Partnership Spotlight: Colorado Food Systems Hub

Farm to School

Editor’s note: This story was originally posted on the Community Commons blog.

The Colorado Food Systems Hub is designed to advance the research, policy, and community engagement work of the 18+ food policy councils across the state. The Colorado Food Policy Network (COFPN) works to ensure all Coloradans have access to affordable, nutritious food by promoting healthy, community-based, and economically viable food systems throughout the state.

Movement Map

With close to 20 participating food systems coalitions and policy councils, the growing COFPN turned to Community Commons to help support their efforts to collect, visualize, and analyze state, regional, and local data. One example of how COFPN is visualizing their work and impact is through the Movement Map.

One feature of the Colorado Movement Map is the ability to filter the results of the map by initiative type. Filters are easily turned on and off by checking and unchecking the boxes in the legend on the right side of the map. For example, the map below shows just food assistance programs in the Colorado Springs area. You can further filter by type of food assistance program – double up foodbucks, food pantry donations, SNAP at direct markets, older adult food program, and other healthy food incentives.

You can also click on any of the initiatives on the map to learn more. This example shows the name of the health food incentive program – High Country Conservation Center’s Grow to Share Food Donation Program, a brief description, and a their service area.

Do you have an initiative in Colorado but don’t see it on the map? Contact the Colorado Food Systems Hub to get on the map.

Colorado Food Systems Report

In addition to the Movement Map, the COFPN also developed its own food systems report. The Colorado Food Systems Report utilizes pre-existing data in Community Commons and integrates local and regional data to round out the report. Below are a few examples of the unique indicators COFPN is using to help assess food systems across the state:

Local Food Grants and Projects

Local food grants and projects includes the number of federal investments (grants) in local food across the United States. Projects reported here are funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as other federal institutions investing in local food.

Self-Sufficiency Index

The table below lists the monthly cost/self-sufficiency wage listed by type for families in Adams County, CO.

Farms by Value of Sales

The pie chart shows the value of sales for farms in Adams County, CO. Fifty percent of farms in Adams County have annual sales between $0 and $2,500 while only 3.8% of farms have annual sales of $50,000 – $100,000.

Agri-Tourism

This data shows the total number of agri-tourism farms in Adams County, CO and their total annual income.

The above indicators are just a few examples of the local data included in the Colorado Food Systems Report. To view the other indicators or create a full food systems report, check out the Colorado Food Systems Hub.

Have questions about the Movement Map or Colorado Food Systems Report? Contact the Colorado Food Systems Hub for answers!

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