1. Economic development as framing
strategy for advocacy
Dispatches from Michigan
CFSC Food Policy Conference
Portland, OR – 20 May 2011
Deirdra Stockmann | Food System Economic Partnership
Sharon P. Sheldon | Washtenaw County Public Health
Amanda Maria Edmonds | Growing Hope
Fran Talsma | Michigan Institute of Clinical Health and Research

2. Roadmap
 Build common vocabulary
 Examples from Michigan
 Advocacy toolkit
 Activity: Advocacy action
 Discussion
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2893011093_0e95119bbb.jpg

3. Map credit to Rachel Chadderdon, 2009 Ecology
Culture and livelihoods
Local Orbit
Center
St Joseph
Eat Local Eat Mercy Health
Fair Food
Natural System
Network Packard Health
Arbor
Center
Brewing
Company
Ann Arbor Green Belt Ann Arbor Area
Commission Community Foundation
Living Stones
Zingerman s Community
Community of Ypsilanti
Ypsilanti Health Coalition
Ann Arbor Businesses Food Co-op
Township Ann Arbor Township
Small Farms Initiative
Food Gatherers
UM Health System
Ann Arbor Community Action
Health and fair access
Chamber of Local Food Guide Network
City of Ann Commerce UM School of
Arbor
Public Health
Food System Economic
Repasts Present and Partnership Summer Youth
Ann Arbor Parks Future (SELMA/SFSFI) Employment Program
and Recreation
Faith and Food Downtown Ypsilanti Washtenaw County
Farmers Market Public Health
Legacy Land Ann Arbor Farmers
Conservancy Market
Homegrown Festival and
Local Food Summit
People s Food Co-op
Slow Food
Huron Valley Ann Arbor Farm to
School Collaborative Growing Hope Edible
Transition Ann Avalon
Arbor Giving Gardens (EMU)
Washtenaw
Community College Avalon
Project Grow Community Housing
Gardens
Agrarian Adventure
Local Table
Campus Dining
Services (UM)
Project Healthy Schools
Michigan Sustainable
Foods Initiative (UM) Matthaei Botanical
Gardens (UM)
MSU Extension
Cultivating Community
(UM)
Sustainable Ag. Working
Grp (UM SNRE) Woman s Farm and Collaborative
Garden Association program /initiative
MSU Student Ann Arbor Ypsilanti (Ann Arbor Branch)
Organic Farm Public Schools Public
Schools Community and School Public education
Garden Network
Nonprofit
Connection
CS Mott Group for
Sustainable Agriculture
Creative Change Chartwells Food
coding Organization coding
Money Public service
(MSU) Information /
Educational Solutions Service other support For-profit
Environment and stewardship
Office space/land
Foundation
Formal Collaboration
Informal collaboration/ share Student group
key individuals

4. Mapping our partnerships
Our successes are due to our longstanding partnerships
and commitment to working together on common outcomes. We
interact on too many levels and initiatives to name
2001 Ypsilanti Health Coalition founded
2003 Growing Hope founded; begins working with Washtenaw
County Public Health, MSUE Extension
2005 MI Dept of Community Health begins Building Healthy
Communities grants
Food System Economic Partnership founded
2006 Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers Market founded by Growing Hope
2007 Ypsilanti Healthy Food Access Initiative
2008 Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan
YMCA Pioneering Healthy Communities
2009 Food Gatherers’ Food Security study and plan
U-Michigan’s MICHR funds pilot project with Growing Hope
First annual Local Food Summit in Washtenaw County
2010 FSEP Policy Committee founded

5. Who’s in the room?
Public Policy
laws, regulations
Community
relationships among
organizations
Organizational
schools, work,
social institutions
Interpersonal
families, friends
Individual
knowledge, skills
Socio-ecological model

6. Building common vocabulary
Issue framing
the careful use of language or other symbols in public discourse.
-- Kosicki, 2008
 Shapes the message
 Connects issue to other issues
 Influences interpretation of
information
 Examples:
 The “death tax”
 Change
 “Advocacy group”
What are some framing strategies
for local food policy?
http://jeffhayesfinearts.blogspot.com

