Local Foods, Local Places Toolkit

Cities and towns across the country are undertaking new initiatives and strengthening current programs that support development and growth of local food systems while reinvesting in downtowns and existing neighborhoods. The Local Foods, Local Places Toolkit (PDF) (78 pp, 3 MB, About PDF) is meant to help communities interested in developing their own plans for setting and achieving local food and revitalization goals.

EPA's Local Foods, Local Places program helps communities create action plans that chart a course for using local foods to help meet a broad range of community goals, including:

• Keeping food dollars within the local economy and supporting creation of new jobs in the region.
• Diversifying the local economy and sustaining or reinvigorating a region’s agricultural heritage.
• Increasing the vitality of a historic Main Street or an existing neighborhood, helping to attract reinvestment and growth to these areas.
• Revitalizing already-developed areas to reap environmental benefits.
• Reducing food insecurity and shrinking food deserts.

The Local Foods, Local Places Toolkit was developed over the course of delivering the technical assistance and compiles best practices and lessons learned from the program. It also provides step-by-step instruction for planning and hosting a community workshop that produces an action plan laying out next steps for implementation. A facilitator, either from the community or hired from outside, could use this toolkit to help a community articulate its goals, engage stakeholders, and prioritize achievable actions to make progress.

The Toolkit also suggests some approaches, useful tips, and lessons in maintaining momentum, including that communities should:

• Cultivate and support champions.
• Find someone to own the plan.
• Help build relationships.

The Toolkit includes links to funding opportunities and other resources, plus detailed templates to help guide a community through the process. These templates are provided here as editable files so users can adapt them to their needs:

• Local Foods, Local Places Toolkit (pdf) (2.57 MB, 2017)
• Local Foods, Local Places Community Self-Assessment (pdf) (464.12 KB, 11/13/2024)
• Sample Workshop Agenda (Word) (docx) (16.55 KB, 2017)
• Sample Workshop Invitation (Word) (docx) (1.15 MB, 2017)
• Opening Presentation (PowerPoint) (pptx) (55.26 MB, 2017)
• Day 2 Presentation (PowerPoint) (pptx) (25.21 MB, 2017)
• Case Study Presentation (PowerPoint) (pptx) (32.75 MB, 2017)
• Food System Diagramming Template (PDF) (2 pp, 153 K, About PDF) 
• Action Planning Table (PDF) (2 pp, 153 K, About PDF)