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Material Type: Exam; Class: Community Food Systems; Subject: Planning Application; University: University of Virginia; Term: Spring 2006;
Typology: Exams
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University of Virginia School of Architecture Department of Urban and Environmental Planning
PLAC 569 Community Food Systems Student Report: Spring 2006
In a 1785 letter to Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson commented on the immense importance of food to a society’s well being, writing, “I fancy it must be the quantity of animal food eaten by the English which renders their character insusceptible of civilization. I suspect it is in their kitchens and not in their churches that their reformation must be worked.” While we do not necessarily share Jefferson’s scorn and distaste for the English, his words have great relevance even today. A large part of a society’s viability and health are determined by how and what its citizens eat and, quite truthfully, we Americans are struggling. When so much of the population suffers from rising incidences of heart disease, obesity, and Type II diabetes, it makes perfect sense that our next major revolution should be fought not on the sand-swept planes of Iraq, but much closer to home, in our own kitchens.
Community food security is a condition in which all community residents are able to obtain a safe, equally accessible, culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes community self-reliance and social justice (Pothukuchi 2002). A secure food system is an essential infrastructural element, as important as water and sewer systems, electricity, roads, schools, and additional infrastructures already established by convention. Does the Charlottesville community have a secure food system? Most people surveyed during this process say no. Food systems, simply conceived, are the conglomerates of processes involved in transferring goods to consumers. Intermediary influences include policy and regulations, economic fluctuations, environmental conditions, and international relations, among others. The susceptibility of a community’s food system thus lies in its flexibility and resilience to such influences. Developing resilience involves strengthening and altering existing systems to reduce distances between production and consumption, ensure nutritional and equitable distribution, preserve farmland, and encourage innovation within all practices involved. Food security is intertwined with the economy, ecology, and social aspects of a region, and therefore solutions to community problems will need to be researched and implemented with systems thinking in mind. In an effort to initiate dialogue within the community as well as to guide subsequent endeavors, this report outlines a preliminary assessment of the Charlottesville region’s food production and distribution systems. Created under the direction of Timothy Beatley, Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities, Department of Urban and Environmental Planning, and Tanya Denckla Cobb, Senior Associate, Institute for Environmental Negotiation, this assessment is the product of their students’ exploration into the field of community food systems planning.
The following condensed list describes the class’ initial perceptions of the American food system. These assumptions acted as the starting point of the community-based assessment and the beginning of a longer-term discourse among residents of the Charlottesville region.
Appalachian Shenandoah Blue Ridge Southwest Piedmont Mountains Valley Mountains Mountains
Washington, DC
as well as watershed boundaries, physiological land boundaries, and political boundaries. Although our assessment covers only the counties within the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission’s (TJPDC) jurisdiction, we speculate that a more appropriate foodshed covers a wider range. Both Orange and Buckingham Counties touch three of the TJPDC counties and are within 25 miles of Charlottesville—a distance we considered appropriate for initial attempts at strengthening local food efforts. Madison County is additionally within the 25-mile range, and thus should be considered a part of the “region.” The Shenandoah Valley, an enormous agricultural engine and home to the most large- scale agri-business in the area, deserves recognition for its reliable supply; the counties of Augusta, Rockingham, and Page are therefore additionally included, and are well within a 50- mile range of Charlottesville. While there are other counties within Charlottesville’s 50-mile radius, they are culturally and geographically more strongly linked to other major cities and metropolitan regions in Virginia. Examples include Culpeper, Rockbridge, Cumberland, and Powhattan, which are respectively aligned with the cities of Fredericksburg, Roanoke, Lynchburg, and Richmond. Please note that while these 11 counties constitute the core of our region, their periphery should not be understood as a set boundary, but rather as a logical point of departure for this study.
Physical Attributes
The region’s farmers depend on four major infrastructural elements of the land: mountains, water, forests, and highways. Figures one through three depict these regional characteristics as they exist today.
Figure 1: Mountains The steep slopes of local mountains greatly affect our ability to produce food in this region.
Figure 2: Water The region is rife with river systems. Farms are often located in floodplain areas, as they contain fertile soil. However, as development continues, the streams that provide clean water to these zones of food production are increasingly in danger of becoming eroded, filled with sediment, and polluted.
