Our Food, Our Future​

Imagine a food system where all residents have the oppportunity participate equitably as consumers,  That's our vision.

ANNOUNCING SFPC'S GROW-A-GARDEN INITIATIVE!
BACKYARD, FRONT YARD, AND CONTAINER GARDENS IN SPRINGFIELD

Want to grow your own food—right in your yard? The Springfield Food Policy Council believes that everyone who wants to grow their own food should have the support that they need to do so. To help make this happen, we have installed raised-bed and container gardens through our Grow-a-Garden initiative. ​Unfortunately, sign-ups are closed for the season, but check back for future times to grow!

PLANNING FOR A POST-COVID FUTURE: HOW CAN MASSACHUSETTS SUSTAINABLY SECURE OUR FUTURE FOOD SYSTEM?
JUNE 19, 2020, FROM 9AM-12PM  -  VIRTUAL EVENT
"During this pandemic we’ve learned lessons about locally-grown-food supply-chain strength and insecurity.  The bottom line is we can make our future food system more secure."
A group of farm/food related business, organization, education, and government stakeholders are coming together to strategize for the future of Massachusetts' food system. SFPC Chair, Liz O'Gilvie, will take part in a 10am panel on why access to healthy food is a right, not a privilege, and how we can connect locally grown food to all.

RESOURCES

"WE DON'T FARM BECAUSE IT'S TRENDY; WE FARM AS RESISTANCE, FOR HEALING AND SOVEREIGNTY"
Article by Ashley Gripper, Environmental Health News, May 27, 2020
"For more than 150 years, from the rural South to northern cities, Black people have used farming to build self-determined communities and resist oppressive structures that tear them down." Click the link below to read more on the history of urban growing and Black communities, and how "growing food is a tool for dismantling systemic oppression."
DISPROPORTIONATE RACIAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19
"The COVID-19 crisis is hurting all our communities, but not equally. The data that would allow us to document the pandemic’s uneven toll rigorously are incomplete and only now emerging - and it’s already clear that communities of color, including children, once again are on the frontlines of vulnerability." Click the link below to read more and access an up-to-date list of articles and resources documenting this crisis.
SEVEN DAYS OF FREE SCHOOL MEALS AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS, NO ID REQUIRED
During the school closures prompted by health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus, children enrolled in Springfield Public Schools may pick up a free breakfast, lunch, and dinner at any of the schools listed as distribution sites. On Fridays, they may also pick up additional meals for Saturday and Sunday.
Any person 18 or under is eligible for breakfast and lunch pickup. No ID, registration, or address is required. Service is grab-n-go style from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday-Friday until school resumes. Students may attend any school they are near; it does not need to be the school where they are enrolled.

NEWS

Springfield schools expanding meal plan to include dinner
April 6, 2020
  • Dinner is now available for pickup with breakfasts & lunches
  • Closed on 4/10 based on the district calendar: all Friday and weekend meals will be available on 4/9
You can still get stimulus payments without filing a tax return
April 4, 2020
  • Free tool from TurboTax allows you to submit information and receive a stimulus check without filing 2019 tax returns
We are the Springfield Food Policy Council, an independent body that oversees the coordination of public and private efforts to improve access to nutritious, affordable, culturally appropriate, fresh, and safe foods for all residents of Springfield.
Find out the location and hours of your nearest farmer's market here. 
Are you an educator interested in starting a school garden? Read this step-by-step guide, which offers important information about how to safely grow your own fruits and vegetables with your students.