City of Saint Paul Launches Website for Sustainable, Local Food Production

The City of St Paul is increasing its effort to promote and support the production of healthy, sustainable, locally-grown food, according to the press release below from the City of St Paul.

Katie Godfrey,MN Living GreenCorps Member with Saint Paul Parks and Recreation said, "[...]the website is a work in progress--if there is information you think should be included on the site, please let me know and I will see what I can do. One thing to note is that under 'Community Connections' there is an inventory of the community kitchens in St. Paul."

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SAINT PAUL – The City of Saint Paul launched a Healthy and Local Food website today to advance the city’s efforts in supporting and encouraging production of healthy, sustainable, locally-grown food. The website covers topics from urban food production and proposed zoning changes to information on permits and an inventory of community kitchens and more. The website was revealed on the same day the Saint Paul City Council accepted a report from the Saint Paul-Ramsey County Food and Nutrition Commission, recommending the expansion of economic and infrastructure development of urban agriculture.

“Saint Paul is a national leader in sustainable living, and access to locally-grown food is an important part of that. By supporting local food production, we support the health of our economy, the health of our environment, and the health of our residents,” Mayor Chris Coleman said.

“There are a growing number of community organizations and individuals doing important work on local food issues – from food security and access to urban farming and backyard gardening. Saint Paul is pleased to be a partner in these efforts and expects that the new website will serve as an easy entry point for residents and businesses interested in healthy local food,” Saint Paul City Councilmember Russ Stark added.

Saint Paul has made great strides in recent years to support local food initiatives as part of broader efforts to create a sustainable community. A 2010 study of some Saint Paul neighborhoods identified price, as well as access, as two of the major barriers to families eating fruits or vegetables every day. Since then, Saint Paul and Ramsey County have worked to open additional community gardens and worked to make it possible to use EBT cards at Saint Paul farmers markets, ensuring that those essential local fruits and vegetable are available to all.

The commission’s report draws connections between food access, public health, economic development and equity. Its recommendations include expanding urban farming, enhancing local food quality, and integrating the promotion of healthy, local food systems into Saint Paul’s government policies and practices.

The new website can be found at http://www.stpaul.gov/indexu.aspx?NID=4811