Atlanta Local Sustainable Food Program

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The Atlanta Local Food Initiative
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Special thanks to author Barbara Kingsolver for providing
funds to the Atlanta Local Food Initiative
to design and print this report.
Cover artwork by Prudence Carter
A PlAn for
AtlAntA’s
sustAinAble
food future
The Atlanta Local Food Initiative
S u m m e r 2 0 0 8
www.atlantalocalfood.org
A PlAn for AtlAntA’s sustAinAble food future 1
A PlAn for AtlAntA’s
sustAinAble food future
The Atlanta Local Food Initiative
S u m m e r 2 0 0 8
The easy availability of fresh, appetizing local food, especially fruits
and vegetables, is an attractive and cost-effective contribution to
improving our diet and the health of our population.
Jeffrey P. Koplan, Vice President for Global Health, Emory University
Former Director, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
i. eXeCutiVe suMMArY
In 2005, a group of interested citizens and organizations began a dialogue
to create a more sustainable food system for Metro Atlanta resulting in the
creation of the Atlanta Local Food Initiative (ALFI).
ALFI Partnership groups include:
• Georgia Organics
• Emory University Sustainable Food
Initiative
• Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention
• DeKalb County Board of Health
• Federation of Southern Cooperatives
• Georgia Citizens Coalition on Hunger
• Georgia Department of Human
Resources WIC Branch
• Georgia Interfaith Power and Light
• Heifer International
• Les Dames d’Escoffer
• Oakhurst Community Garden
• Sevananda Natural Foods Market
• Slow Food Atlanta
• Truly Living Well Natural Urban Farms
• The University of Georgia Cooperative
Extension Service and Center for
Urban Agriculture
The Atlanta Local Food Initiative envisions a transformed food system in which every
Atlantan has access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food produced by a thriving
network of sustainable farms and gardens. A greener Metro Atlanta that embraces a
sustainable, local food system will enhance human health, promote environmental
renewal, foster local economies, and link rural and urban communities.
Our city faces health and environmental challenges, including the obesity and
diabetes epidemics and the contamination of soil, water, and air. Consumers are
calling for clean food, produced without pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones. A
the AtlAntA locAl food initiAtive 2
local food system can meet this demand and rebuild Southern foodways in harmony
with the land. Shortening the distance from farm to fork can reduce petroleum use,
enhance safety through traceability, and provide fresher, healthier products. Also,
a local system can address existing “food deserts,” areas where there is little or no
fresh food available in under-served neighborhoods. Municipal food initiatives that
encourage sustainably produced food improve urban livability, health, and wealth
1
.
Local food systems encompass activities such as: regional food distribution systems,
community gardens, farmers’ markets, pastured livestock, farm-to-school programs,
urban agriculture, and green roof designs where food is grown on building rooftops.
Developing a strong, local food system is an exciting opportunity for Metro Atlanta
that has the potential to deliver a multitude of benefts:
Promote healthy eating •
Reduce petroleum consumption •
Preserve greenspace and farmland •
Reduce harmful environmental impacts •
Minimize pesticide exposure •
Build local economies •
Create new jobs •
Strengthen the social fabric •
Celebrate our food heritage •
GoAls for the neXt 5 YeArs
Supply
Increase sustainable farms, farmers and food production in Metro 1.
Atlanta.
Expand number of community gardens. 2.
Encourage backyard gardens, edible landscaping, beekeeping, urban 3.
agriculture, dairy and egg production where appropriate.
Consumption
Launch Farm-to-School programs (gardens, cafeteria food, and 4.
curriculum).
Expand cooking skills for simple dishes made from fresh, locally 5.
produced foods including vegetables, meats and dairy.
Develop local purchasing guidelines and incentives for governments, 6.
hospitals, and Atlanta institutions.
Access
Increase local, fresh food availability in underserved neighborhoods. 7.
Increase and promote local food in grocery stores, farmers’ markets, 8.
restaurants, and other food outlets.
