Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program-Strategic Plan

Farmers Market and Local Food
Promotion Program:

Core Values

Quality/Fresh: We bring fresh nutritious food to the community with care and thoughtfulness, and with high quality in mind first to meet the high standards of our customers.
Local: Promoting local farmers. We accomplish this by developing, mentoring, and encouraging existing and future local farmers.
Sustainability: Provide a venue for local farmers and vendors to sell their products and provide high quality foods and crafts in an eco-friendly manner.
Community Connectedness: (1) Develop a community among farmers and the public that addresses their wants and needs and provide an avenue to access nutrition and products that are not normally found elsewhere. (2) The BLEC’s Growing Capacity & Strength through Local Food Channels Program was developed with community residents and partners after assessing the needs of our target population – low-income African-Americans, Hispanics, seniors, and at-risk youth. Our community-based food system will serve not only the immediate residents of West Columbia but those of greater Lexington and Richland Counties, where food is grown, distributed, and consumed by its residents.

Strategic Goals

Given the shifts in the landscape of local food access, and the growth of our organization, BLEC has identified five strategies to pursue that will ensure that we are able to meet our goals and emerging opportunities and challenges over the next four years.

Strategic Goals	Objectives
Goal 1: Provide creative solutions and a structured plan to communicate to our customers prior to and during the market.	Connect vendor products to the customer Connect market functions/activities to the customer Connect market to locals to increase community participation Connect nutritional benefits to our customers
Goal 2: Promote vendor sustainability through programs that support vendor success and satisfaction.	Identify opportunities to increase vendor success through increased income Identity products and vendors needed to expand the diversity of products provided at the market – Develop and offer a weekly farmers market in partnership with local farmers, providing healthy, affordable produce to our community. Outcome 1.1: The BCCEC-GCSLFC will create 5 local jobs and offer job training to at least 50 program participants each year of the grant program. Outcome 1.2: Based on a stakeholder survey, in vear one, at least 25% of program participants will indicate increased access to healthy foods and an increased access to healthy foods and an increase in weekly consumption of healthy fruits and vegetables (30% in vear 2. 40% in vear 3. 50% in year 4). Develop processes that support vendor retention
Goal 3: Engage with the key entities within the community to positively influence the benefits the market provides.	Work with various farming programs/business leaders to promote the market Work and promote key youth agricultural and artisan programs within the community Expanding the availability of produce to other parts of the county
Goal 4: Develop a facilities’ plan that supports our mission and vision	BLEC will utilize our existing buildings of 84,000 square feet to offer a facility environment that is clean, fun. welcoming, and inclusive meeting the future needs vendors and the growing demand of customers.
Goal 5: Increase access to fresh local produce for residents, incorporate training/educational programs, and create jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities.	Transform our underleveraged garden and football field to weekly farmers market and community gardens. Develop our after-school and camp youth training program with a curriculum and annual program that offers nutrition training, food service, growing practices, and entrepreneurial opportunities. To offer a formalized after-school program for at-risk youth offering classes in nutrition, food preparation, jobs in agriculture and the food service industry, internship, and service-learning opportunities in agriculture and food service, as well as classes in entrepreneurship. Outcome 2.1: Engage at least 500 members of the targeted population in years 1 and 2 of the program; 700 members in years 3 of the program. Outcome 2.2: Based on a stakeholder survey, in year 1, at least 25% of at-risk youth participants will indicate increased access and knowledge of nutrition, food preparation, and careers in agriculture and the food service industry (30% in year 2, 40% in year 3). Scale up our existing food distribution program. Engage residents in the production/distribution of produce, creating educational, vocational, and economic opportunities for our communities. To offer classes for the community involving food and entrepreneurship (i.e., How to Start Your Own Food Truck Business, catering business, or other food service and entrepreneurial-related topics). Outcome 3.1: We will have trained 100 individuals in year one of the program (150 in year 2, 200 in year 3 of the program).