Faith & Food Summit

media release:Gathering of faith leaders and emergency food providers at Mt. Zion Baptist Church.

The Food & Faith Summit will bring together religious leaders for multi-faith networking and strategic brainstorming about food insecurity in Dane County. Despite differences in theological and spiritual imperatives, the mandate for compassion towards those in need—especially the hungry—is deeply ingrained across belief systems.

Dane County Food Action Plan update

We're currently in the midst of our community engagement phase, which wraps up in October. This phase is centered around getting out into the community, familiarizing people with the project and getting their input into the issues they care the most about as it relates to food. After this phase we will begin Drafting the Food Action Plan and Policy Recommendations, using the input from the community engagement and literature review phases.

Here's a look at what we've been up to to make sure your voice is heard:

What We've Been Doing:

• Out in the Community: We've been hosting lots of informational events, including our project launch, stakeholder meetings, and "State of the Food System" presentations. You might have seen us tabling at dozens of events across Dane County, actively listening and collecting your direct input on the food planning process.
• Partnering Up: We've also been distributing funds to community organizations. This helps them run their own engagement activities, ensuring we're reaching diverse groups with culturally relevant outreach. Some of our partner organizations include Kennedy Heights, Lussier Center, Project Home, Sustain Dane, Dane Buy Local, Dane County Farmers Market, Rooted, Northside Planning Council, and others.
• Committees in Action: We've established four dedicated committees diving deep into key food system areas:

• Edible Landscapes: Exploring how we can grow more food in our shared spaces.
• Commercial Rent Prices: Tackling the high costs and complexities food entrepreneurs face with commercial spaces.
• Workforce Benefits: Looking at ways to improve conditions and support for food sector workers.
• Food Resource Management: Focusing on reducing food waste and improving how food is recovered and distributed.

Get Involved & Share Your Voice!

Your input is shaping this plan. Here are ways you can still contribute and help spread the word:

• Visit Our Website: Learn more about the project here
• Take Our Surveys:

• Consumer Survey
• Producer Survey

• Sign up for the project newsletter & view past newsletters