A PlAn for AtlAntA’s sustAinAble food future 3
ii. rAtionAle
Though many Americans have access to a cornucopia of cheap food, our
system has major hidden costs. Our long-distance, industrialized food
system outsources food production to distant agribusinesses that produce
abundant food, but often with signifcant costs to the environment, small farm
communities, and the taste, diversity and quality of food. Our population is
increasingly overweight and diabetic
2,3

and is often detached from cultural
food traditions that offer a sense of place, history, and meaning. Projects such
as farmers’ markets, farm-to-school initiatives, and urban agriculture deliver
major cultural benefts that address all three dimensions of sustainability
(environmental, economic, and social).
Promote healthy eating. Integrating high-quality food production
directly into neighborhoods, particularly urban food deserts lacking
access to healthy foods, democratizes access to organic and sustainably
grown foods. With better access to healthy foods, people can improve
their diets and in the long term, this may help to fght health problems
related to diet
4
. Especially for children in schools, there is an increasing
demand for more nutritious foods, to battle rising rates of obesity and
diabetes. Children introduced to tasty fruits and vegetables at a young
age will be more likely to make healthy consumption choices on their
own and as adults. Local foods from small farms can be produced using
varieties with inherently better taste, instead of varieties that travel well.
Better tasting produce will encourage people to continue consumption of
healthy fruits and vegetables.
reduce petroleum consumption. Fewer transport miles for food means
lower rates of greenhouse gas emissions as well as lower transport costs
and less air pollution. Buying locally grown food can also reduce the
energy used in producing, packaging, shipping, distributing, and retail
5
.
Preserve greenspace and farmland within and near cities. Purchasing
food grown by nearby farmers supports the Georgia farm economy, and
preserves farmland in the face of ever-expanding residential development.
Rural farmscapes near the city provide opportunities for children to
learn where food comes from. Inside cities, food growing initiatives can
preserve, beautify and increase greenspaces within mixed-use commercial
and residential developments.
the AtlAntA locAl food initiAtive 4
reduce harmful environmental impacts. Sustainable and organic
growing practices can improve water and soil quality and biodiversity.
6

Without runoff of toxic chemicals, downstream communities have cleaner
drinking water, and agricultural contributions to ocean “dead zones” are
eliminated.
7
Increased organic matter improves the soil’s ability to hold
moisture while building soil fertility over time.
8
Urban farm and garden
sites improve the permeability of the city to rainfall and reduce the total
amount of storm water runoff that must be managed in the municipal
system while recharging aquifers. Urban gardens and farms also compost
waste generated on site. The establishment of these small scale composting
demonstrations may provide an area for collaboration in the future as the
city moves toward a more comprehensive waste management plan.
Minimize pesticide exposure for farm workers and consumers. Farm
workers suffer a number of debilitating health effects in our current
food system. Exposures to chemical pesticides can damage reproductive
systems, have neurological impacts, disrupt endocrine function, and cause
cancer.
9
In addition, chemicals used as pesticides are found in signifcant
levels in blood tests of a cross section of Americans, though the impact of
these levels is yet to be fully understood.
10
Also, recent fndings indicate
that foods grown organically have higher levels of health-promoting
antioxidants and vitamins.
11

build local economies. Atlanta spends billions of dollars a year on food
and beverage sales. If even ten percent were locally produced, the impact
would be substantial. Focusing consumption on locally owned businesses
empowers communities and contributes to economic stability.
12
For every
dollar spent with an out-of-area company, only 15 cents stays in the local
community, mostly in the form of service industry jobs. In comparison, a
dollar spent with a local business re-circulates in the community another
two to four times, building community wealth and encouraging ownership
and entrepreneurship.
13

Create new jobs. Additionally, urban agriculture can expand jobs
and value-added processing opportunities. Across the country, new
opportunities for our youth, unemployed, underemployed and immigrants
are part of the economic benefts of local food systems. Farming jobs
will provide opportunities for the city’s underemployed to build skills
and employment potential. Local food systems help restore the dignity of
farming as a profession.
A PlAn for AtlAntA’s sustAinAble food future 5
strengthen social fabric of communities. Food can serve as a nucleus for
engaging communities across lines of race and class to build markets, gardens
and organizations that strengthen neighborhoods and may reduce crime. As
found in other cities, locally grown food also unites urban consumers and rural
producers by reconnecting historical and cultural food routes.
14

Celebrate our food heritage and cultural traditions. Closer contact
between producers, consumers and the land encourages awareness of
the earth and its seasons. Preservation of food traditions and celebration
through stories can contribute to a shared culture and healthier foodways.
