MONTGOMERY COUNTY FOOD COUNCIL INC
4825 CORDELL AVENUE, BETHESDA, MD 20814 www.mocofoodcouncil.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO CULTIVATE A ROBUST, SUSTAINABLE, AND EQUITABLE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD.

THE FOURTH EDITION OF THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY FOOD AND BEVERAGE GUIDE WAS RELEASED IN OCTOBER 2019. THIS EDITION INCLUDES 73 PRODUCERS OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES, DAIRY, MEAT AND OTHER PRODUCTS FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY FARMS, IN ADDITION TO PACKAGED GOODS, BEVERAGES AND DESSERTS AND CONFECTIONS CREATED BY MONTGOMERY COUNTY FOOD ARTISANS. CONTINUING TO PROMOTE THE MOCO MADE BRAND - WHICH WAS CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO CELEBRATE AND INCREASE THE VISIBILITY OF OUR COUNTY'S VIBRANT LOCAL FOOD AND BEVERAGE COMMUNITY - WAS A MAJOR FOCUS OF THE FOOD ECONOMY WORKING GROUP (FEWG) IN 2019. WE HOSTED THREE MOCO MADE DAYS AT COUNTY FARMERS MARKETS, AND THREE MOCO MADE HAPPY HOURS AT LOCAL BREWERIES. THESE EVENTS PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ENGAGE WITH THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY FOOD AND BEVERAGE ARTISANS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE MOCO MADE PROGRAM. THE FOURTH EDITION OF THE GUIDE WAS LAUNCHED AT THE MOCO MADE PITCH EVENT IN OCTOBER 2019 AND 3,500 COPIES ARE CURRENTLY BEING DISTRIBUTED BROADLY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.IN FEBRUARY 2019, THE FOOD COUNCIL CO-HOSTED "FOOD IS OPPORTUNITY DAY" WITH THE UNIVERSITIES AT SHADY GROVE. THIS EVENT INCLUDED A PRE-EVENT PITCH WORKSHOP, TWO EDUCATIONAL PANELS FOR BUSINESSES AND STUDENTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CAREERS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM, AND A MOCO MADE EXPO DURING WHICH 20 MOCO MADE BUSINESSES SAMPLED THEIR PRODUCTS TO BUYERS, STUDENTS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE EVENT DREW MORE THAN 150 ATTENDEES. THE FOOD EDUCATION WORKING GROUP (FEDWG) COMPLETED A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF ALL FOOD LITERACY RESOURCES (SUCH AS CURRENT COOKING AND NUTRITION CLASSES) IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN 2019. THE ASSESSMENT IDENTIFIES SERVICE GAPS AND NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE, TRAINING, AND OTHER RESOURCES IN ORDER TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT AND SUPPORT TO ENHANCE EXISTING AND CREATE NEW FOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THE FINAL REPORT INCLUDES PROGRAM INFORMATION, BEST PRACTICES, AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM ALMOST 100 DATA SOURCES ON 55 FOOD LITERACY PROGRAMS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY. FEDWG MEMBERS AND STAFF HAVE DISSEMINATED ELECTRONIC COPIES OF THE FOOD LITERACY ASSESSMENT TO FOOD EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS, WORKING GROUP MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER ASSESSMENT CONTRIBUTORS. WE HAVE RECEIVED POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM MANY RECIPIENTS, INCLUDING LEADERS OF OTHER FOOD POLICY COUNCILS WHO HAVE ASKED US TO SHARE RESOURCES AND SURVEY QUESTIONS TO HELP INFORM THEIR OWN FOOD LITERACY ASSESSMENTS.FEDWG AND THE CITY OF GAITHERSBURG HOSTED THE FUTURE OF FOOD EDUCATION IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY ON DECEMBER 11TH, 2019. THIS EDUCATIONAL EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER 70+ FOOD EDUCATORS, CULINARY INSTRUCTORS, FOOD SYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS, AND POLICYMAKERS TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT STATE OF FOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMMING IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND OUR SHARED VISION FOR THE FUTURE. THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS WAS PRESENTED BY DR. MARILYN LYNK OF ADVENTIST HEALTHCARE, AND A PANEL DISCUSSION MODERATED BY ELIJAH WHEELER OF THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY COLLABORATION COUNCIL FEATURED REPRESENTATIVES FROM MASTER GARDENERS, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE, YMCA OF METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON, AND SUBURBAN HOSPITAL. WE ALSO CONVENED FIVE BREAKOUT GROUPS FOCUSED ON VARIOUS FOOD EDUCATION TOPICS AND SECURED FACILITATORS FOR EACH BREAKOUT GROUP DISCUSSION. THE EVENT MARKED THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE FOOD LITERACY ASSESSMENT, AND THE COMMUNITY'S FIRST STEPS TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING ITS RECOMMENDATIONS. THE JANUARY 2020 FEDWG MEETING WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SYNTHESIZE THE EVENT FINDINGS AND TRANSLATE THEM INTO NEXT STEPS. MCFC INCREASED THE PROGRAM AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY OF SMALLER FOOD ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATIONS IN 2019 BY CONVENING 100+ STAKEHOLDERS IN ITS FOOD RECOVERY AND ACCESS WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, INCLUDING 35+ FOOD ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS. IN ADDITION TO THE PRINT FOOD ASSISTANCE RESOURCE DIRECTORY (FARD), THE COUNCIL CREATED A SEARCHABLE DATABASE AND AN INTERACTIVE MAP FOR THE USE OF ALL WHO ACCESS, GIVE REFERRALS TO, OR PROVIDE THESE SERVICES. THE FARD WAS UPDATED IN 2019, AND THE NEW PRINT AND ONLINE VERSIONS WILL BE RELEASED IN EARLY 2020. IN ADDITION, FRAWG'S HEALTH CARE AND FOOD ACCESS SUBGROUP IS DEVELOPING A PROGRAM THAT WILL HELP FOOD ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS IDENTIFY AND ENCOURAGE HEALTHIER OPTIONS FOR THEIR CLIENTS. FRAWG WAS ALSO ASSIGNED A TEAM OF SENIOR LEADERSHIP MONTGOMERY VOLUNTEERS IN 2019 TO ANALYZE VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT, MANAGEMENT AND RETENTION CHALLENGES BEING EXPERIENCED BY FOOD ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS THAT IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY AND SERVE MORE FOOD INSECURE RESIDENTS. THE TEAM WILL PUT TOGETHER A PLAN, WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON OVERCOMING ANY IDENTIFIED BARRIERS. MCFC ALSO DEVELOPED A SCREEN & INTERVENE TOOLKIT IN 2019, WHICH CAN BE TAILORED TO SPECIFIC OUTREACH POPULATIONS. THIS TOOLKIT IS DESIGNED FOR CASE MANAGERS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE NON FOOD-ASSISTANCE SERVICES TO LOW INCOME RESIDENTS, IN ORDER TO HELP REFER CLIENTS TO FOOD IF THEY ARE FOUND TO BE STRUGGLING. THE TOOLKIT CONSISTS OF A FOOD INSECURITY SCREENING TOOL, LISTS OF RESOURCES THAT ALREADY EXIST IN THE COUNTY TO COMPLEMENT FOOD INSECURITY NEEDS, NEW, SIMPLIFIED FACTSHEETS AND TALKING POINTS THAT EFFECTIVELY CONVEY INFORMATION ABOUT BENEFITS PROGRAMS, A FLOW CHART TO HELP VOLUNTEERS MAKE SURE THAT THEY ASK CLIENTS THE CORRECT QUESTIONS, AND WITH FAQS FOR PROVIDERS THAT ADDRESS DIFFERENT SCENARIOS THEY MAY FIND THEMSELVES IN WITH PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. THE FOOD COUNCIL IS WORKING TO DISTRIBUTE THIS TOOLKIT, WHICH IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, TO PROVIDERS ACROSS THE COUNTY, AND INSTITUTE SCREENING AND REFERRAL PROCEDURES IN A VARIETY OF HEALTHCARE-RELATED SCENARIOS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH DHHS AND FRAWG'S HEALTH CARE AND FOOD ACCESS SUBGROUP, WHICH WORKS TO CONNECT ENGAGE THE HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY IN FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVES.

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