Figure 3: Forests and Highways All that is green is representative of space that has substantial tree coverage. White is open space; it is reasonable to assume that a high percentage of this area is farmland. The diagonals that emerge from the combination of green and white space are a result of the mountain ranges that occupy the region. The construction of highways has avoided these natural barriers in favor of flatter, more easily developed land.
Human Characteristics
County Census Data
Charlottesville Albemarle Nelson Fluvanna Greene Louisa Population, 2000 45,049 79,236 14,445 20,047 15,244 25, Population, percent change 1990-2000 11.30% 16.20% 13.00% 61.30% 48.00% 26.10% Land Area (square miles) 10 723 472 287 157 497 Median Household Income $31,007 $50,749 $36,769 $46,372 $45,931 $39, Persons (per square mile) 4,389.70 109.70 30.60 69.80 97.40 51. Foreign Born Persons (percent) (^) 6.90% 7.30% 1.90% 2.30% 1.60% 1.30%
Government
Local City of Charlottesville, which includes: the Environmental Office, the Department of Parks and Recreation (which is in charge of the city’s community gardens), and schools. County of Albemarle County of Fluvanna County of Greene County of Louisa County of Nelson Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority , which manages reservoirs and water supply within the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The Authority sells compost from its Wastewater Treatment Plant. Rivanna Solid Waste Authority , which accepts, recycles, and transfers waste from its site. Regional Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission , which includes: the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District , which includes: the City of Charlottesville (a member as of 2006) and the Counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson. State Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Virginia Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, which works on agricultural waste products such as nutrient discharge. Virginia Department of Health , whose Nutrition Services Team works on the consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as with the rising rates of obesity within the state. Federal Virginia Cooperative Extension Service. VCE is an educational outreach program of Virginia's land grant universities, including both Virginia State University and Virginia Tech. VCE is also a part of the national Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture. Farm Service Agency. Also a part of the United States Department of Agriculture, the Farm Service Agency gathers data and provides an Agricultural Mediation Program.
Distributors
Major Suppliers Aramark Cavalier Produce Kathy¶s Produce Standard Produce Company Sysco Southern Select
Grocery Stores, Corner Stores, and Convenience Stores Restaurants (too many to list here)
Institutions and Schools Institute of Textile Technology International Beauty School Martha Jefferson Hospital Mary Baldwin College Piedmont Virginia Community College University of Virginia University of Virginia Hospital Virginia School of Massage Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge
Childcare Centers and Preschools (A comprehensive list only for the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County.) Barrett Early Learning Center Bright Beginnings Preschool Chancellor Street Preschool Co-Operative Chestnut Grove Baptist Preschool Congregation Beth Israel Preschool Covesville Child Development Center First United Methodist Preschool Head Start The International School of Charlottesville Molly Michie Preschool Northside Ministries Daycare and Preschool Old Dominion Day School Park Street Christian Preschool Piedmont Family YMCA Child Care St. Mark Preschool University Montessori School University of Virginia Child Development Center
Public Schools (K-12) Albemarle County Public Schools Charlottesville City Public Schools Charlottesville/Albemarle Technical Education Center Fluvanna County Public Schools Greene County Public Schools Information Technology Academy Louisa County Public Schools Nelson County Public Schools
Private Schools (A comprehensive list only for the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County.) Blue Ridge School Charlottesville Catholic School Charlottesville Community Jewish Day School Charlottesville Waldorf School Covenant School Fishburne Military School Fork Union Military Academy Free Union Country School
Dividing the six jurisdictions (one city and five counties) among the members of our task force, we grouped food production into what we believed to be the five predominant categories: fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and other. Within each jurisdiction, group members gathered information for each of these categories. Interviews were then conducted with farm owners, managers, Farm Bureau representatives, and Agricultural Extension Agent representatives whenever possible. Whether done in person, over the telephone, or via electronic mail, surveys focused on type of food being produced or processed, farming methods, incentives for using/not using certain procedures, and any barriers that are frequently encountered. The surveys provided a myriad of information, and in general, farmers were very helpful during this process. Due to time constraints, however, the number of interviews we conducted was limited to three from each of the five categories of food production. The contact information for farmers and other sources were primarily obtained from the Virginia Association for Biological Farming membership list, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website (though very outdated), and farmer’s market contributor lists/visits. For this reason, conventional and large-scale farms are largely underrepresented within the surveys. Secondary sources of information included Farm Bureau representatives, extension agents, word of mouth, and other websites such as localharvest.org. We also asked distributors of local products from where they received their food. A database has been developed from these sources.
