2013
January 2013: The AC Food Policy Council helps secure funding for the Campus Kitchens Project (CKP) at Gettysburg College through submitting a national Campus Kitchen sub-grant of the AARP: “AARP Senior Hunger Fellowship and Outreach” which helps CKP focus on inclusion of 50 (years old)+ population into programming.
January 2013: ACFPC members are asked to speak about food security and healthy eating issues in Adams County on ‘Community Focus’ program on Community Media station with Mark Berg.
February 2013: Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community (JPIC) accepts manuscript written on Healthy Options 2012 to be published in one of their 2014 journal issues.
February 2013: Committee is formed to meet needs of continuing Adams County Gleaning Network coordination and ACFPC representative attends York County Food Availability task force meeting to speak on what ACFPC is doing and how it got started. Another ACFPC member attends the South Central PA- Food System Alliance’s Equity and Inclusion Training.
February 2013: Press coverage by the Gettysburg Times twice in one month, with “Healthy Options when at market” included in the Living section on February 16, 2013 and “Healthy Adams County prioritizes needs, concerns” under the PROGRESS 2013 section on February 22, 2013.
February 2013: AmeriCorps*VISTA position (under Pennsylvania Campus Compact) for coordination of ACFPC is secured for a second year.
March 2013: New vendors are secured for the Adams County Farmers Market Association markets in 2013. Adams County Farmers Market Association helps to raise awareness about Healthy Options at the Wellspan Women’s Health Conference.
March 2013: A free community screening of the documentary, ‘ESCAPE FIRE: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare’ is organized and shown in collaboration with: Healthy Adams County and Adams County Food Policy Council, Wellspan Health, Family First Health, Gettysburg College, and Adams Hanover Health Care 4 All PA. A panel discussion with an array of local health-care professionals follows the screening.
March 2013: Referring agencies for Healthy Options are expanded to include: Adams County Office for Aging, Adams County Head Start, Casa de la Cultura, and New Life Outreach Ministries for the 2013 season. CSA farm, Tuckey’s Mountain Grown Berries is added to our list of CSA farms donating a CSA share for re-sale to help fund Healthy Options 2013.
April 2013: Grant written with the help of ACFPC coordinator was submitted and is approved in the amount of $4400 from the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania for convening stakeholders of and conducting a feasibility study for a Food Hub in Adams County. ACFPC participates in the first annual ‘Green Day’ celebration at the Ag & Natural Resources Center.
April 2013: An article on Healthy Options is written for the Saturday Centerpiece of the Gettysburg Times on April 20, 2013. ACFPC collaborates with Gettysburg College to help with the facilitating of initial meetings and organizing of participants for the transformation of the Painted Turtle Farm on Gettysburg College’s campus to a community garden model and ‘Campus-community hub for Food Justice.’
April 2013: The South Central Community Action Program (SCCAP) for Adams County, a member organization of the ACFPC, agrees to take on the Gleaning Network coordinator position as a “community engagement” initiative. SCCAP, along with the aid of the council, finds a student intern to fill this position for the harvesting season of 2013.
April 2013: 12,000 copies of a newly updated version of the Adams County Local Foods Resource Guides, created by a committee of Food Policy Council members, goes to print.
May 2013: The Adams County Food Policy Council signs letter of support for a USDA Farm to School grant application that Northern York School District sends in as part of the Food Hub ‘vision’. This school district, identified as a great partner because of its significant resources, has a space (and employment capacity) to implement a form of Food Hub idea. This ‘Food Hub’ and school district collaboration gives hope to the council’s vision of getting local, fresh foods into schools and other institutions.
May 2013: The Painted Turtle Farm becomes 'Certified Naturally Grown'.
