RVFSN and partners are currently working to update the 2023 Jackson/Josephine County Food Assessment. Jackson and Josephine counties completed their last community food assessments respectively in 2013 and 2012. While significant progress has been made to strengthen the local food system, the region has also seen dramatic shifts to its environment, local food systems, demographics, and stakeholder organizations since the last assessments. The Steering Committee has been meeting for the last two years doing the groundwork of seeking funding, building relationships and aggregating currently known information and data.
The Rogue Valley Community Food Assessment will serve as a road map for key food systems players, from production to waste. Its purpose is to sustain the work of building resilient and economically viable food systems by initiating collaboration between municipal government, local agencies, educational institutions, businesses, hospitals, producers and local residents. The final assessment and Food Action Plan will be accessible and usable to all.
About the Community Food Solutions Summit:
The Rogue Valley Community Food Solutions Summit was held on March 16th, 2023 at Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center to kick off an updated Jackson and Josephine County’s Community Food Assessment, last done in 2013. The Summit provided a forum for anyone involved in food systems work in the Rogue Valley and surrounding area to contribute in a meaningful way to the Rogue Valley Food Assessment process by sharing your knowledge, expertise, and vision for the future of food and farm systems. Topics covered are listed below. Click here to see the notes from each session.
- Ag Inputs (Soil, Water, Industry Resources)
- Food Systems Infrastructure (Manufacturing, processing, storage and distribution)
- Production (farming, ranching, fisherfolk)
- Consumer Demand and Marketing (includes Agritourism)
- Nutrition (Education and Access)
- Food Access and Food Insecurity
- Emergency Food Resources and Resiliency
- Advocacy, Outreach and Education
- Labor and Employment
- Food Waste Management
Previous Food Assessments for Jackson and Josephine Counties:
Jackson County Community Food Assessment, 2013
Josephine County Food Assessment, 2012