Atlanta’s temperate climate, empty lots and ample greenspace can be leveraged
to expand local food supply. The Metro Atlanta Quality Growth Task Force
sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce estimated that there are 1.2 million
acres of vacant and developable land in the metro area.
15
It will take 23,000
acres to grow suffcient vegetables to feed all four million current residents of
the city. This means that less than two percent of the land currently available
would be all that is needed for a vibrant local food system.
16, 17

III. GOALS and OBJECTIVES

We propose that Atlanta focus on eight key goals to increase the supply,
improve consumption and afford access of healthy, sustainable and locally
produced foods for Atlanta residents. These fve-year goals and objectives
are outlined below with background information and a list of primary initial
objectives.
SUPPLY
Goal 1: increase metro Atlanta acreage of sustainable farm production.
The diggable City Project inventoried vacant, publicly-owned land in
the Portland, Oregon area, and identifed 289 potential sites that could be
used for small and large scale food production.
Urban farms can produce food in and around the city and provide urban
residents with fresh, healthy food. Urban farming utilizes available land
(usually two acres or less) on both private and public property and can include
vacant lots, city parks, church yards, school yards, boulevard right-of-ways,
the AtlAntA locAl food initiAtive 6
rooftops, and apartment properties. Utilizing these spaces for growing food–
particularly when the food is grown within food deserts where there is little or
no fresh food available–immediately improves access to healthy foods inside
communities while providing economic opportunities for farmers. Public and
private landowners can create a collaborative network of small-scale farming
ventures that cooperate on education, distribution, composting, marketing, and
production.
Objectives:
Complete an inventory that identifes agricultural land and land suitable for •
urban farming on public and private lands.
Develop policies to allow for food production on public lands. •
Identify private landowners willing to establish urban farms on their •
property for a period of fve years or more.
Recruit growers who can farm urban lands. •
Goal 2: expand the number of community gardens.
Community gardens are pieces of land gardened by a group of people. These
gardens can be one community plot or small individual plots of vegetables, fruit
and fowers. Community gardens serve as a catalyst for social interaction, physical
exercise, nutritional wellness, urban greenspace, and economic development. In
addition, community gardens can supplement the family food budget. According
to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, a 10 x 20 plot of land can create $600
in fresh food annually
18
. Atlanta is home to 150 community gardens, and the City
of Atlanta recently enacted an Adopt-a-Garden program permitting neighborhood
groups to start new organic gardens in city parks.
In Seattle, nearly 5,000 residents maintain community gardening plots –
collectively donating 7-10 tons of fresh produce to area food banks each year.
Objectives:
Launch a series of new community gardens on City of Atlanta park land. •
Initiate Adopt-a-Garden policies in other municipal parks and recreation •
programs.
A PlAn for AtlAntA’s sustAinAble food future 7
Work with the Atlanta Beltline developers and planners to integrate •
community gardens into design plans.
Offer educational workshops on organic gardening and community gardening. •
Goal 3: encourage backyard gardens, edible landscaping, and urban
orchards.
Atlanta can leverage its reputation as one of the greenest cities in America to
become a leader in best-practices for integrating sustainably grown edible food
into municipal, business and residential landscaping. Transferring even a small
portion of the annual investment in ornamental plants and turf to edible landscapes
can provide a signifcant new source of healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables. Edible
landscaping can focus on drought-tolerant plantings and can become an important
seasonal nutritional resource for city residents. In addition to gardens, fruit trees
that are well suited to our climate can also produce an annual harvest of fruits and
nuts. Orchards could also be planted around city parks, schools, public housing,
and city building campuses. Even Peachtree Street could be reconnected with the
origins of its name.
Objectives:
Educate citizens about organic gardening as well as planting, pruning and •
maintaining fruit trees.
Provide incentives for planting edible and sustainable landscaping •
solutions.
Work with the Atlanta Beltline developers and planners to integrate edible •
landscapes into design plans.
Partner with landscaping companies, offce complexes and neighborhood •
associations to develop edible gardens.
Identify most suitable fruit and nut tree species for urban areas and develop •
a pilot project for an urban orchard.
