Climate-and-Farm-Friendly Food Systems

Communities can benefit from supporting sustainable local food production from farm to consumer. When food is produced locally, it is easier to get information about production practices and determine their impacts on climate change. “Farms” can include larger-scale commercial producers as well as garden-to-market smaller-scale growers. All can contribute to the local food system and its resilience to climate change.

A food system includes all aspects of food production from the farm to the table, including food waste disposal. A community food system is a food system in which food production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management are integrated to enhance the environmental, economic, social, and nutritional health of a particular place. A community food system can refer to a relatively small area, such as a neighborhood, or larger areas – towns, cities, counties, regions, or bioregions.

Food availability relates to how easily accessible quality, nutritional food is to every member of a community. Actions to address climate change impacts of food systems must ensure access to quality nutritious products for all in the community. Food system design can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including those associated with transportation of food from farm to table, and disposal of food waste. Our goal is to help communities provide full-scale access to healthful food and reduce “food deserts” throughout the state while ensuring equal access to such resources for all members of Wisconsin communities.

Transporting food uses energy and fossil fuels. The closer food is produced, the less it must travel to get to a dinner table, decreasing transportation and climate impacts. Local economies benefit from keeping business in the region where community members live, work, and play. Systems that utilize best practices to minimize their climate impacts often exhibit better resilience to changes in weather events and can provide food items to communities throughout time. Climate change is expected to cause more frequent extreme weather events such as flooding or drought that may disrupt food production in some regions. Having food production take place in all communities can help lessen the risk of food shortages due to regional climate-related weather problems.

A food system that supports local farms while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and storing carbon in the soil to mitigate the impacts of climate change will help build local community climate resilience. Such a food system will strengthen the local economy, revitalize local production, improve quality of life, and protect the environment and human health.


Explore Our Menu


Equity & Environmental Justice

Equity & Environmental Justice – Equity and justice should be included with each part of the menu. As you explore each menu, consider the most vulnerable populations within your community. Be sure to include and prioritize these groups as you develop and plan your efforts.

Equity & Environmental Justice


Education & Information

Education & Information – provide education and information ideas and resources. These are intended to be some of the first steps a community can take to address certain subsections.

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Low-Cost Strategies

Low-Cost Strategies – are focused on strategies and accompanying resources that usually will not require intensive staff capacity, fiscal resources, and maybe done through staff decisions.

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  • CASE STUDY: Plymouth High School: Food Science and Agriculture Center
  • Provide professional development for county staff working with farmers on agriculture and climate change adaptation and mitigation:
  • Create a food availability map to encourage local accessibility.
  • Incentivize communication between production groups in metropolitan, suburban, rural, and tribal areas to promote diversity.
  • Include diverse and representative populations, including farmworkers and food system workers (e.g., kitchen staff in restaurants and grocery employees) in planning and implementation of food production policy.


Significant Resource Deployment

Significant Resource Deployment – are “main courses” of strategies that may require more staff capacity, increased fiscal resources, and larger, possibly cohesive decisions.

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Celebrating Successes

Celebrating Successes – are actions and strategies for communities to celebrate and keep the momentum going. They will help address positive outcomes of previous strategies taken and inspire further action.

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  • Host events celebrating locally sourced produce (“parties” or “cookouts”).
  • Conduct farm demonstrations, garden-to-market tours, and presentations showcasing local food production and climate mitigation and adaptation practices.
  • Highlight and celebrate the accomplishments of community members who have implemented conservation practices and climate resiliency measures successfully.
  • Enlist the help of Extension agriculture educators in organizing farm tours to demonstrate application climate resiliency strategies:


Grants & Funding

Grant & Funding – help communities support actions through financial means such as grants and other resources.

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Example In Action: Soil and Water Management

The city of Brodhead, WI partners with dairy to meet water quality requirements

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