Spokane Food Policy Council Role
- Advise Spokane County government and regional cities on food-related policy issues
- Focus on researching, developing, and promoting policy
- The SFPC forms relationships with other regional entities involved in the local food system
Membership
Focus
The Spokane Food Policy Council meets monthly to consider a wide-range of issues related to the local food system. Topics may include:
- Updates on legislative activities
- Updates to governmental comprehensive plans
- Farmland preservation
- School lunch shaming
- Local food processing in or near urban areas
- Reducing food waste
- Institutional purchasing policies
- Incentives for grocery stores, farmers markets, food carts, vending machines, and other mobile vendors to locate in underserved communities
Download a one-page document detailing the mission and work of the Spokane Food Policy Council.
Timeline
2013
- The Spokane Food Policy Council (SFPC) was convened by Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart, and first met in October 2013
2014-2015
- SFPC was engaged in council organizational/program development, research, and outreach
2016
- Finished The Spokane Regional Food System Inventory (FSI), a broad assessment of the regional food system evaluating our local food system
2017
- Worked with city planning staff to add food language to the City of Spokane’s Comprehensive Plan:
- Met with the Director of Nutrition Services from Spokane School District 81 to discuss “food shaming” and the benevolence meal fund being developed to pay meals for children who do not have money in their accounts to pay
Current Work
Just Food: Our project aims to develop a collaborative framework for food security work, deepen our understanding of our community’s assets, promote inventive cross-sector food solutions, and result in a comprehensive Food Security Action Plan. Just Food is an essential stepping stone as we work toward our overarching vision of nutritious food for ALL of our county’s residents, every day.
Goals:
- Develop a shared collaborative framework to advance Spokane County’s food security work
- Develop a Food Security Action Plan to ensure equitable access to healthy foods
Successes
Ordinances:
Spokane City Council Resolution:
Spokane Food System Resolution
Our Team
| Elizabeth Abbey | PhD, RDN |
| Shawna Beese | RN, MBA, NE-BC, CPAN |
| Julie Bongard | Spokane Regional Health District |
| Nathan Calene | Spokane Food Policy Council Coordinator |
| Kendra Dean | Catholic Charities |
| Brian Estes | LINC |
| Torie Foote | Footehills Farm |
| Kathy Hedgcock | Second Harvest |
| Kitty Kitzke | Futurewise |
| Linda Moulder | Retired Biologist, permaculturalist |
| Pat Munts | WSU/Spokane County Extension |
| Nils Johnson | WSU Extension Stevens County |
| Chrys Ostrander | Spokane Community Gardens |
| Kyle Unland | Spokane Regional Health District |
