On Saturday, April 14, 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Lynn Museum, the Lynn Grows Steering Committee will reveal its community-driven vision and set of six priorities for building a better food system in the city.
Lynn Grows is the culmination of two years of work, with the committee hosting more than 30 listening sessions across Lynn with city stakeholders, and hearing from more than 300 residents about their food realities.
“We are excited to present a community created vision to build a better food system in Lynn and look forward to getting other Lynn residents and stakeholders involved in making this a reality,” said The Food Project’s North Shore Regional Director John Wang.
For more than 27 years, The Food Project has brought youth and adults from diverse backgrounds together on their farms to produce healthy food for residents of the city and suburbs to build a local and sustainable food system.
The Lynn Food and Fitness Alliance (LFFA) is a program that works to identify, develop and implement policy and environmental changes to promote healthy eating and active living for all residents.
In late 2016, The Food Project and the Lynn Food and Fitness Alliance formed the Lynn Grows partnership with a diverse group of Lynn community member to create a more equitable and healthy food system in the city.
The steering committee, a group of 25 Lynn residents and city stakeholders, just completed their vision and list of six priority areas to guide the Lynn Grows initiative. These priorities include creating better access to healthy food, building community gardens, increasing the availability of fresh local produce at area food businesses, and more.
During this process, The Food Project and the Lynn Food and Fitness Alliance organized more than two dozen listening sessions with groups around the city in order to better understand what food system related issues are important to residents. Listening sessions included an introduction to Lynn Grows, a discussion of the Lynn food system, and an opportunity for participants to offer feedback on the vision and priorities, while sharing their experiences and ideas for the future.
All Lynn stakeholders and residents are invited on April 14 to learn more about the Lynn Grows vision and priorities. Snacks, interactive activities, and music will be provided.
To RSVP, contact Olivia at [email protected]g and check Facebook (@lynngrows) for updates and watch for the lynngrows.org website launching on April 14.
