In the first half of 2015, the Columbus Local Food Fund partnered with the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and local food-industry stakeholders on a regional assessment that provided a broad look at the Chattahoochee Valley’s agriculture production, consumption and spending habits. This assessment uncovered some surprising data including:
* Farms in the 62 county region (100-mi. radius from Columbus) make up 1/5th of all farms in the states of Georgia and Alabama.
* From 2007 to 2012, our region experienced great losses in small farms (1 to 49 acres) and had a 4% loss in farmland.
* 25% of farm operators in the 100-mi. region are seventy or older.
* As of 2012, Georgia is the 2nd largest producer of snap beans. Yet, the closest snap bean processing facility is in Texas.
* Direct Sales of local food grew 44% from 2007 to 2012 from $2.89m-$4.18m
* The 100-mi. production region grows 25 different fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts that account for approximately half of the fresh produce and nuts most regularly consumed by residents living in Muscogee County and its bordering counties.
* Only $0.18 of every dollar spent on grocery store produce goes directly to the farmer (that number drops to about $0.03 per dollar for restaurant food sales). Soon after the distribution of the assessment report, Georgia Organics selected Columbus as a pilot city for the Georgia Food Oasis project, and it was officially launched at the W.C. Bradley Museum last October with over 50 participants representing farmers, restaurant owners, small business owners, policymakers, media and local food advocates. The Columbus Local Food Fund continues to partner with Georgia Organics to assess, collaborate and engage our community to improve our local food environment, providing community facilitation, micro grants and marketing support. By the end of the three-year Food Oasis project, we expect to:
* Increase the number of organic & sustainable farmers in rural and urban areas.
* Increase the number of children participating in farm-to-school programs.
* Increase the number of Columbus-area residents eating organically grown, local food. The Columbus Local Food Fund believes access to food - clean, affordable, nourishing and naturally flavorful food - is one of the cornerstones of a healthy and resilient community. What we eat matters. It matters to our bodies, our environment, our community, our economy and our culture. We hope you will continue to support our efforts as we help transition Columbus towards a healthy, diverse and abundant food landscape. The Columbus Local Food Fund is a pass-through (non-endowed) Designated Fund of the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, Inc. The Fund was established at the Community Foundation to support the work of Columbus Local Food Fund. The chair of the Columbus Local Food Fund Steering Committee serves as the Fund’s Advisor. On behalf of the Steering Committee, the chair recommends grants from the Fund to the Board of the Community Foundation, which makes final decisions regarding the grants. While the Fund is owned and managed by the Community Foundation, its purpose is clearly to support the work of the Columbus Local Food Fund. The Community Foundation is certified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity, and completed donations to any of its component Funds are tax deductible as allowed by law. In addition to cash gifts, the Community Foundation accepts gifts of publicly traded securities, tangible personal property, real estate and most types of planned gift vehicles. Contact the organization for further details or visit www.cfcv.com.