Producer Surveys
County Surveys
Use Sustainable Methods (organic, integrated pest management, etc.)
Grows a Combination of Vegetables with Other Production
Albemarle 16 7 6
Charlottesville (City) 1 1 0
Fluvanna 3 3 1
Greene 2 1 1
Louisa 4 4 1
Nelson 7 4 2
Fruits
We reached four of the 12 orchards in our designated area. From our interviews, we found that only a few have been established in the Charlottesville region for very long. Many of the older farmers worked in other parts of the country before starting their local operations. A number of the newer farmers are ones that decided to pursue the profession late in life, thus purchasing land and beginning their operations from scratch. Regardless, family units have proven to be essential to the management of many of the region’s small-scale orchards. The longstanding Dickie Brother’s Orchard is only one example of a local farm that has a history rooted in familial involvement.
Big orchards, on the other hand, require hired staff to assist with maintenance and picking during key seasons. On average, these orchards are run on a larger scale than vegetable farms. In mountainous areas, it is common for orchards (particularly ones that grow apples) to be combined with cattle farming to maximize land use. Small combination orchards harvest roughly ten acres while the larger orchards harvest over 100 acres and supply commercial buyers. Fortunately, products such as apples require little processing—only the most basic packaging is usually made mandatory. However, even the big orchards sell at local farmer’s markets (where there is no packaging at all), mostly for publicity. Orchards in our region commonly rely on websites for promotion and information distribution. They do not receive government subsidies and are not connected with other orchards through organizations. One of the large orchards, Mountain Cove, has just closed this year and is leasing land to an agri-business due to financial difficulties. The other large orchard in the Charlottesville area has been running for over 200 years and is still successful. Overall, orchards appear to be less economically challenged than other types of food producing farms. However, problems do exist for this type of farmer when it comes to the employment of sustainable practices. According to the majority of farmers, apple orchards “cannot” be organic because the wet and warm climate of the area fosters pests and fungus. Instead, they typically employ methods such as integrated pest management.
Vegetables
The team collectively interviewed 21 vegetable farms, gardens, and collectives. Most of these locations operate on a smaller scale, often cultivating less than ten acres. Depending on their goals, farmers grow greens, herbs, root vegetables, squash, tomatoes, and more. A few of the farmers grow heirloom varieties or specialty vegetables. Also, flower gardens as well as small fruit trees and bushes are popular components of these operations. Almost all of the farmers cultivate land with their partners and/or the help of anyone else living on the property. About half cited the seasonal hiring of one worker or intern. Only two required more than three workers. Most vegetables are grown using organic or sustainable methods, though only one producer is currently certified through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program. The reasons often cited for lack of certification include paperwork, disagreement with the regulations as currently written, lack of confidence in the system, and required costs. Consumers of local produce, however, recognize the growers’ sustainable methods and are for the most part indifferent to the USDA certificate; one farmer stated, “My customers certify me.” Of the farmers who sell their produce, such relationships with customers are crucial. Because very little processing or packaging of fresh produce is necessary, word of mouth constitutes the only form of advertisement or marketing that is done. Thus, due to the fact that most producers are financially reliant upon the consumer base of farmer’s markets, they are also dependent upon the recommendations of these customers to maintain and expand their clientele. Though a vast majority of farmers sell only at farmer’s markets within the region (and many sell to more than one), a few have also managed to become direct suppliers to restaurants. Two more have cited experience with farm-to-school programs. Thus, only one-fifth of the vegetable growers we interviewed participate in any form of established network. Rather, these producers tend to form especially close communities amongst themselves. In order to gain pertinent information that can then be shared between them, most are members of organizations such as the American Farmland Trust, Farm Bureau, Virginia Association for Biological Farming, or the Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association. None of the farmers receive government subsidies and two have conservation easements.