CONSUMPTION
Goal 4: launch farm-to-school programs.
The Atlanta Public School System serves millions of meals each year and is a
critical vehicle to improve childhood nutrition and eating habits. Farm-to-school
programs offer a holistic solution that improves the quality and nutrition of school
the AtlAntA locAl food initiAtive 8
meals, provides nutrition education to students, and lends economic support to
local farmers. When children are introduced to tasty, fresh fruits and vegetables,
and local meat and dairy products through creative menus, trips to farms, school
gardens, and nutrition education, their knowledge and consumption of these foods
increase.
19, 20, 21, 22, 23
With better nutrition comes improved educational performance
and behavior
24
and potential for decreasing obesity.
25, 26
Several schools in Atlanta
have initiated farm-to-school programs and there is tremendous interest among
teachers and parents to launch similar efforts.
Objectives:
Develop goals and policies with school districts to encourage school •
gardens and local food procurement.
Provide educational workshops on farm to school programming and •
technical assistance on developing school gardens.
Establish a Farm to School Network for Atlanta. •
emory university
As part of its commitment to sustainability, Emory has embarked on an
ambitious Sustainable Food Initiative to support local and sustainably-grown
foods in its dining services and hospitals. With a goal of “75 percent locally
or sustainably grown by 2015,” the university is partnering with producers in
Georgia and the 8-state Southeast region to provide a range of meats, dairy,
fruits, vegetables, and grocery products. Emory, together with the nonproft
Georgia Organics, has hired a farmer liaison to support its efforts.
Goal 5: teach skills for cooking simple dishes made from fresh, locally
grown foods.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly two-thirds of
Americans were overweight or obese in 2005
3
. Obesity increased by 69.9 percent
among young adults aged 18 to 29 years during the 1990s
27
. Poor nutrition and food
purchasing habits are signifcant contributors to this epidemic. The number of meals
eaten away from home has more than doubled in less than 30 years. In 1978, 16 percent
of meals were eaten away from home; it is now more than 30 percent
28
. To encourage
home consumption of fresh, locally grown food, Atlantans need to learn cooking skills
that will allow them to prepare simple, nutritious seasonal dishes. These skills can
translate into healthy eating habits, improved nutrition and the sharing of family meals.
A PlAn for AtlAntA’s sustAinAble food future 9
Objectives:
Integrate cooking demonstrations and skills into the education curriculum. •
Partner with cooking organizations and schools to expand public education •
around seasonal menus.
Launch a “Family Meal” campaign to encourage eating fresh, local foods •
at home with your family.
Partner with WIC for distribution of healthy recipes with local, seasonal food. •
Goal 6: develop local purchasing guidelines and incentives for
governments, hospitals and other Atlanta institutions.
buy Connecticut first.
The state of Connecticut promoted their local food system with the “Buy
Connecticut First” program. The prison system responded by expanding
local purchases through contracts with farmers, sometimes paying a 5-10
percent premium over conventional prices. After rebuilding kitchens to
accommodate fresher food and revamping menus, the prison authorities
found that they actually saved money and improved the quality of food.
In an unprecedented shift, state and local lawmakers are introducing bills
mandating government purchase of local foods even if costs slightly increase.
To counteract our ever-growing global food system, local food bills have
been introduced in eight states - Vermont, Illinois, Nebraska, New Jersey,
New Mexico, Montana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin - aimed at boosting
state economies while simultaneously promoting locally grown sustainable
foods. Localizing our food systems can revitalize rural communities while
prioritizing the local environment and health. Foods that stay close to home
require fewer resources, bring greater economic proft to farmers, provide
health benefts to consumers, foster job growth, and assist in weaving the
social fabric of communities.
Objectives:
Introduce local purchasing policies for local and state governments. •
the AtlAntA locAl food initiAtive 10
ACCESS
Goal 7: increase local, fresh food available in underserved neighborhoods.
Studies have shown that low income neighborhoods have fewer outlets for
purchasing fresh, healthy foods, a problem that is exacerbated by the limited
mobility and transportation options in their built environment. Children in
these areas are at the highest risk for obesity and corresponding chronic
health problems such as diabetes. Increasing access and availability will put
affordable, high-quality food within reach for these communities.
