Knowledge and Community Development
A plan was developed to cultivate community through food-related education and economic development, including business start-ups, employment and investment.
Project Goals
- Help a central Ohio neighborhood transition from low income to mixed income with minimal gentrification while providing greater housing affordability, education and employment opportunities for low-income residents.
- With project funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a team of Extension educators collaborated with numerous community partners throughout the planning process.
- This project builds on Extension’s long-standing presence in the University District.
Project Focus
- Investigate and plan a community designed healthy food system for neighborhood development.
- Extension’s role focused on recommending learning opportunities aligned with the design of a new food-focused facility, a comprehensive business plan and capital plans.
- The planning process included community engagement through targeted interviews, survey research, national outreach, pilot project feedback, and consistent collaboration with community partners.
Project Learning
Learning About Urban Food Production
- Growing for your family
- Growing community gardens
- Growing for profit
- Production of healthy foods
- Safe food production & harvesting
Learning About Food Business
- Business planning (management, marketing, money)
- Types of food businesses (catering, service, retail, processing)
- Food processing
- Various business topics
- Workforce Development, job training & apprenticeship (food service, food retail, food distribution)
- Employee health & wellness
- Safe food Processing, distribution & business practices
Learning About Food & Family
- Planning & preparing healthy meals
- Accessing healthy food
- Preserving food for your family
- Family health & wellness
- Serving safe food to family & friends
Learning About Food & Community
- Leadership & community development
- Planning, supporting & financing food development
- Engaging volunteers
- Community health, wellness & sustainability
- Food safety at community events
Project Collaborators
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Project Contact
Julie Fox, Ph.D., Assoc. Chair, Department of Extension
The Ohio State University, CFAES
Email Julie