Meat and Dairy
We received responses from seven farmers in our area that participate in the production of meat, eggs, and/or dairy. The age of the farmers ranges from 45 to approximately 85. Most of
Community Supported Agriculture
Several farms in the region are involved in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Though six cater specifically to residents of Charlottesville, they also serve other counties and localities in the region. As with other forms of production, diversity is apparent. These CSA farms include:
Local Gardening Initiatives
In recent years, notable efforts have been made by organizations within the City of Charlottesville at forming a more sustainable community food system. Through the creation of numerous local gardening initiatives, a great deal of progress is being made in the area. For instance, in summer 2005, the Charlottesville Community Design Center launched the “Charlottesville Grows” program, as proposed by Graduate Urban and Environmental Planning Student, Chris David. The program’s first pilot garden, in partnership with Bret Ferrell of Charlottesville Abundant Life Ministries, was planted in the subsidized housing complex of Blue Ridge Commons because of its lack of access to affordable, fresh, and nutritious food. The garden was designed by two local landscape architects and consists of two raised beds. The first planting was completed in late summer 2005 and the first harvest came that fall.
Students for Sustainable Communities, a student-led group at the University of Virginia that has also organized a community garden, is currently reaping its first batch of produce. Features
Class field trip to local CSA, Best of What’s Around
Community garden plot at Azalea Park Source: http://www.charlottesville.org
Members of the community working on the Urban Garden in the Ridge Street Neighborhood Source: http://www.cvilledesign.org
include organic foods such as sweet basil, pole beans, ground cherries, sweet corn, sweet peppers, and Brandywine tomatoes. Meanwhile, the Quality Community Council’s Economic Development Focus Group has established a long-term workforce through its Urban Farm Project development initiative at 6th Street and Garrett Street. For those not involved in a defined group or organization, Charlottesville has a limited number of public garden plots available to individuals who desire to rent one. Azalea Park is on the southern edge of Charlottesville near Interstate 64 and offers area residents with the option of renting 90 square-foot plots. Meadowcreek Gardens is located on Morton Drive, off of Route 29 North and adjacent to the Greenbrier neighborhood. It has developed 73 community plots for residents to grow flowers and vegetables. What is more, several new residential developments like the upscale Belmont Loft Company are offering gardening plots among their list of amenities. The new Bundoran Farm development in Covesville plans on retaining its farming activity through a unique form of shared ownership that is written into the development’s covenant. In spite of the city’s many urban gardens, common criticisms of the initiatives do exist. For instance, while there are several gardens located within the city boundaries, the majority of the community garden space is located on the perimeter of Charlottesville, limiting access and requiring car travel to reach them. Additionally, the amount of gardening space that is currently available is far from being enough to serve a majority of the city’s residents.
Examples of Model Producers
Farm: Blue Heron Owner/Farmer: Keith Dix Production: 20 acres total: only 3 cultivated for organic vegetables and small fruits. Master gardeners visit every year. Distribution: local restaurants, Nellysford Farmer’s Market, CSA members (for the past five years)
Farm: Cason Farm Owner/Farmer: Bill Cason Production: 4.5 acres: fruits and vegetables grown as well as Christmas greenery. Distribution: Charlottesville Farmer’s Market Barriers: single-handedly maintaining a farm in old age, producing enough to sell
Farm: Double H Farm Owner/Farmer: Richard Bean Production: 30 acres total: 5.5 for vegetables, a vast majority for animals. Double H Farm has mostly hogs, some cows and chickens that utilize a grass pasture, and some goats that roam the farm’s mountainside. Certified organic vegetables, meat, and eggs are sold. Distribution: local stores and restaurants, Charlottesville and Nellysford Farmer’s Markets to maintain a relationship with buyers
