Center for Regional Food Systems

The Statewide and Regional Food Systems Plans National Community of Practice hosted a Connection Session on February 25, 2026 to discuss the recent publication, Food Systems Plans: Considerations for Getting Started.

Session Details

Guest Speaker:

• Rich Pirog, Director Emeritus, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

Attendees joined from Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The status of food system plan efforts of attendees varied, as shown below:

• 10% each had no plan (with no plan to start one) or an inactive plan
• 24% each had a plan in development or in place
• 33% had no plan yet but interest to develop one

Background

A new resource, titled Developing Food Systems Plans: Considerations for Getting Started, was shared and discussed in this session. Authored by Rich Pirog and Lindsey Scalera, this resource was developed based on experience in food systems planning in two states. It can be a living document that is built upon as we discuss how these plans are implemented.

This document is valuable whether you are considering or starting food systems planning, or if you already have experience in it. No matter where you are in the process, your experience is valuable, and you have something to both share and learn.

Group Activity

The considerations outlined in this resource were shared and discussed, including to ask attendees to “vote” on which considerations they have already engaged in.

The top considerations were:

• There are many food systems projects underway (16)
• Your group or coalition is familiar with and active in the region (13)
• There is agreement on the need for a plan (12)
• Key stakeholders are collaborating (12)
• You have consulted with others who have done similar work (11)

Breakouts

Small breakout sessions allowed participants to discuss further the following key questions:

• If you are just getting started, which of these considerations do you really want to dig into or unpack?
• If you have some experience with one of these considerations, what did you learn? What was challenging? Was there a tool or resource you used that helped?

Key Questions for Further Discussion

Key questions generated in these breakout discussion included:

• In networks, how do you deal with tension between groups, including how to deal with differing or unaligned priorities?
• How do you know if there is a plan, and you’re just not in the loop?
• How do you know or find out if there is food/food systems work going on near you? How do you learn about these efforts?
• “Why does something so integral to our survival not have a plan?” - Carla McClure, The Human Sustainability Project - Detroit, MI

Participants suggested the following resources:

• People’s Garden website (.gov website)
• 211 might be a good start (a United Way service)
• Food policy councils in your area
• Your local Extension office
• State Departments of Agriculture and/or Education, including farm to school staff members
• Networks in your state/place
• Farmer organizations and local food hubs
• For coastal areas, fisheries and aquaculture groups, such as Local Catch Network
• Local food banks and emergency food resources
• Local officials with city and county governments
  
  

Resource Hub

Key resources from this meeting are listed below, and see more resources in our online Resource Hub and you can find other food systems plans in our Plans Gallery. Submit your plan to share there!

• A Call to Build Trust and Center Values in Food Systems Work is a reflection by the facilitation team of a Fall 2019 gathering in Detroit of leaders of food systems planning efforts from across the country.
• Participatory State and Regional Food System Plans and Charters in the U.S.: A Summary of Trends and National Directory offers a snapshot of national trends and a directory of food systems plans and charters at the state and regional levels across the United States. It is intended to serve as a resource to facilitate network building and co-learning among practitioners leading these efforts and groups interested in launching their own plans and charters.
• Food Systems Plans & Charters: A Landscape Analysis by Transforming Hawai‘i’s Food System is a toolkit that provides a synthesis of 25 state- and city-level food systems plans and charters from across the United States, along with searchable recommendations and plan tactics.
• 10 Cents a Meal 2023-2024 Evaluation Results, including an evaluation summary, are now available from the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems! These summaries may be useful for those with local food purchasing incentive programs in their plans or for those with emerging plan ideas.