Enhance the market by providing incentives to sell locally produced food at affordable prices.
The City will identify opportunities to support the regional food system by incentivizing the production, sale, and consumption of local produce. Strategies may include:
Identify regulatory and financial barriers for farmers markets and small pop-up markets, and support their expansion across the city.
Incentivize the sale of locally produced goods for vulnerable communities by supplementing SNAP programs using federal or philanthropic funding. An example might include matching funds to purchase SNAP-eligible food items in farmers markets. Similar programs have been implemented in Michigan, Washington and Kansas States.
Encourage large employers to partner with community supported agriculture programs (CSAs) to sign up, coordinate deliveries, and enable employees to receive regular fresh produce. Start with the City of Dallas by launching an internal ‘wellness challenge’.
What about the "ugly veggie" campaign. Most food is discarded because it is not esthetically pleasing. The perfect orange cone shape Bugs Bunny carrot does not exist.
This is a repeat, but can we use available public and church land to provide small garden plots in our urban and suburban areas? Coupled with training, this can be a very effective method of getting locally grown organic food into our less affluent neighborhoods.