are both locally based and of a much smaller scale. In one form or another, these four companies collectively supply almost the entire Charlottesville region. Standard Produce Company has been an institution of Charlottesville since 1910. Currently headed by President C.R. Thomas, the company works out of its location at 104 Garrett Street and supplies a great deal of local restaurants with produce and other key ingredients. In a similar manner, Cavalier Produce is a wholesale distributor that is “dedicated to maintaining the highest level of quality and service.” Locally owned and operated, Cavalier sees its primary mission as to provide the freshest produce in Central Virginia at the most competitive prices. Located adjacent to C’ville Market at 221 Carlton Road, Cavalier advertises that they are “big fans of local produce,” and that “if it's in season in Virginia, we've got it at a great price.” While both companies occasionally distribute small portions of local and organic produce, it is their conventional products that are most frequently distributed in venues around town. Unlike the aforementioned local companies, Aramark is an internationally distributed and recognized brand. Led by Joe Neubauer, Aramark has truly become a global leader in professional services, with total sales in 2005 measuring approximately $11 billion. Indeed, in Fortune magazine's 2006 list of “America's Most Admired Companies,” Aramark was ranked number one in its industry. It should be noted that the extent of this industry is tremendous; Aramark is the primary food service provider in several realms, including businesses and industries, colleges and universities, convention and conference centers, correctional institutions, healthcare facilities, parks and resorts, school districts, senior living services, and sports and entertainment venues. In Charlottesville, the presence of Aramark is part of the University of Virginia, as it services an additional 400 institutions of higher learning across America. On an even larger scale, there is Systems and Services Company, commonly known as Sysco. In this industry, Sysco trumps Aramark with 2005 sales measuring $30.3 billion. As it operates from 170 locations throughout the contiguous United States, Sysco has managed to build sales relationships with over 390,000 customers and remains unwavering in its commitment to food service industry and its clientele. In Virginia, Sysco operates three facilities, including the Baugh Northeast Co-Op Redistribution Center in Front Royal (a Sysco subsidiary serving 14 companies in the northeast) and Sysco Food Services of Virginia in Harrisonburg. Proponents of a sustainable community food system might find ease in learning that such large distributors are not opposed to the idea of a sustainable, local food system. Outlined on Sysco’s website is its ChefEx, a program designed to directly connect suppliers and customers. Though primarily aimed at educating the discerning chef, this feature is nevertheless useful from a food-planning perspective. In fact, listed are several innovative and/or organic Sysco suppliers, including Applegate Farms (supplier of natural and organic meats), Dagoba (organic chocolates), and Golden Ridge Cheese (an Amish co-operative specializing in natural rind blue cheese). One additional distributor, Southern Select Produce, was identified after most of the work for this class was completed. The Albemarle County school system uses this vendor and has been successful at procuring locally grown apples through them. Their website states, “We are a family owned and operated business located in the beautiful state of Virginia. We are dedicated to providing our customers with the finest quality products available in the world.”
Grocery Stores
The following is information we gathered from interviews at grocery stores within the City of Charlottesville:
Store 6th StreetMarket 7-Eleven (^) MarketAsian MarketC’ville Food Lion(5th St) Harris Teeter WholeFoods Chain or Local Local^ Chain^ Local^ Local^ Chain^ Chain^ Chain Company Structure: Corporate or Franchise
N/A Franchise N/A N/A Unknown Unknown Unknown
% Local (^) 5% 0% 0% 40% 0% 0% Low%
% Organic 0% 0% Unknown 30% 5% 25% 25%
Decision- Maker Owner^
Individual Manager Owner^ Unknown Head-Quarters^
National Head-Quarters
Regional Office; Store Managers Have Some Input Primary Demographic Served (if applicable)
Belmont Neighborhood
Mexican and Commuter
Mostly Asian Families
None 5th St Area Well-Off
Regional Customer Base
We also compared produce prices among the following grocery stores to gain a better understanding of price equity across areas within the city:
Store
Median Income of Customers (^) Apples Bananas Oranges Grapes Strawberries IGA (^) $25,276.35 $1.29 $1.91 (^) $0.69 $1.99 $5. Integral Yoga (^) $25,335.64 $2.49 (^) $0.99 $1.99 (^) None $5. C’ville Market (^) $32,891.20 $0.50 $0.59 $0.33 $1.79 $1. Giant Food $35,573.00 $0.99 $0.59 $1.00 $2.99 $3. Food Lion (5th) $39,603.75 $1.69 $0.57 $0.89 $2.99 $3. Whole Foods $44,180.67^ $1.99^ $0.69^ $0.79^ $2.99^ $3. Kroger ( Emmet) $45,281.
$1.79 $0.49 $0.79 $1.50 $4.
Giant Food (Seminole Square)
$48,687.82 $1.99 $0.59 $1.20 $2.99^ $3.
Kroger (Rio Road) $53,251.17 $1.79^ $0.59^ $0.79^ $2.99^ $4. Food Lion (^) $58,096.00 $1.69 $0.49 $0.75 $2.99 (^) $2.