May 2013: A video on the ACFPC’s Healthy Options initiative (and the ‘Photovoice’ project) is created as a Gettysburg College student’s senior project for her Environmental Studies major. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zzw0vtgZAY
June 2013: Healthy Options 2013 begins on June 5th, with 65 participants registered. The council, as a task force of Healthy Adams County, is granted $4,800 by the Gettysburg Hospital Foundation for the Healthy Options Initiative. The St. James Mission Foundation grants $2,400 to go towards the Double Dollars program for SNAP recipients at the ACFMA’s Farm Fresh Markets.
September 2013: A new Gleaning Network Coordinator is hired through SCCAP and continues to follow through with and expand upon the work of the previous Gleaning Coordinators. Check out the website for information and volunteer opportunities!
October 2013: A community screening of the film Fresh, a movie examining our current food system and the steps some individuals are taking to change and improve it. The film screening was preceded by a meet-and-greet farmers reception and followed by a panel discussion after the movie. About 200 people were in attendance, including students, farmers and people interested in what they are eating and where it comes from.
2012
January 2012: After 20 years in the basement of Prince of Peace Episcopal church, the Gettysburg Community Soup Kitchen moves into the newly renovated Peace House, allowing lunch to be served seven days a week.
January 2012: The Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College recovers 40,000 pounds of food and serves its 25,000th meal!
March 2012: Application submitted by ACFPC member, Kim Davidson, to hire an AmeriCorps* VISTA member to support and help coordinate the ACFPC is accepted.
March 2012: CSA shares were secured to be donated to Campus Kitchens of Gettysburg College for resale to fund 2012 Fair Share project- from Beech Springs farm, Everblossom farm, Sherlocks’ farm, and Common Ground farm.
March 2012: The “March Matchness” on-line fundraising campaign through the Campus Kitchens Project at Gettysburg College raises, in conjunction with money made through resale of CSA shares, $4,200 for upcoming Fair Share Project. At the end of the month, Campus Kitchens begins nutrition activities at Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
April 2012: ACFPC member, Nancy Forgang, goes to Gettysburg’s Vida Charter School to talk to elementary-aged students about food inequity and services.
May 2012: The food policy council is awarded the Land O’ Lakes grant from the United Way of PA to support Fair Share 2012 programming and activities.
May 2012: The Adams County Farmers’ Market Association is able to hire a market manager, who will be able to help with market set up, managing EBT/Debit machine and info table, gathering information from farmers for ACFMA newsletter, as well as marketing. ACFPC member, J’Amy Graham Thomas, is hired for this position.
June 2012: the ‘Fair Share Project’ is renamed ‘Healthy Options’. ACFPC receives funding (via Healthy Adams County) for use with Healthy Options programming from Adams County Community Foundation. Part of this money received is also used for the ‘Double Dollars Program’, which allows the Adams County Farm Fresh Markets™ to offer SNAP benefits recipients an opportunity to double their ‘SNAP dollars’ at the markets, matching up to $10 on a purchase made through the EBT machine at market. For more info, visit the © ACFMA’s blog.
June 9th, 2012: The kick-off event for Healthy Options 2012 was held, with 44 families signed on to the program in June. Educational activities for the Healthy Options program 2012, to go along with the food vouchers for use at Adams County Farm Fresh Markets, are announced – including: cooking classes, local farm tours, gardening classes, a photography project, ‘Kids’ Day’ at market, as well as a Health Fair at market.
June 20th, 2012: ACFPC partnered with Adams County Ag Innovations (of the Penn State Extension office) Adams County Farm Bureau, Gettysburg Young Farmers, Adams County Ag Teachers, Adams County Tech-Prep, Gettysburg Adams Chambers of Commerce, and Penn State Extension to create a Farm Bill Forum event at Harrisburg Area Community College’s Gettysburg campus. ACFPC member and director of SCCAP, Megan Shreve, was one of the featured panel members at event.
July 2012: On July 10th, the ACFPC’s ‘Healthy Options’ initiative is one of three additional projects highlighted at the ‘Closing the Food Gap Follow-up & South Central PA Food System Alliance Kick-off Meeting’ in Camp Hill, PA. Four ACFPC members attend and are identified as partners for the South Central PA Food System Alliance.
