Oakland Food Policy Council

By Beth Sanders

Not only is Jennifer McTiernan a motivated individual with a passion for improving the Connecticut foodshed and the health of its people—she also has a stoic, philosophical side.  When asked about words of wisdom she can impart on fledgling food policy councils around the country, McTiernan quotes the late Roman Lucius Anneaus Seneca: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”.

Preparation is the First Step

No one knew exactly whether the goals of the New Haven Food Policy Council (NHFPC) would gain momentum when it was initially established in June of 2005. But what they did know is that deliberate preparation—such as getting a city ordinance passed to support their group’s formation, ensuring a diverse representation of appointed council members and selecting the issue of childhood nutrition to begin making policy recommendations—was a safe bet to begin working. The NHFPC began by identifying an area of focus – childhood nutrition and school food – and then writing a policy primer report to explain the current state of school food in Connecticut, accompanied by ideas on how students can receive healthier lunches from local farms. Several ambitious recommendations were published, including an increase in the federal government’s reimbursement rates to school lunch programs, revision of federally mandated nutrition standards, and promoting Connecticut Public Schools to participate in the state’s Farm-to-School program.

 “For a long time, we sat through the NHFPC meetings, came up with things to do, defined our priorities, and created ways for the council to come together”, recalls McTiernan, who was instrumental in the policy council’s formation and served as Founding Chair. “We were coming up with lots of activities to engage in, but I started a lot of meetings not being sure about what we would actually end up doing.” She acknowledges that a lot of members in other food policy councils around the country may be asking themselves similar questions as to what their organizing efforts will later accomplish.

The Opportunity Arises

A lot of hard work was already underway before McTiernan and her colleagues realized that the effort had not been made in vain.  The clue was the ubiquitous billboards across New Haven and the growing newspaper articles on how union workers, parents, students, and school employees were urging the City to cut all ties with the private food contractor, Aramark. The tension over the company’s management of food services and facilities maintenance was coming to a boil, in large part because of a national campaign launched by the Los Angeles-based Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The company had a twelve year history of menus offering “chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, chicken bits, and all the previous on a bun" with infrequent fresh vegetables, and many parents were fed up. Advocates were starting to question whether there was a link between this practice and the rising trend of childhood diabetes and obesity rates.

It was at this moment when McTiernan realized that this was the council’s golden opportunity to help tip the scale. “It was amazing after spending all that time building our food policy council, we were ready for that moment”, she remembers. The NHFPC proceeded to become an important voice in the community’s conversation about healthy, school food and the best way to promote it by attending public hearings and writing an op-ed in The New Haven Register. They also worked to develop recommendations, as part of the policy primer, for a self-management food system model structured specifically for the New Haven school system. Thanks to their preparation, the NHFPC was able to bring an important perspective to the table at a time when the city was deciding what the school food service program should look like and how it should operate.  Victory was achieved in May of 2008 when the Board of Education voted unanimously to designate in-house food service for the district, effectively rejecting the three outside bidders—including Aramark.

Words of Wisdom for Blossoming Food Policy Councils

McTiernan’s success story serves as an inspiration to all food policy councils that may be in the initial phase of organizing themselves and finding their footing to engage the local community. “The take-away message is that you can’t start setting up a council at the very moment something of importance arises”, she states. The story could have a different ending, however, if there was careful preparation for that moment: “even if it’s only the  second public hearing you have attended, that’s fine if you’ve found your direction.” Recalling how the City of New Haven decided to prioritize fresh, healthy school food by bringing the operation of the food service program in-house, McTiernan believes, “Maybe they wouldn’t have come out with the same priority if it weren’t for the food policy council. By investing in building an infrastructure and creating legitimacy, food policy councils can position themselves to be ready to be effective advocates when the moment of opportunity arises. Developing a relevant mission statement is an excellent starting point and a way to be prepared to address important issues that come up. It serves as a mandate to support advocating for what will help make a healthier, more sustainable food system.”

Jennifer McTiernan was the founding director of CitySeed, a non-profit organization she started that launched a network of farmers markets in New Haven and addresses local as well as national food policy issues. She is currently living in Berkeley, California, with her family, and preparing to attend Yale Law School to continue her work on food policy and law issues. To read more about CitySeed and the New Haven Food Policy Council, see cityseed.org.

Sources

http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Government/pdfs/NHFPCminutes012408.pdf

http://www.cityseed.org/

http://www.cityseed.org/programs/council/NHFPCSchoolFoodPolicyPrimer.pdf

http://www.cga.ct.gov/coc/obesity_forum_documents.htm

http://www.ctfoodblog.com/?tag=jennifer-mctiernan

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2008/03/aramarks_missin.php#008564more

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/university-news/2007/03/30/ysfp-sustains-speaker-series/