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Localization strategies often characterize sustainability
efforts. And nothing is more central to our lives than the
food that we eat. Building a local sustainable food economy
has implications related to local spending choices,
nutrition and health, developing strong linkages between
rural and urban areas, creating local jobs, restoring the
land, and regenerating community. Learn about this rapidly
growing sustainability strategy—through examples and best
practices—and how it's helping to reshape our food system and
our communities. This section will include links to
information about local food systems.
additional information regarding Local Foods Systems, contact
Sustainability Team member:
Wisconsin Local Food Network
Creating Statewide connections for learning from the experiences of
Wisconsin local food initiatives and to
foster learning for local and regional action through
networking and dialogue.
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection's "Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin" Grant Program
The Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin
program invites proposals for projects that are likely
to stimulate Wisconsin's agricultural economy by
increasing the purchasing of Wisconsin grown or produced
food by local food buyers. Proposals will be
accepted from individuals, groups, businesses and
organizations involved in Wisconsin agriculture
production, Wisconsin agriculture tourism, Wisconsin
retail food establishments or Wisconsin food processing,
distribution or warehousing.
Community Food Systems Team
Community Food Systems Team
supports and enhances Cooperative Extension’s research mission and capacity to work with community food systems in an integrated, systemic,
and coordinated manner, spanning across all program areas within Extension as well as with external stakeholders.
Food and Value Added Agriculture Resources
Originally developed by the Agricultural Innovation Center through the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension. The work of the Center
is now part of the Center for Community & Economic Development. It works towards increasing the supply and visibility of Wisconsin
farms and food products by providing resources for entrepreneurs and educators as well as information about active programs.
These programs focus on increasing the market for wholesale and retail local foods in grocery stores and institutions as well as
farmer’s markets, restaurants and community kitchens
Food Systems Data Sites
County food systems profiles and indicator maps on a variety of indicators for Wisconsin and twelve Midwest states.
View and map food security data for Wisconsin from eth school district to state level. Both sites include additional food systems
Planning an Event – Consider Serving Local Food
A publication on serving local
foods at conferences and workshops has been developed
and is now available on the UW-Ext The Learning Store
Publications web site.
Farm Fresh Atlases of Wisconsin
A gateway to the farm fresh atlases across
Wisconsin. Each regional Atlas is produced independently
by grassroots coalitions including nonprofit
organizations, farmers, farmers' markets, UW-Extension,
Resource Conservation and Development District offices
(RC&Ds) and University of Wisconsin campuses.
The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture explores
and cultivates alternatives that secure healthier people
and landscapes in Iowa and the nation.
Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service
The MOSES mission is to help agriculture make the
transition to a sustainable organic system of farming
that is ecologically sound, economically viable, and
socially just, through information, education, research,
and integrating the broader community into this effort.
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information
Service is managed by the National Center for
Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a
grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's
Rural Business-Cooperative Service. It provides
information and other technical assistance to farmers,
ranchers, Extension agents, educators, and others
involved in sustainable agriculture in the United
The New Farm
The Rodale Institute®, a global leader in regenerative
agriculture, is devoted to innovative agriculture
research, outreach and training through The New Farm®
programs. At NewFarm.org, the mission is to inform,
encourage, equip and inspire farmers with the support
needed to take the important transition steps toward
An online directory and resource for consumers across
the world to find food and agricultural products and
services from the state of Wisconsin.
Know Your Farmer Know Your Food
A USDA web site focused on local foods and food
infrastructure, farm to institution programs, access to
healthy food, careers in agriculture, stewardship and
local foods, case studies and funding sources. An
interactive map lets users find USDA funded projects
between 2009 – 2011.
Regional Food Hub Resource Guide
Regional Food Hub Resource Guide: Food hub Impacts on
Regional Food Systems, and the Resources Available to
Support their Growth and Development is 92-page
document, available for free download at the web site
above. It was published by the USDA Agricultural
Marketing Service in April 2012. The report focuses on
issues related to Regional Food Hubs, which it defines
as "a business or organization that actively manages the
aggregation, distribution, and marketing of
source-identified food products primarily from local and
regional producers to strengthen their ability to
satisfy wholesale, retail, and institutional demand."
Real Time Farms – Know Where your Food Comes From
By typing in a zip code and specifying food preferences (No GMOs, Organic)
in the form, a map of farmers, farmers markets, and restaurants that meet
the criteria criteria is displayed.
Food Environmental Atlas
This is a USDA
website that visually shows access and proximity to
grocery stores, store availability, restaurant
availability and expenditures, food assistance and food
insecurity for counties in each of the 50 states. The
objectives of the Atlas are to assemble statistics on
food environment indicators to stimulate research on the
determinants of food choices and diet quality, and to
provide a spatial overview of a community's ability to
access healthy food and its success in doing so.
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Contact Sustainability Team: