schools and reconfiguration, we paused this work. If the landscape is ready for this advancement, we are poised to engage in this work. Cultivate Charlottesville Food Justice Network – Food Equity Initiative FY22 End of Year Report Page 7 Food Equity Initiative FY23 Budget Overview Cultivate Charlottesville Food Justice Network – Food Equity Initiative FY22 End of Year Report Page 8 Charlottesville Food Justice Network Planning Team Jeanette Abi-Nader, Cultivate Charlottesville, Advocacy & Systems Co-Executive Director Theresa Allan, International Rescue Committee, Manager Food and Agriculture Programs Aleen Carey, Cultivate Charlottesville, Outreach & Resource Program Director Jane Colony-Mills, Loaves & Fishes, Executive Director Onawa Dufresne-Barger, Cultivate Charlottesville, Food Justice Network Program Director Amyrose Foll, Cultivate Charlottesville, Urban Agriculture Collective Program Director Jordan Johnson, Cultivate Charlottesville City Schoolyard Garden Program Director Joe Kreiter, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Partner Services Coordinator & Network Development Cecilia Lapp Stoltzfus, International Rescue Committee Jackie Martin, UVA Presidents Council, Department of Diversity & Community Engagement Tegan Medico, University of Virginia Health Services Richard Morris, Cultivate Charlottesville, Farm & Foodroots Co-Executive Director Emily Grace Mortimer, UVA Global Environments & Sustainability, Institute for Engagement & Negotiation Todd Niemeier, Charlottesville Office of Human Rights, Director Kristan Pitts, Trinity Bread & Roses Josh Rockett, Local Food Hub, Executive Director Diane Sampson, Blue Ridge Health District, Maternal & Childhood Health Sara Santa Cruz, Virginia Department of Agriculture Rebecca Schmidt, Blue Ridge Health District, Population Health Manager Christopher Simms, Cultivate Charlottesville, Food Justice Network Community Engagement Program Director Emily Smith, Local Food Hub, Food Access Associate Briana Stevenson, Virginia Foodshed Capital & Local Food Hub Quentia Taylor, Cultivate Charlottesville, Food Justice Network Policy Associate Barbara Yager, Community Member, Bread & Roses Charlottesville Food Justice Network A program of Cultivate Charlottesville www.cultivatecharlottesville.org | 434.260.3274 onawa@cultivatecharlottesville.org | jeanette@cultivatecharlottesville.org Cultivate Charlottesville Food Justice Network – Food Equity Initiative FY22 End of Year Report Page 9