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 then 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
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:
Read the Spokane Food System Resolution
Our Team
Program Director: Janell Harvey
Council members:
| Emily Banick | Campus Kitchen Gonzaga University |
| Shawna Beese | Fruit Hill Farm, LLC |
| Julie Bongard | Spokane Regional Health District |
| Kendra Dean | Catholic Charities |
| Justin Eisenstadt | Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Spokane County |
| Josh Hechtman | ReProduce 81 |
| Kathy Hedgcock | Second Harvest |
| Nils Johnson | WSU Stevens County Extension |
| Kitty Kitzke | Futurewise |
| Cynthia Monroe | Culinarian, Culinary Educator |
| Pat Munts | WSU Spokane County Extension |
| Chrys Ostrander | Gardener, Permaculture Designer |
| Kylie Pybus | WSU Spokane County Extension |
| Melodi Wynne | Ɂełnélixʷs and Spokane Indian Reservation Community Garden |
