Local Food
Report for Local Food Economy in Portsmouth, NH
March 2010
Our Overall Vision is having the citizens of Portsmouth learn how to make better choices and making those choices available and affordable to all residents so that we may eat more sustainably and locally, thus supporting our local food economy.
We have focused on three goals in order to achieve this vision, 1) increasing the number of community gardens, 2) improvement of policies in support of the local food economy, and 3) increasing the number of farmer’s markets, market days, market attendees and market vendors. It is understood that these goals are not all-encompassing within the local food economy. Our task was to identify ideas and possible solutions which could make a difference with regard to the vision within five years, and we focused on themes that were best understood by our working group.
Community Gardens: Currently, there are three community gardens in Portsmouth. Our vision is to have 15 community gardens within five years, at least two of which are city sponsored. At least one of these gardens will be at a local school. The results of the action will be measured by a steady increase in the number of community gardens.
The resources needed to go from baseline to vision will include policies to go from top down. Currently there are zero policies in the City of Portsmouth in favor of community gardens, although there are none against it. There needs to be a general understanding and acceptance of the value of community gardens. There needs to be a commitment to use suitable public lands for the purpose of community gardens. There needs to be a general statement from the city, e.g. City Council, Town Manager-John Bohenko, Environmental Planner-Peter Britz that there is support for community gardens in the City’s policies. Also land use policies that are inclusive of community gardens will need to be established by the City of Portsmouth.
There will need to be structural framework/guidelines for community gardens. Included in this will be a need for volunteer opportunities for interested citizens in exchange for plots/education.
Further actions include regular community forums. Also key to our five year goal is to work with the School Board/Principals to embrace community gardens at local schools. We hope garden clubs for the students will be adopted.
The following groups and individuals are already involved with community gardens are: Giving Gardens Network, UNH Cooperative Extension (link to maps of area community gardens http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=104680525894777141585.00046772058a9e380ce4b), Strawbery Banke, (Jenny Isler has organized their community gardens and is committed to this increasing community gardens as stated in this report. She is building the website, “Seacoast Community Garden Network” which will provide a forum to support the creation of new community gardens and the sustainability of existing gardens.); Seacoast Edible Landscapes (Jenifer Wilhelm has already organized this project ).
The Portsmouth Conservation Commission has made a contract for a recently completed Survey of Public Lands. This survey will be useful to determine what are available city lands for community gardens. Parking and water supplies are a factor in the feasibility of such community garden plots. We envision synergizing the community via use of Channel 22 to advertise and “show off” community gardens, and we are sure our friends at the Portsmouth Herald, The Wire, and Portsmouth Community Radio will be happy to do the same. We also see a need for school curriculums to address sustainability in general and help our children understand how their family can make an impact right at home.
The impact of community gardens on the environmental, economic and social aspects of Portsmouth will include: camaraderie from working together on the gardens; a need to buy less at grocery stores. Participants will gain respect for the earth, they will appreciate the quality of the produce and may buy more at the Farmer’s Market. Food that is grown locally is sustainable requiring minimal hydrocarbons for transportation.
Policies in Support of Local Food Economy: Our second goal is to move from no explicit policies in favor of local food purchasing by institutions in the City and by individuals to a vision that within five years there is a general understanding and acceptance of the value of local foods, their nutritional value, taste and sustainability. This will require a top down, over arching local food economy policy for the city. Our vision includes that within five years a “Farm-to-School” policy will be accepted by the School Board. Evidence of the achievement of this goal is the City embracing the value/ priority on purchasing local foods. City purchasing of local food should increase by 10% per year over these five years. The City will need to rely upon the assistance of organizations such as Seacoast Eat Local, UNH Cooperative Extension and others. Therefore, these organizations must be adequately funded and staffed.
Our vision also includes a pledge by citizens to buy 20% of their food locally, demonstrating citizen support of locally based food initiatives and of groups that support local food.
To achieve this will require education with a campaign to increase awareness/understanding of the value of local foods. We need to motivate volunteers who are willing to encourage city policies in support of local foods and to push/educate the city, school employees and managers to support these visions. For all these actions we need a leader with an evangelical zeal and commitment to spearhead these changes. In addition, the City of Portsmouth should adopt policies that allow for a wide variety of locally raised, grown, or gathered, traditional foods to be sold within the City. The City should seek input from the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, as well as from local farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in making these decisions.
We envision synergizing the community via use of Channel 22, which would include conversations within and about community garden, local farms, farmer’s markets; discussions on Portsmouth Community Radio; articles or letters within the Portsmouth Herald and other local media such as The Wire; programs at library such as a slide show of the Strawbery Banke Community Garden, or local food exhibits; and publicity through the weekly Portsmouth Community Newsletter. The message will be to let people know what it means to buy local and its value.
It is wonderful that the City of Portsmouth has a wealth of groups who could be supportive towards these goals. We recommend that there be a mechanism for groups such as the following to have access to city policy makers and that the City utilize these assets. The following groups, individuals, and institutions already involved with farm policy action include: Seacoast Eat Local, Northeast Organic Farming Association; New England Farmers Union, Sherburne, MA .
These actions will create the climate in which local foods can be understood for their value economically, nutritionally and sustainably. These activities will build cohesion among neighbors.
Farmers’ Markets: Our final goal is to increase the numbers of Farmers’ Markets, the market days, attendees and vendors.
Currently there are approximately 1800 attendees per Saturday at the Farmers’ Market at City Hall. There are approximately 30 food producers. In Portsmouth there is one Farmers’ Market on one market day only in the summer. In five years the vision is to have a sustained percentage increase compared to population change. Ideally there will be a 50% increase in vendors and producers. There will be at least double the number of markets and market days.
The following groups, individuals, and institutions already involved with this action include: Seacoast Growers Association; Seacoast Eat Local; Slow Food Seacoast; Portsmouth Fisheries Committee; UNH Office of Sustainability; Seacoast Harvest (website has list of groups involved).
We envision synergizing the community via education and motivation. Similar to our other two goals, we imagine use of local media to “get the word out”. Also, we believe the City should commit to increasing purchases of local food by 10 percent per year, to include fresh local produce, fish, poultry, meats, and foods made by local vendors rather than non-local chain stores. It is key to educate citizens about how purchase of local food impacts the environmental, economic and social aspect of Portsmouth, and there is no doubt that the schools should play a role in this regard.
These actions will increase the health of the people of Portsmouth due to nutritious food, and will give citizens pride in knowing that their community is sustainable. Each action will increase the sense of community and camaraderie. It is a fact that every Farmers’ Market gives attendees an opportunity to communicate with one another-this is invaluable in a city environment.
Respectfully submitted, Local Foods Committee
Kirk Cram, Hannah Stone, Elissa Stone, Eva Powers, Jenny Isler, Jen Meister and Jeff Donald