Objectives:
Increase farm stands in underserved neighborhoods. •
Integrate fresh food options–sustainably produced fruits, vegetables, •
pastured meats and dairy–into existing neighborhood outlets that sell food.
Expand food production within communities by starting new community •
gardens and urban agriculture projects.
Goal 8: Promote local food and improve access through grocery chains,
farmers’ markets, restaurants, and other food outlets.
The nonproft organization Georgia Organics produced a Local Food
Guide for Georgia, and launched a buy local campaign in 2007. The City
of Atlanta supported the campaign with a proclamation for the frst-ever
Eat Local Week at the end of September.
Buy local initiatives seek to rebuild local food systems and promote sustainable
agriculture by raising awareness, educating, and connecting consumers to fresh,
locally grown and produced foods. Many city and state governments support buy
local marketing campaigns to promote local farm products and increase the local
economy. Grocery stores, restaurants and farmers’ markets all play a key role in
increasing public access while providing income opportunities for local and regional
producers. Farmers’ markets provide the most comprehensive selection of seasonal
foods and strengthen the social fabric of local communities. Atlanta currently has 15
farmers’ markets. Cities of comparable size are home to 4-5 times more markets than
Atlanta. Increasing access in low-income neighborhoods will help to address issues of
healthy food access disparities between socioeconomic levels.
4, 29

A PlAn for AtlAntA’s sustAinAble food future 11
Objectives:
Launch annual • buy local campaigns.
Improve distribution of the Georgia Organics Local Food Guide and online •
resources to direct consumers to local food sources.
Encourage grocery and convenience stores to purchase from local •
producers and improve signage of locally grown food.
Encourage businesses to serve locally produced food at their events. •
Minneapolis farmers’ Market
Summer Saturdays are a celebration of community in Minneapolis. The
downtown train station has been transformed to accommodate hundreds
of local farmers, selling fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, fsh, cheeses, dairy,
fowers, and crafts. Bands play and tasty cooked foods tempt the passerby. The
market is home to the wide range of ethnic groups now resident in this city.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
large-scale Composting. As much as 20 percent of the food grown in America goes to
waste, much of it ending up as municipal solid waste appropriating space in rapidly filling
landfills.
30
Much of this food waste can be easily composted, recycling waste into tons
of nutrient-rich soil amendments within three to six months. Given that poor soils are the
biggest challenge to organic growing in Georgia; this compost could be made available, free
of charge, to all of Atlanta’s urban food-growing initiatives with the benefit of improving
the quality and yield of harvests throughout the city. The city could establish a composting
operation to serve as a small-business or cooperative enterprise creating value-added vermi-
compost (worm castings) for sale at area farmers’ markets and garden centers. Large-scale
composting could be encouraged by developing a tiered permitting system with fewer
regulatory requirements for low environmental risk composting operations.
sweet Auburn Curb Market. The historic Sweet Auburn Curb Market offers a low
cost solution that can immediately increase public access to locally grown foods. Unlike
farmers’ markets that only open three to four hours per week, the Curb Market is open to
60 hours a week, 52 weeks per year. In alignment with the Curb Market’s goal of serving
as an incubator for new food-based businesses, the facility’s existing infrastructure can be
leveraged to facilitate local food sales and distribution to Atlanta’s schools, government
institutions, and businesses. The facility can also host a certifed kitchen that would do
the AtlAntA locAl food initiAtive 12
triple-duty as a training facility for the underemployed, a value-added processing facility
that pre-preps food to be used by Atlanta Public Schools or other large institutional buyers,
and a for-lease facility for small business people launching new value-added food products.
Currently, approximately 2,000 square feet of retail space at the market is unleased.
iV. ConClusion
We can elevate Atlanta’s profle as a city that takes a wholesome and innovative
approach to feeding its citizens while simultaneously improving sustainability and
livability for all of Atlanta’s citizens
The local food movement has already taken root in Atlanta. Demand for locally grown
food raised with sustainable and organic methods has skyrocketed, and the demand
for local foods is not currently being met by the limited supply. Consumers, noting
exceptional taste and freshness, tend to enjoy locally grown food more; and farmers, freed
from the constraints of transportability, can produce varieties bred for taste and nutrition.