September 2012: ACFPC helps link Penn State Extension Adams County’s ‘Promoting Ag Education in Our Classrooms’ project with Gettysburg College’s Center for Public Service students and Gettysburg Area School District’s after-school activities program. A PA Dept. of Education approved curriculum called Food, Land, and People is used for after-school activity for students at Lincoln Elementary, taught to the elementary students by Gettysburg College student volunteers
September 2012: On Sept. 18th, ACFPC members Kathy Gaskin (of Healthy Adams County) and Audrey Hess present on ‘Local Food Systems: How You can Get Involved—Action Planning’, along with another South Central PA Food System Alliance partner, during the ‘Go Local For Health’ Regional Health Summit. The Healthy Options 2012 program is highlighted as an example of ACFPC’s initiatives in the community.
October 2012: After the Adams County Farmers’ Markets Association’s market season comes to an end, statistics show that out of all money reimbursed to the vendors from the Healthy Options vouchers, 67% of this money was spent by the participants using these food vouchers on fruits/vegetables. Other types of products include: meat/cheese/eggs (with 19% of voucher-money spent), baked goods (only 12% voucher-money spent), and some ‘other’ things such as flowers, soaps, dog treats, etc (2% of voucher money spent). Compared to other sources of money reimbursements to vendors, such as Debit and EBT transactions at market, the Healthy Options vouchers showed the greatest allocation of money spent on fruits/vegetables and the lowest allocation of money spent on vendors that sold mostly ‘baked goods’. The percentage of dollars redeemed at market out of dollar amount of total vouchers collected by participants is calculated at 95.6%; in other words- over 95% of the vouchers collected by families were redeemed. This resulted in $5,955 having been spent at the farmers’ markets through the Healthy Options initiative. These statistics are increases from last years’ voucher-use statistics! For more interesting results, click here!
November 2012: A Restaurant Campaign committee is formed with goal of restaurant menus being more transparent about calories/ingredients in meals, after finding through the Adams County Community Health Assessment that obesity and overweight issues is one of the four priority areas. Collaboration with a ‘senior seminar’ class at Gettysburg College on the topic of Food Policy in the U.S.: students help with contacting/interviewing 8 Adams County restaurants about usage of local foods
December 2012: Manuscript written by ACFPC members encompasses the research done on the Healthy Options program 2012 and is submitted to the Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community. Read the research and officially-documented outcomes and implications of Healthy Options 2012.
December 2012: The Adams County Farmers Market Association secures funding to employ ‘Off-Season’ Market Manager for part-time hours throughout the winter, with goal of helping to secure new/more vendors for market season.
2011
March 2011: The Campus Kitchen in collaboration with local CSA farms, begin the Fair Share Project by raising over $4000 to provide 25 families in the food gap with vouchers to be redeemed at the Farm Fresh Markets. Voucher distribution and education begins in June 2011.
June 2011: The Fair Share Project kicks off with 24 participating families and continues through September 2011. There was a 96% redemption rate on vouchers that were collected by recipients.
October 2011: The Adams County Farmers Market Association reaches its goal of $2000 in SNAP sales during its first full season with an EBT machine.
November 2011: The Adams County Food Policy Council helps to plan and present at "Closing the Food Gap: Symposium and South Mountain Speaker Series Event" at Wilson College.
December 2011: The Adams County Food Policy Council present at the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council Symposium.
December 2011: A research paper on the Fair Share Project 2011 is completed in coordination of Adams County Food Policy Council members, Dr. Amy Dailey of Gettysburg College’s Health Sciences Department (also a ACFPC member), and Gettysburg College student of the Health Sciences department, Lisa Martin ’12. Using a community-based participatory research approach, the paper helps evaluate the program, see the impact it made, and decide how to improve the program for the next year.
2011: Adams County Farmers Market Association partnered with Wellspan Health to provide incentives for SNAP usage through a Double Dollars Program. The program expanded in 2015 to include WIC/Senior FMNP with additional support from the Gettysburg Hospital Foundation and Healthy Adams County.
