Bridgeport, Connecticut is hosting a two-day community workshop on the topic of local food and its potential for strengthening our local economy, supporting healthier people and neighborhoods, and revitalizing our downtown. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), US Department of Transportation (DOT), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have selected Bridgeport for the Local Foods, Local Places technical assistance program, which will result in an action plan for strengthening our local food economy.
A team of these agency partners and their consultants will join local stakeholders to conduct a workshop in Bridgeport on September 7th and September 8th. Your participation and knowledge of the local area is needed to help make this event a success. The workshop will bring together many key stakeholders from throughout our region to develop an action plan primarily around, but not limited to, these goal areas:
- Sustain and continuously improve the value proposition of farmers markets in the community
- Raise awareness of the farmers markets among low-income residents, especially those enrolled in SNAP
- Leverage best practices, joint programming, fundraising, policy, and marketing/outreach campaigns across Bridgeport Farmers Market Collaborative members and the wider community of food-related organizations
- Determine metrics of success and methodology for food system impact evaluation
The workshop will include presentations on community livability and the roles that local foods play in supporting it, plus small group working sessions and discussions on the community’s vision and goals, and specific actions for reaching them. The workshop will lay out an action plan for moving forward.
