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Resource for

Enhancing Local/Regional Food Systems for Sustainable Development

NDSU Extension, Center for Rural Studies and NPSAS members teamed up to produce a workbook and training on Enhancing Local/Regional Food Sytems for Sustainable Development. The project was funded with an North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) professional development grant coordinated by extension sustainable ag coordinator, Tom Hanson.

Tom called upon North Dakota sociologists Curt Stofferahn and Gary Goreham to develop the workbook as a guide to extension agents and others who want to help rural communities to study and change their local food systems. The workbook and trainings were developed with substantial input from NPSAS, and include case studies of NPSAS members and others who are marketing their products directly to consumers.

Tom used the materials to conduct four trainings with extension agents in North and South Dakota on the opportunities for doing rural community and economic development by increasing the community's purchases of locally grown and locally processed foods. Participants in the training learned about sustainable community development, how increasing local and regional food purchases may aid the rural community economy, how to involve a community in studying their own food system, how to create a local food system, and how to evaluate whether they've impacted their local food system.

Extension agents also gained exposure to successful examples of direct and local marketing that already exist in the Northern Plains, by analyzing case studies such as South Dakota's Goosemobile (operated by NPSAS members Tom & Ruth Neuberger), Patrie's Raspberries in North Dakota, and the Old Trail Market and CSA farm in Moorhead, MN (operated by NPSAS member Ben Larson).

This is an outstanding resource on how to take the steps that will move YOUR community towards purchasing more food directly from area farmers, and developing a more sustainable community and economy at the same time. Please encourage your county or district extension agent to obtain a copy of this workbook from Tom Hanson (call the North Central Reserach & Extension Center at 701-857-7679). Then encourage them to read it and talk to you about it! This concept is radical for many extension agents - they need your encouragement.

In addition to extension, the people most interested in getting and using this workbook thus far has been rural church leaders, according to Gary Goreham. If your church community would like to start looking at your community's food system and increasing locally-grown food purchases, you should also talk to Tom Hanson about getting a copy of the workbook. The NPSAS library currently has two copies of the workbook which are available to members to check out by calling 701-883-4304.

Our thanks to Tom, Gary, Curt, and the NC-SARE for providing us with this valuable resource!

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