Local Food Indicators—A Checklist for Assessing Local Food Systems: A Resilient Communities Project–GreenStep Cities Guide

Abstract

Encouraging a successful local food system is a step that cities can take to build more resilient communities. In addition to the physical health benefits associated with improving access to fruits and vegetables, strengthening the local food system can help support the local economy, strengthen social connections, and build resident investment in the community. This local food indicator checklist is meant to provide communities with measures to assess their current local food system. The checklist may be used at the beginning of an initiative to strengthen the local food system, and again at the end to measure progress.

This document was prepared by the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Communities Project (RCP) for the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program. This resource was adapted from student work completed in partnership with RCP and the City of Rosemount during the 2014–2015 academic year. Although the original report was developed for a specific community, students’ findings and recommendations have been synthesized and generalized, and additional research has been conducted where necessary, to produce a resource that is relevant to communities throughout Minnesota. The original student report can be found at https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/180435.