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About
Community Food Systems
Southern
SAWG is helping groups in the South develop community-based food
systems that connect farmers who are practicing stewardship to
consumers who are supportive of sustainable farming
practices.
With support from the USDA Community Food Projects Competitive Grants
Program, Southern SAWG provides training and technical assistance to
individuals and groups who are developing projects that promote
sustainable food systems and community food security. These
projects include activities such as increasing the capacity of farmers
markets, increasing local food production, promoting "buy local"
campaigns, strengthening community and school gardening, supporting
nutrition and cooking classes, establishing food policy councils, and
general education about where food comes from and how it is produced.
We provide assistance to individuals and groups in the following ways:
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An extensive Community Food
Systems (CFS)
educational track at the Southern SAWG annual conference each January;
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A two-day Leadership Training
held annually to
help leaders of Community Food Projects build and sustain more
effective organizations;
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Intensive Technical
Assistance, delivered
through a combination of individualized consulting and prescribed
trainings, to selected applicants in order for them to develop
competitive Community Food Project grant proposals and carry out more
successful programs;
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Resources, including a
Southern Community Food
Project Handbook and a CFS Training Manual, available through our web
site.
Since 2003, we have conducted 34 educational sessions at conferences
and three leadership trainings, provided intensive technical assistance
to 13 community-based organizations and one-on-one consulting to nearly
50 others. This has led to a greater understanding of
Community
Food Systems issues and more effective use of strategies for success
among Community Food Projects in our region.
For more information about this program, contact
Keecha Harris, keecharris@gmail.com
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