Here is a note from the Executive Director Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility that we wanted to share with you.
 

Dear folks interested in food and peak oil issues,  

I just heard from the City of Portland that next year's draft budget cuts the position for the sustainable food position in the office of sustainable development.  With peak oil just around the corner and with the task force's recommendations about food and agriculture, it seems like a bad time to cut this important position.  

Please take a few minutes in the next couple days to write a letter to the Mayor requested that this position be kept.  Below is a description of what the position has done in the past two years and what was on schedule for next year, in addition to the correct email address to send your letter to.  

Thanks for taking some time to do this - it's important for the future of Portland that we have someone at the city thinking and planning around food and agriculture issues.   

Angela Crowley-Koch
Executive Director
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
921 SW Morrison St. Suite 308
Portland, OR 97205
Ph: 503-274-2720
FAX: 503-417-7902
www.oregonpsr.org ----- Original Message ----- From: Armstrong, Michael To: 'Angela Crowley-Koch' Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 7:52 AM Subject: RE: Sustainable Food Policy

Over the past two years, the City has helped foster a sustainable food system that continues to gain momentum, supporting job growth in the regional food industry by connecting growers, processors and buyers. OSD's Sustainable Food Program achieved some notable successes in the past year and is poised to implement several significant initiatives.

For each of the past two years, Council has provided one-time funding for a position to strengthen the sustainable food movement in Portland. This funding has enabled OSD and the Food Policy Council to develop community partnerships to strengthen the local agricultural economy and improve access to healthy food.

Together, these developments have helped establish OSD and the Food Policy Council as a convener and initiator of efforts around a healthy regional food system. The FY 07-08 funding will provide resources for 1.0 FTE to support sustainable food policy and programs and allow the City to:

• Lead a tri-state, small farms conference in partnership with Oregon State, Washington State and Portland State Universities. The conference will feature a non-English speaking track for emerging and immigrant farmers and focus on market connections that bridge the urban/rural divide.
• In coordination with other City bureaus, implement pilot urban agricultural projects on existing City land through the Diggable City project. These projects will provide entrepreneurial and educational opportunities to underserved communities in Portland.
• Develop additional programs for increasing urban agriculture on private land.
• Develop programs and policy strategy to support the recommendations of the Peak Oil Task Force Report and related City Council resolution.
• Support the continued growth of the local food industry by connecting growers, processors, and buyers.
• Facilitate school food, gardens and curriculum innovations in Portland school districts in coordination with the Schools, Families, Housing Initiative.
• Staff a reinvigorated Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council and support its dynamic workplan that includes model purchasing language for public agencies, integrating food system planning into the City's comprehensive plan, and fostering food security.
• Establish sustainable community food system resources on the OSD website that will connect residents and businesses to area programs.
• Seek additional outside financial resources and partnerships to pursue policy and program development.

Significant efforts in FY 06-07 include:

• Donations of 45,000 pounds of Oregon produce to Portland Public Schools, providing nutritious, healthy food to Portland school children as well as financial benefit to PPS.
• Assisting PPS in establishing a planning and tracking system to increase local food purchases.
• Facilitated a PSU Urban and Regional Planning capstone project, "Local Lunches," that provided vital local purchasing data to all Portland schools districts and brought diverse stakeholders to the table for the first time.
• Secured outside funding for the Diggable City project, an inventory of City-owned properties to identify sites for community gardens and other urban agricultural uses.
• Received funding for a tri-state, small farms conference in February 2008.
• Worked with Portland Farmers Market to make their operations more sustainable and resolve logistical issues.
• Administrated PSU's Learning Garden Laboratory grant and worked with other stakeholders in southeast Portland to compile a matrix of existing programs.
• Staffed Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council that researched and provided policy recommendations on Oregon's Big Look and Metro's New Look planning process, school food legislation, wellness policies, and the WIC program. 

     If you want to provide input on the City budget, the direct contact in the mayor's office is Ingrid Fish, ingrid.fish@ci.portland.or.us.