When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our local (and national/global) food system, it revealed and amplified weaknesses and inequities in our food system. It was clear that there was a critical need to strengthen our local and regional food system against future disruptions. In 2021, the Dane County Food Council with Dane County Extension’s Community Food Systems Educator, Jess Guffey Calkins, as advisory staff initiated a joint food council work group to focus on addressing food system gaps laid bare by the pandemic. The group’s efforts resulted in the crucial Dane County Pandemic Food System Final Report, published in March 2023 by Sift Consulting, LLC. The report highlights the urgency of allocating resources to materialize a regional food system action plan.
To address the need for a plan, Dane County Extension collaborated with several key food system organizations and leaders to form a partnership team and pursue resources to develop a food action plan. These include REAP Food Group, Dane County Food Council, Madison Food Policy Council, Public Health Madison & Dane County, Wisconsin Food Systems, Inc., Dane County Food Collective, and Mosaic LLC. The team applied for and received a competitive 2023 USDA Regional Food System Partnership (RFSP) grant. This $250K grant, along with match funding from Dane County, makes it possible to collaboratively craft a community-driven regional process culminating in the development of a comprehensive regional food system action plan.
The core team developed a comprehensive approach that integrates diverse stakeholders, including local farmers, food retailers, institutional buyers, food banks, pantries, community organizations, and residents. The team conducted a literature review to get a baseline understanding of local (and regional/national) food system data. In February 2025, the team launched the in-depth community engagement process. This process is two-fold: it involves understanding what the community’s needs, vision, and values are, as well as engaging the community and empowering them to start making changes they want to see in the food system.
Since its launch, the community engagement process has been very successful in attracting participants through dozens of in-person sessions as well as online surveys and generating high levels of excitement about local food system involvement and changes.
Dane County Extension has created a robust website and newsletter to educate, inform, engage, and connect community members about this work: Dane County Food Action Plan website.
The high level of interest and engagement in this project is a testament to the importance of mobilizing community members around the food system, and bringing people together to create a shared vision.
All of the community input will be integrated into the development of the Dane County Food Action Plan, and its recommendations, strategies, and actions, which will be completed in April 2026.
Have thoughts about what you would like to see in a food plan for Dane County?
Visit the Food Plan website to complete the survey. For more information contact Jess Guffey Calkins at calkins.jessica@danecounty.gov.