2010
March 2010: 2009: The ACFPC created a committee to develop an action plan for Adams County regarding institutions in the county buying from local growers. With the help of Kirsten Markley, the Community Food Security Coalitions Farm to Institution Program Manager, we began to plan for an introductory workshop to be held at the Adams County Health Summit in June of 2010. Four main presenters were selected including Mark Ott, a food service director from Wingate Pa.; Jennifer Halpin, the Director of the Farm to College Program at Dickinson College; Katy Lesser-Clowney, the Sales and Marketing Assistant/Ag Tech Specialist for Bear Mountain Orchards and Kristen Markley. The purpose of the workshop was to introduce the concept of local food resourcing to interested food service directors, institutions, distributors and community members, while beginning to lay out the barriers to institutions buying local and developing a list of strategies to lay the ground work for an action plan.The workshop was a huge success, with Russell Redding, Pennsylvania's Secretary of Agriculture in attendance as well as other representatives from the Department of Agriculture, the Central PA’s Buy Fresh Buy Local Chapter and many other organizations with a focus on buying local. All agreed that the largest barrier to be addressed would be adequate distribution.
April 2010: Gettysburg College Dining Services, already buying from 7 local producers and 15 local processors becomes a member of Everblossom Farm's Community Supported Agriculture program by purchasing 10 shares for the 2010 season.
April 2010: The Adams County Local Foods Network creates awareness of local foods through three community displays at community events in the month on April.
April 2010: Adams County Local Foods Network receives a Hoffman Foundation grant to produce 5,000 copies of the 2010 Adams County Local Food Guide.
April 2010: The Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College reaches the milestone of 20,000 pounds of food recovered and 10,000 meals served.
May 2010: Saturday's Farm Fresh™ Market open at the Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg.
June 2010: South Central Community Action Programs, Inc. begins the Food Service Development Program, offering an entry level food-service skills curriculum free for individuals below the 200% Federal Poverty Level.
June 2010: The Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College begins preserving produce from the Gleaning Network through dehydration and freezing.
June 2010: Healthy Adams County hosts an Institutions Buying Locally Workshop during the 4th Annual Adams County Health Summit.
June 2010: The Adams County Food Policy Council establishes this website!
July -November 2010: The Adams County Women, Children and Infant (WIC) program becomes part of the national pilot program for participants to use monthly fruit and vegetable coupons at approved local farm stands.
July 2010: The Adams County Local Food Network becomes part of the Adams County Food Policy Council.
July 2010: WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital begins hosting a Wednesday farmers' market for its employees.
August 2010: The Adams County Farmers Market Association begins accepting SNAP benefits at all their markets.
August 2010: The Adams County Food Policy Council produces and distributes a brochure, Adams County Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens, to educate our community about existing resources in English and Spanish.
July-September 2010: The Adams County Farmers Market Association in conjunction with WellSpan and local chefs hosts three cooking and nutrition demonstrations, at each market.
September 2010: The Adams Farmers Market Association implements an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) machine at Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg (Friday), Gettysburg Farmers' Market on Lincoln Square (Saturday) and Gettysburg Hospital Market location (Wednesday). In September and October there were $570 transactions.
December 2010: The United Way Holiday Family Outreach program distributed 1422 vouchers worth $25 to low-income families, senior citizens and individuals with disabilities.
December 2010: The Adams County Gleaning Association gleaned 121, 858 pounds of local produce from 18 growers during the 2010 season. The total value equaled $48,086 based on USDA values. The produce was distributed to 13 local agencies.
2010: Adams County Farmers Market Association received funding from Capital RC&D to provide wireless debit services and EBT avail-ability for SNAP recipients at each market location.
2009
March 2009: Closing The Food Gap In Adams County: A Proposal for Comprehensive Solutions through Community Action was finalized.
February-April 2009: The Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College partners with the Adams County Circles Initiative to provide a Health and Exercise program with Circles families.
