The La Plata County Community Food Assessment

The Growing Partners of Southwest Colorado works to promote a more sustainable local food system. In October of 2005, the USDA awarded the partnership with funding to complete a yearlong food study to assess food security in La Plata County.

View the La Plata County Food Assessment compiled by the Growing Partners.

Who are the Growing Partners?

Growing Partners of Southwest Colorado is a partnership between five local nonprofits and service organizations including The Southern Ute Community Action Program, La Boca Center for Sustainability, The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado, Turtle Lake Refuge, and The Southwest Marketing Network.

What is a Community Food Assessment?

A community food assessment is a collaborative process that examines a broad-range of food related issues and resources in order to improve local food systems. A food assessment begins to lay community ground work on food system change that promotes food security; a situation in which ALL people have access to food that is safe, nutritious, culturally appropriate, and affordable. In La Plata County, Growing Partners is doing this by pinpointing the most pressing needs relative to food, addressing them with current available resources, and creating ways in which to deal with food issues the community does not currently address.

Benefits of a Community Food Assessment:

• Involve, educate and empower communities
• Strengthen existing community food programs and resources
• Improve access to healthy, affordable, safe, and culturally appropriate foods, produced on local farms and ranches

For more information, or to get involved please contact:
Shari Fitzgerald or Katy Pepinsky.