Model Food Ordinance

Municipal Strategies to Support Local Food: Including Local Food in Comprehensive Plans and an Urban Agriculture Ordinance Toolkit

Recognition of the value of local foods has been growing at all levels of government. Recent federal and state legislation has shown support for production and purchasing of local healthy food. Local governments are including local food sections in comprehensive plans and have modified ordinances to encourage urban agriculture. At the regional level, during the public engagement phase in the development of GO TO 2040 Plan, local food became one of twelve priority recommendations.

Since the adoption of that plan, CMAP has focused on implementing its recommendations. One of those recommendations is to provide technical assistance to incorporate local food systems into comprehensive plans and ordinances. In accordance with this, CMAP has developed the report, Municipal Strategies to Support Local Food Systems, a two part document consisting of a guide, Including Local Food in Comprehensive Plans, and an Urban Agriculture Ordinance Toolkit. These two sections are described below.

Including Local Food in Comprehensive Plans
This section of the report guides planners through steps including stakeholder involvement, defining local food, outlining benefits, setting goals, evaluating current conditions, developing recommendations and defining indicators and targets.

Urban Agriculture Ordinance Toolkit
This section of the report focuses on modifying or adding local code and ordinance language that recognizes urban agriculture as a legitimate land use and desirable community asset. It focuses on community gardens, commercial gardens, urban farms, beekeeping, and raising chickens. It provides examples of ordinance approaches from across the nation.