About This Project
The Lopez Island Foodshed Assessment is part of a senior thesis project at Sterling
College in Vermont. A foodshed assessment is a modern tool used by food system planners to evaluate a population's food supply and identify a vision for change. Dozens of similar projects have been carried out in communities across the country ranging from a small village to the city of San Francisco.This study will create a baseline measurement of the Lopez Island food system that will help us to understand what's working in the system, what still needs work, and how we can get from here to there.
This project is an exercise in self-reliance for Lopez. A foodshed is the geographic extent of food production for a population. A localized foodshed represents a vision for a food system that meets of the needs of the local population before supplying outside markets. The Foodshed Assessment will measure food production, distribution, and consumption on Lopez, and ultimately seeks to answer the question: "Can Lopez Island Feed Itself?" The project is also an opportunity to learn about the foodshed and identify a community vision for a sustainable food system on Lopez Island.
The project has three major parts:
1. A survey of consumer behavior. Where do you buy your food? What do you grow in your garden? How accessible is local food to YOU? This is where I need your help. When you finish reading this, please take a few minutes to complete the Consumer Survey so that your input can be included in the assessment.
2. A survey of local farm production. How much land is being farmed on Lopez? What crops are being produced? Where is the food grown here being sold? How much of it stays on the island? If you are a farmer or grow food for market, please click here to take the Producer Survey.
3. A survey of restaurants, grocery stores, and food entrepreneurs. Do restaurants on Lopez use local food? What is their contribution to the local food economy? How can we get more local food onto the grocery shelf? If you own a restaurant or food business on Lopez, please click here to take the Food Distributor Survey. (A food distributor is any non-farm business that sells food).
Still wanting to learn more about the project? Visit the project blog:
http://civicandcommunityag.wordpress.com
College in Vermont. A foodshed assessment is a modern tool used by food system planners to evaluate a population's food supply and identify a vision for change. Dozens of similar projects have been carried out in communities across the country ranging from a small village to the city of San Francisco.This study will create a baseline measurement of the Lopez Island food system that will help us to understand what's working in the system, what still needs work, and how we can get from here to there.
This project is an exercise in self-reliance for Lopez. A foodshed is the geographic extent of food production for a population. A localized foodshed represents a vision for a food system that meets of the needs of the local population before supplying outside markets. The Foodshed Assessment will measure food production, distribution, and consumption on Lopez, and ultimately seeks to answer the question: "Can Lopez Island Feed Itself?" The project is also an opportunity to learn about the foodshed and identify a community vision for a sustainable food system on Lopez Island.
The project has three major parts:
1. A survey of consumer behavior. Where do you buy your food? What do you grow in your garden? How accessible is local food to YOU? This is where I need your help. When you finish reading this, please take a few minutes to complete the Consumer Survey so that your input can be included in the assessment.
2. A survey of local farm production. How much land is being farmed on Lopez? What crops are being produced? Where is the food grown here being sold? How much of it stays on the island? If you are a farmer or grow food for market, please click here to take the Producer Survey.
3. A survey of restaurants, grocery stores, and food entrepreneurs. Do restaurants on Lopez use local food? What is their contribution to the local food economy? How can we get more local food onto the grocery shelf? If you own a restaurant or food business on Lopez, please click here to take the Food Distributor Survey. (A food distributor is any non-farm business that sells food).
Still wanting to learn more about the project? Visit the project blog:
http://civicandcommunityag.wordpress.com
About Me
I first came to Lopez last summer as an LCLT agriculture intern. I worked with Ken and Kathryn at Horse Drawn Farm, lived at the Hummel Lake House, and got a taste of island life on Lopez. When not on Lopez I live in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, where I am a senior in Sustainable Food Systems at Sterling College. I have spent the last three years studying sustainable agriculture and community development, and I hope to continue to work on building resilient food systems wherever I go. I believe in the power of sustainable agriculture to initiate positive transformations in rural communities.