In 2002, the Ecological Design Innovation Center (EDIC) formed the Northeast Ohio Foodshed Network (NOFN). The goal of NOFN is to promote a more economically, ecologically and socially sustainable local food system in Northeast Ohio. In addition to directing consumers toward locally grown and produced foods, this network of farmers, consumers, food distributors, restaurants, locally owned businesses and nonprofit organizations seeks successful and innovative ways to provide fresher, more delicious and nutritious foods to consumers.

   Program Director, Kari Moore, and EDIC's Director, Brad Masi, organized a Northeast Ohio Food Congress in 2003 to bring together diverse segments of the local food economy. Restaurants, chefs, farmers, producers and sole proprietors came together to conceptualize a strategy to transform the regional food economy into a shared vision for a more sustainable food system. The group identified a need to create a culture of collaboration among local food economy stakeholders, facilitate new farm starts and small businesses, encourage innovation in marketing and distribution of local foods and foster the demand for local foods through consumer education. Since then, NOFN has developed a variety of initiatives to reach these goals. Two recent projects include City Fresh and the Local Food Guide.

   City Fresh is a community-supported agriculture program to supply fresh produce in Cleveland's underserved urban neighborhoods. Rebuilding a local food system is no small undertaking, and collaboration has been critical. A recent partnership between NOFN, Ohio State University Extension's Community Gardening Program, Cleveland Department of Public Health, Heifer International, Slow Food Northern Ohio and others has resulted in a Community Food Security grant to establish City Fresh. In an effort to improve food access and economic opportunity for low-income, urban residents, City Fresh's programs on Cleveland's near-West side support the development of community food centers, market gardens and regional market development.

   By organizing community food centers in the Clark Metro and Detroit Shoreway neighborhoods, City Fresh will provide more access to nutritious, locally grown food. Urban Community Supported Agriculture shares will be sold at the centers, which will also feature nutritional education and cooking demonstrations. The market gardens planned by City Fresh will cultivate entrepreneurial opportunities for city dwellers to utilize vacant urban land to grow food for sale to local markets. City Fresh will offer a training program to teach basic skills to interested neighbors. City Fresh will then develop opportunities for both rural producers and emerging urban growers by clustering demand between new community food centers and area restaurants, grocers and institutions.

   The Local Food Guide will provide easy consumer access to local and regional food information. The guide, which will be available this summer, is a directory of farms, food producers, local merchants, restaurants, distributors, grocers, local web-retailers and farmers' markets. “The ultimate goal is to connect consumers and commercial buyers with local food resources in an effort to generate more commerce in locally grown and produced foods,” explains Kari Moore. In addition to providing a list of the specific products, the Local Food Guide contains details about farming practices and product attributes. For example, the Guide will reference whether a farm is certified organic, grows heirloom varieties or is free of GMOs (genetically modified organisms). It will also list whether the livestock is free-range, heritage breed or free of antibiotics and hormones. Local food retailers will also offer information about their products, including details such as offering fair trade or sustainable goods.

   By promoting the economic, environmental and nutritional benefits of local food buying and seasonal eating, NOFN hopes that demand for local foods will continue to grow and support more of the region's farming. Food is a $6 billion industry in Northeast Ohio. Choosing fresh Ohio apples over Washington state apples or local Amish butter over national brands benefits local farmers and the local economy. “We are sharing the connections we've developed to make it easier for local families and restaurants to find and enjoy fresh, delicious foods grown and produced right here in Northeast Ohio,” says Kari.

   By cultivating more farmer-buyer connections and informed consumers, NOFN hopes to grow both the supply and demand for locally grown and produced foods. The entire area benefits when a greater portion of that $6 billion circulates in Northeast Ohio's farms, businesses and communities. In addition, while the economy benefits immensely from local buying, so does the environment. On average, food travels 1,500-2,500 miles from farm to plate. Our locally grown foods generally travel less than 200 miles, reducing the cost and minimizing the environmental impact. Locally grown produce usually arrives at local markets within 24 hours of harvest, making it a fresher, more nutritious and better tasting option for consumers. Economics and sustainability aside, this might be the most enjoyable reason of all to buy locally!

To learn more about membership and participation in the Northeast Ohio Foodshed Network and the benefits of a strong local food system, visit NOFN's web site at www.neofoodshed.org , call (216) 774-2906 or (216) 225-6311 or e-mail info@neofoodshed.org.