In addition to Atlanta’s temperate climate and average annual rainfall, the city has other
resources in the form of organizations, city-owned assets, and programs that could be
leveraged in developing local food initiatives.
All of the potential projects proposed are assumed to use sustainable or organic production
practices that focus on developing soil fertility, crop rotation, animal welfare and diversity, while
reducing vulnerability to disease and pests. Sustainable agriculture has the added benefit of
meeting the needs of the current generation while conserving resources for future generations.
As Atlanta seeks to “green” itself, food must be a major part of the sustainability
agenda. Improving the region’s food system will:
Increase food security and access to healthy food •
Create a more robust local economy •
Improve our environment •
Strengthen our community •
A sustainable plan for Atlanta’s food future will require dynamic cooperation
among Atlanta’s public and private groups, strong leaders and active citizens. We
must start now to sow, reap and bring to market the multiple benefts of building
a more independent, locally based food system.
A PlAn for AtlAntA’s sustAinAble food future 13
V. resourCes & links
fArMers’ MArkets
san francisco, CA: Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market, www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com.
seattle, WA: Pike Place Market, www.pikeplacemarket.org.
CoMMunitY GArdens
usA & Canada: American Community Gardening Association,
www.communitygarden.org.
seattle, WA: Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods administers the P-Patch
Community Gardens program, a collaboration with a non-profit organization, the P-Patch
Trust that works to negotiate five-year leases on available land. Collectively totaling 12
urban acres, the partnership serves low-income, disabled, youth, and non-English speaking
populations, and provides 7-10 tons of fresh produce to area food banks each year.
Madison, Wi: Community Action Coalition provides an Organizer’s Handbook
which describes all aspects of organizing a community garden. Garden plots are
incorporated into the city’s plan, and a land trust formed to secure land tenure.
Portland, or: Community Garden Program is administered through the
city’s Parks and Recreation Department, supporting 30 garden sites, 75
percent of them located on public property.
fArM-to-sChool
seattle, WA: Model site for legislators and staff from Washington (state), Montana,
Mississippi, and Kentucky to learn about farm-to-school programs and how they
contribute to environmental and community health.
tallahassee, fl: New North Florida Cooperative, (NNFC), a cooperative of
farmers in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas, provides fresh
produce for school meals, serving over 1 million students in 72 school districts by
growing, processing, and delivering fresh ready-to-cook produce.
davis, CA: one medium sized school district purchases 49percent of its produce
from farmers in the region. There are over 120 farm-to-school programs in
California, with scores of salad bars across the state that utilize local produce.
new York City, nY: Established New York Harvest for New York Kids week,
when children visit farms, farmers visit classrooms, and students participate in a
wide variety of agricultural experiential education programs. In addition, New York
City has committed to buying only New York apples, as long as supplies last.
the AtlAntA locAl food initiAtive 14
Michigan: Utilizing the Department of Defense Farm to School Program, $1,165,000
has gone to purchase apples, pears, and nectarines from Michigan farmers.
north Carolina: Has purchased $4,500,000 of apples, carrots, and potatoes from farmers
within the state, also through the Department of Defense Farm to School Program.
Asheville, nC: Blue Ridge Food Ventures serves as a shared-use, value-added food
processing center. www.advantagewest.com/content.cfm/content_id/144/section/food
knoxville, tn: Jubilee Project shared-use community kitchen facility for helping local
farmers and food entrepreneurs develop value-added food-based micro-enterprises.
urbAn fArMs
Portland, or: February 2006: Published Urban Agriculture Inventory with four
development recommendations: Identify land for agriculture, create pilot projects,
test land management plan, and explore policy changes to remove barriers.
urbAn orChArds
Victoria, bC: Uses volunteers to harvest and distribute fruit. www.
lifecyclesproject.ca/initiatives/fruit_tree
los Angeles, CA: TreePeople distributes trees, and provides education. www.treepeople.org
Austin, tX: The Urban Orchard Project of Tree Folks plants fruit and nut trees
in public spaces, and trains volunteers in horticulture and processing value-added
products. www.treefolks.org/prog_urban_orchard.asp
boston, MA: Urban Orchards program of Earthworks plants fruit and nut-bearing
trees, shrubs, and vines. www.earthworksboston.org/page/urbanorchards
Clif bar funds a project coordinated by the Alliance for Community Trees
(http://actrees.org), with activity in San Francisco, Denver, Boulder, Miami, and Portland, Maine.
