We have a number of programs available and in development for local food at Purdue Extension. The Educators in your local County Extension Office will be able to connect you with these Purdue Resources.
Rebuilding Your Local Food System
This is a six-month asset-based approach to community-oriented learning, networking and prioritizing work in your community food system. Facilitated meetings, community-wide events and project planning enable a core group to develop a project proposal that could be submitted to a granting or funding agency.
Economic Viability of Shared-Use Kitchens
Working with kitchen incubators, rental kitchens and community kitchens, this research and extension project is funded by SARE. A toolkit for people exploring starting a shared-use kitchen as well as trips to successful operating kitchens will help clients and Educators across Indiana access primary information from practitioners in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky.
New online course for Food Council Development
Funded from the North Central Rural Center for Regional Development, this project in collaboration with Michigan State University will create a toolkit, videos and information for communities interested in starting a food council. Special attention on rural food council development and inclusion of a broad set of food system issues will be a part of this written and video-driven learning program.
Urban Agriculture Certificate
Funded by Purdue Extension, this three-part series will address production, enterprise management and community topics essential for today’s urban farmers. A flipped classroom model with online learning and videos, accompanied by workshops and field trips to apply learned topics is the platform from which growers and garden managers will create a production plan, business and marketing plan and/or community engagement plan.
Food Summits
Communities across Indiana are hosting and participating in Local Food Summits where people are learning, networking and sharing across the community food system. These events are a great launching point for the Rebuilding Program, also offered by Purdue Extension.
