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Happy New Year! I hope you had a safe and happy holiday. January marks the start of the legislative session, and many of you will be advocating to increase the availability of healthy food in South Carolina. Members of the SC Food Access Task Force have shared a few updates, tools, and opportunities to get involved in the New Year:
- South Carolina Community Loan Fund will once again work on securing funding for the South Carolina Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) a public-private partnership, which supports local farmers and businesses by providing access to loans and grants to support the establishment, renovation, or expansion of different food projects, including farm businesses, mobile markets, small food stores, and grocery stores.
- Carolina Farm Stewardship Association recently hired Katie Welborn as their policy coordinator to advocate for fair farm and food policies in South Carolina. CFSA will steward farmer input for the next Farm Bill and support efforts such as the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, increased support for public transportation, federally compliant hemp production, increased local foods in school and summer meal programs, and keeping SC a tax-friendly state for farms of all sizes.
- The SC Farm to Institution program continues to undergo strategic planning and looks forward to continuing with outreach to a variety of institutions beyond schools and preschools in 2017, including food banks, small retail stores, hospitals, and workplaces. Visit scfarmtoinstitution.com for a list of the sites and workshop announcements.
- The statewide interactive map created to showcase and promote those markets where the community can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, was updated to include information obtained from the 2016 SC Fruit and Vegetable Outlet Inventory. In 2017, partners will be creating food desert maps, overlaying the 289 outlets inventoried with food desert locations in the state. This information will help partners identify areas of the state with minimal fresh produce options and focus efforts on improving access in those underserved areas.
- The SC Health + Planning Advisory Committee has developed resources as part of the SC Healthy Comprehensive Planning Project including the SC Health + Planning Webinar, the SC Health + Planning Toolkit, and the South Carolina Healthy Comprehensive Planning Project: Baseline Report. Next steps for the SC Healthy Comprehensive Planning Project include conducting additional trainings on the Toolkit for planning professionals and a re-analysis of county comprehensive plans to monitor the state's progress with integration of healthy eating and active living best practice indicators into planning efforts.
I hope that this newsletter and the Food Access Task Force can be a tool to support our collective efforts. Please feel free to send us updates, calls to actions, and action alerts as you move through your campaigns. Together, we can increase access to healthy food in South Carolina. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2017!
In partnership,
Anna Hamilton Lewin
Chief Operating Officer
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January 19, 2017 l 1:00pm-4:00pm l Allendale, SC
Learn how you can secure funding for your healthy food enterprise. The workshop, hosted by Orangeburg SBDC, will provide an introduction to SCCLF's policies, application package, and lending process.
More Information
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February 2, 2017 l 10:00am-12:00pm l Charleston, SC
This two hour workshop will provide an overview of the NMTC program with examples of NMTC financed projects both in and outisde South Carolina. The workshop is free for attendees, but registration required.
More Information
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Nov 3rd - May 10th l Catawba & Midlands Regions
These workshops will offer critical opportunities for local peer and resource networking, as well as provide additional instruction on production topics tailored for each region and managed by regional partners.
More Information
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Since 2004, we have provided 313 loans for $39 million in financing
that facilitated more
than $246.3 million in community development projects; we
financed 1,410 housing units, 9 healthy food outlets, 10 community facilities, and 16
community businesses, creating or retaining 2,896 jobs and providing a safe,
affordable place to call home for 3,525 individuals and families.
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