lArGe-sCAle CoMPostinG
san francisco, CA: Provides “green cart” curbside recycling of all food scraps,
food-soiled paper, and plant debris. www.sunsetscavenger.com/composting.htm
Chicago, il: The University of Illinois extension supports a “Chicago Home
Composting” program that distributes free compost bins and provides educational
info at www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/homecomposting/
Milwaukee, Wi: Growing Power recycles food wastes into a vermi-composting
greenhouse operation that creates jobs, trains future urban farmers, and creates
income from selling vermi-compost (worm castings), plants, and tilapia.
www.growingpower.org
A PlAn for AtlAntA’s sustAinAble food future 15
sierra Vista, AZ: Diverts 35percent of the community’s yard waste to composting
each year with 2,300 tons of material processed. Public demand for the resulting
compost routinely exceeds supply.
decatur, GA: Residents drop off yard wastes and pick up wood chips for free.
buY loCAl initiAtiVes
Minneapolis, Mn: City’s website provides information on why supporting local
farmers is important to their community and where consumers can go to buy local
foods. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability/MplsFarmersMarkets.asp
burlington, Vt: Committed to purchase 10percent of all food locally. The state of
Vermont’s buy local campaign states that if every resident shifted 10percent of their
food purchases to locally grown products, more than $100 million would be added
to Vermont’s economy. http://www.vermontagriculture.com
Portland, or: Sponsors the buy local campaign. www.thinklocalportland.org.
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A Plan for Atlanta’s Sustainable Food Future

Organization and Institutional Endorsements
( a s o f J u l y 2 2
n d
2 0 0 8 )
For a copy of this report and an updated list of endorsers, visit www.atlantalocalfood.org
5 seasons brewing •
Acf Greater Atlanta chefs Association •
American community Gardening Association •
Atlanta botanical Garden •
Atlanta community food bank •
Atlanta culinary federation •
Atlanta foods international •
Atlanta urban Gardening leadership Association •
Atlanta’s finest dining & Piedmont review Magazines •
bacchanalia, floataway cafe, star Provisions, Quinones •
beltline network •
brownwood Park community Garden •
cabbagetown Market •
cAre usA •
captain Planet foundation •
President Jimmy carter •
centers for disease control and Prevention * •
chattahoochee technical college, the center for •
culinary education
childrens Wellness network •
decatur farmers Market •
destiny Produce •
dynamic dish •
east Atlanta community Association •
east Atlanta farmers Market •
east lake Golf club •
emory ofce of sustainability initiatives •
farmer’s fresh food network •
federation of southern cooperatives •
fruit, veggie & herbs •
the funny farm •
Georgia citizens coalition on hunger •
Georgia conservancy •
Georgia department of Agriculture •
Georgia interfaith Power & light •
Georgia organics •
Georgia restaurant Association •
Georgia stand-up •
Georgia tech’s ofce of environmental stewardship •
the Glenwood •
Good shepherd church •
Green foodservice Alliance •
harvest, urban farm communiy •
heifer international •
inspiring futures •
Kasan red •
les dames d’escofer, Atlanta chapter •
life essentials •
livable communities coalition •
Moore farms and friends •
Morehouse school of Medicine, department of •
community health and Preventive Medicine
Morningside farmers Market •
nPu-t and nPu-f •
oakhurst community Garden •
organic dwellings, llc •
Park Pride Atlanta •
refugee family services •
restaurant eugene •
Piedmont road farmers Market •
serenbe development •
sevananda natural foods Market •
shaun’s restaurant •
slow food Atlanta •
southern christian leadership conference, Atlanta •
southern sustainable Agriculture Working Group •
southface energy institute •
spelman university •
st. Philips cathedral •
team Agriculture Georgia •
terra verde •
trees Atlanta •
truly living Well natural urban farms •
turner foundation •
the urban Gardener •
Watershed •
Whole foods Market, south region •
Woodfre Grill •
WrfG radio (89.3 fM) •
* The Centers for Disease Control’s support is limited to the mission related components of the initiative and does not imply endorsement of the individual partners involved.