7. Building common vocabulary
Beyond “attract and retain”
Economic development: The development of wealth to improve
community well-being and quality of life by promoting investment,
job creation and access to resources.
Two models:
http://avigroup.co/ http://www.msuorganicfarm.org/
Attract and retain large-scale, Grow and support small-scale,
outside investment inside investment

8. Building common vocabulary
Advocacy coalitions
people from a variety of positions who share a particular belief system—for
example a set of basic values, causal assumptions, and problem perceptions
—and who show a nontrivial degree of coordinated activity over time.
-- Sabatier 1988
Coalition members include: Effective coalitions:
 Local gov’t officials (elected
and appointed)  Engage diverse partners
 Nonprofit representatives  Build strong, reciprocal
 Businesses relationships
 Schools  Tell good stories about
 Researchers successes and impact
 Community members

9. Food and Farming in Michigan
 Second largest economic sector
 55,000 farms; 10 million acres in farming
 $70 billion economic impact
 1 million jobs (~25% of Michigan
workforce)
 Michigan Food Policy Council (2006)
 Michigan Good Food Charter (2010)
 C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable
Agriculture, Michigan State U.
 Michigan Food Policy Council
 Food Bank Council of Michigan

10. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Examples & Lessons
Two successful Michigan strategies:
 Increasing institutional food purchasing using
local/regional growers contributes to local
economic development
 Increasing access to local and healthy foods
for the general population as well as low
income, vulnerable populations drives
economic development

11. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Start by identifying your goals…..
If economic development is identified as an
important goal at the outset, programs will be
developed with that priority.
Goals:
 Increase freshness and variety of foods
 Stimulating the local economy
 Building relationships between schools/
institutions and the local community
 Increasing knowledge about local food
system

12. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Farm to School – Economic impact
 Michigan K-12 schools represent
about $200 million statewide
spending on food.
 On 2009 survey, 42% of food
service directors (FSD) said they
were already purchasing from
Student enjoys fresh, local melon
local producers from the school fruit & veg bar
 If all schools spent just 5% on
local food, school FSD’s would
contribute $10 million to support
local farmers/vendors and the
local economy.

13. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Farm to School – Success stories
 Define “local”: Often a buzzword,
local does not always need to
cost more
 Put control in hands of the FSD
 Start small and expand efforts
 Schools can approach food
service purchasing using a
“tiered” approach:
 Produce from local/regional
farmers
 Other ingredients from state or
regional grower/producers (beans, Bryant Elementary students show off
pasta) their seed balls.

14. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Farm to School – Ann Arbor P.S.
Timeline:
• 2006: Chartwells contract started district wide
• 2006-07: Doubled produce purchasing (100% increase)
• 2007-08: Additional 25% increase in produce purchasing
as they instituted mobile fruit/vegetable bars
 Strong local wellness policy (see link to toolkit) enhanced
support for development of Farm to School and
institutional food purchasing changes
 Overlap in participation on Wellness Policy Committee and
Farm to School Committee helped to keep momentum
and direction consistent

15. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Farm to School
Talking to decision-makers
 School Administration and School Boards
 Need specific examples of how Concord and Ann Arbor have
elevated the conversation to these levels through changes to
purchasing contracts and other school policy changes
 School food service is the base ; build up from there!
 Often FSD’s have the leeway to work within their existing
budget to bring local fresh foods in;
 Farm to School classroom content often follows and may
require more formal integration with administration/school
board; next steps are often school garden/hoophouse

16. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Hospitals and healthcare
Health Care Without Harm Pledge:
“Through food purchasing decisions, the health care industry can
promote health more fresh, good tasting and nutritious choices
for patients, staff and the community. And by supporting food
production that is local, humane and protective of the
environment and health, health care providers can lead the way
to more sustainable agricultural practices.”

17. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Michigan Green Health Care
 Mission of Michigan Hospital Association (MHA): “…
establish a Michigan’s health care sector to improve the
health and well-being of the state’s ecology and its
citizens”
 An innovative program: the A-Z Environmental
Purchasing Campaign is a framework for participants to
purchase and market Michigan food products
 Build awareness of local food purchasing through on-site
farmers markets

18. Examples and lessons from Michigan
St. Joseph Mercy Health System
 Recent change in leadership
led to signing on to “Health
Care Without Harm” pledge
(use of American Heart
Association guidelines)
 All foods in cafeteria labeled to
display nutrient content; offer a
$5 healthy meal daily
 Purchasing produce from Four
Seasons Produce Cooperative
(Jackson County)
Farmers Market at St. Joes
John T. Greilick / The Detroit News
 Importance of marketing and
education

19. Examples and lessons from Michigan
St. Joseph Mercy Health System
 “The Farm at St. Joe’s”: a
4-acre farm with two hoop
house structures (season
extenders in Michigan)
growing tomatoes, peppers
and winter greens.
 Produce sold at on-site
Farmers Market (employees
and visitors) and to hospital
cafeteria (visitors and
employees)
The Farm at St. Joes
 1500 lbs donated to low
income families

20.  State/locally funded, evidence-based public health
interventions to:
 Increase physical activity levels
 Increase fruit and vegetable intake
 Increase tobacco-free environments
 Use community health policy and environmental
assessment and review community data such as:
 Healthy Communities Checklist
 Nutrition Environmental Assessment tool
 BRFSS/Local data
 www.mihealthtools.org

21. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers Market
 The Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers’ Market began in
2006 to bring better access to healthy food
downtown, while providing outlets for local
entrepreneurs and contributing to downtown
revitalization.
 Growing Hope manages the leads the market, with
strong partnerships including:
 Ypsilanti Health Coalition
 Ypsilanti Food Co-op- Manages EBT/credit machine
 Washtenaw County Public Health- Prescription for Health
 MSU Extension- Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
 Fair Food Network- Double Up Food Bucks

22. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers Market
In 2006, Growing Hope’s Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers’ Market was the
third in Michigan to accept food stamps; now, over 60 accept them.
A strong MI Farmers’ Market Association links these markets together and
is a key peer support network.

23. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers Market
Snapshot of market impact
• Food assistance and incentive programs represent 24% of market sales
• 55% of customers report eating more fruits & veggies because of the market
• Market sales have risen from $8,000 in year one to over $100,000 per year
• There are 15,000 visits to the market on Tuesday afternoons May-Oct
• Vendors include rural and urban growers, bakers, crafters, et al, and the majority
earn less than $25,000 a year

24. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Cottage Food Bill
In 2010, Growing Hope helped advocate for the passage of the Cottage Food Bill.
 Bill allows direct-sale of food-safe items (baked goods, jellies) at farmers’
markets up to $15,000; helps new entrepreneurs overcome barriers to entry
 Bill had been introduced several times before and had gone no where; in 2010 it
was passed unanimously by state legislature
 Framing during advocacy was that this is a win-win for urban & rural, bi-partisan
could support
 In July 2010, Governor Granholm came to Growing Hope to sign the bill into law!

25. Examples and lessons from Michigan
Lessons from the Great Lakes State
 Clusters of local & regional efforts
building momentum for statewide
efforts
 Statewide efforts:
 Michigan Food Policy Council
 MI Food and Farming Alliance
 MI Farmers Market Assoc.
 MI Good Food Charter
 C.S. Mott Group at Michigan
State University
 MI Hospital Assoc.
 MI Community & School
Garden Network Stars mark clusters of regional activity on
food-based economic development

26. Our advocacy toolkit
Planned Advocacy
 The Advocacy Continuum
An integrated advocacy plan allows for
rapid response to opportunities as well
as unexpected challenges.
 The Message/Audience relationship

27. Our advocacy toolkit
Advocacy Action Plan
 Frame
 Fortify/Amplify
 Know your Audience
 Identify your barrier
 Create an advocacy team
 Budget

28. Our advocacy toolkit
Discussion

29. Thank you!
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9807632-52.html
Amanda Edmonds, amanda@growinghope.net
Sharon Sheldon, sheldonsp@ewashtenaw.org
Deirdra Stockmann, deirdra@umich.edu
Fran Talsma, ftalsma@umich.edu

30. Resources & References
Ann Arbor Public Schools Wellness Policy:
aaps.k12.mi.us/aaps/boe.policies/boe_policy_5000_-_student#5700
Growing Hope: growinghope.net
Food System Economic Partnership: fsepmichigan.org
Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan: michigan.gov/hkhm
Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR):
michr.umich.edu
Michigan Good Food Charter & Campaign: michiganfood.org
Washtenaw County Public Health Department:
ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/public_health
* See the Toolkit for additional resources and references.