March-April 2009: Five community presentations of the above research were given to local agencies to raise support for the establishment of the Council.
May 13, 2009: The Adams Council Food Policy Council (ACFPC) was officially formed by proclamation by the Adams County Commissioners.
May 2009: The Adams County Food Policy Council became an affiliate of Wellspan, Healthy Adams County.
May 2009: The Adams County Gleaning Network began collecting and distributing fruits and vegetables from local farms to organizations providing emergency food.
May 2009: The Center for Public Service at Gettysburg College implements a Food Justice Immersion Project, enabling students to spend a week in Adams County exploring the issues.
June 2009: Gettysburg College Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Salma Monani, begins research with student Sara Tower ('12) about the Food Policy Council.
August 2009: Adams County Local Foods Network prints and distributes 500 color-covered booklets of an updated Adams County Local Food Guide.
August 2009: Students at Gettysburg College create Farmhouse, a residence dedicated to creating, educating, and supporting a community of socially and environmental conscious individuals, with local food and food justice as a central piece.
August 12, 2009: The Gettysburg Times publishes an article about the Food Policy Council, Initiatives direct 'leftover' food to improve diets. Read the article.
August 17, 2009: With the PA State Budget Impasse affecting the emergency food system, the Adams County Food Policy Council spearheads a meeting aimed to coordinate efforts between religious ministries, local charities and organizations to assist in providing emergency relief.
August 29, 2009: The Adams County Local Foods Network and Slow Food USA hold the Time for Lunch Day of Action to get Real Food in Schools at the YWCA of Gettysburg.
November 2009: The United Way of Adams County distributes 1,369 $25 food certificates to low income families, seniors and people with disabilities through the Holiday Family Outreach Food Certificate Program.
November 30, 2009: By the end of the 2009 gleaning season, the Adams County Gleaning Network rescues a total of 79,664 pounds of fruits and vegetables.
December 2009: In partnership with the Adams County Food Policy Council, Gettysburg College Professor Michael Gibbons and sociology students investigate the effects of the 2009 Pennsylvania State Budget Impasse on local organizations and emergency services. You can read the Press Release here & read the report that was presented to state legislators.
2008
February 2008: The Adams County Farmers' Markets Association (ACFMA) was established.
March 2008: The Adams County Local Foods Network convened for the first time to promote local foods. Monthly potluck dinners were added in June 2008.
May 2008: New Oxford Farmers' Market and Friday Fresh Market at the Gettysburg Outlets open.
June 2008: The Adams County Local Foods Network produced the first Adams County Local Foods Resource Guide.
July 2008: The Gettysburg Farmers' Market™ partnered with Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College to donate produce at the end of each market.
July 2008: Campus Kitchen begins Green Goodies, a nutrition and food system education program for children.
September 30, 2008: Mark Winne, a food policy activist and author of Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty speaks at Gettysburg College and hosts a community workshop.
October 2008: The Food Policy Council and the Adams County Circles Initiative hosted a Big View meeting at the Majestic Theatre, enabling low income individuals to speak to the community about barriers they face accessing healthy and affordable food.
November 2008: The United Way of Adams County begins Bag the Bounty, a food drive that collects over 10,000 pounds of food annually to distribute to Adams County Food drives.
November 2008: Interested members from the workshop gathered to form a Food Policy Council and conduct a community food assessment.
2007 and earlier
November 2007: Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College opened its doors
June 2006: Gettysburg College student, Freya Gibbons '07, receives a Mellon Grant and establishes The Painted Turtle Farm, an organic student garden. Vegetables are donated to Adams County's emergency food programs.
1995: The Gettysburg Farmers' Market™ opens on Lincoln Square in Gettysburg.
1993: The United Way of Adams County begins the National Letter Carriers Food Drive and continues to collects over 6000 pounds annually.
1991: Prince of Peace Episcopal Church began a soup kitchen. In 1995 this ministry became officially incorporated as The Gettysburg Community Soup Kitchen.