Austell Selected for the Region’s Next City Agriculture Plan!
In collaboration with the Atlanta Regional Commission, Food Well Alliance is pleased to announce that the City of Austell has been chosen for the 2024 City Agriculture Plan. We are inspired by Austell’s commitment to health equity, economic growth, and alleviating food insecurity. We eagerly anticipate the collaboration ahead.
The community engagement phase is set to kick off in March 2024. Stay tuned for updates on how Austell is shaping the local food system and agriculture policy in Cobb County!
If you're a member of the Austell community and want to get involved in the community engagement phase, reach out to Emma Hugonnet, Policy and Planning Coordinator, at emma@foodwellalliance.org.
See the City of East Point's plan in action!
After a thorough exploration process with seven metro cities in 2019, the City of East Point was selected to pilot the new City Agriculture Plan.
The plan began with a community engagement and asset mapping phase led by Food Well, followed by a six-month planning process undertaken with support from ARC. In 2021, with a unanimous vote, East Point City Council adopted a new City Agriculture Plan, the first of its kind in the Atlanta Region.
Check out Alpharetta’s City Ag Plan!
After a year of community engagement and planning, the City of Alpharetta unanimously adopted the region's second City Agriculture Plan in 2022 and is ready for implementation under the guidance of the City's Community Agriculture staff and planning Steering Committee.
While today the City of Alpharetta is one of Georgia’s fastest-growing municipalities, just a few decades ago it was a small, largely agrarian community. The new plan will help support and grow Alpharetta’s current community food system.
Look at the City Ag Planning process through Jonesboro’s progress!
In 2022, Food Well and ARC selected the City of Jonesboro to develop the region's next City Agriculture Plan and the first in Clayton County. Jonesboro has a thriving weekly farmers market and a growing community garden program run through the Jonesboro Police Department.
The community engagement phase began in the spring where feedback was collected from residents, local businesses, and other stakeholders through surveys, focus groups, and other events.
If you have questions about the application process, please contact Sr. Policy & Planning Manager, Sarah Brown at sarah@foodwellalliance.org.
Why City Agriculture Planning?
Since 2018, Food Well Alliance has been working in partnership with the ARC to introduce City Agriculture Plans to cities across our five-county service area. Our vision is to bring local governments together with growers and their communities to ensure that cities incorporate local food and agriculture into their plans for development.
Cities that engage in the City Agriculture Planning program build community around local food and agriculture, formalize local government’s commitment to prioritizing health and sustainability, and attract innovative ideas and valuable resources to their cities. The process takes time, collaboration, and investment from city-wide stakeholders to create a visionary plan.
