** See attached press release**

PRESS RELEASE
Dane County Food Council
August 21, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Comprehensive List of Food and Agriculture Initiatives in Dane County
Available on-line

Madison, WI- The Dane County Food Council is releasing a web-based List
of Food and Agriculture Initiatives in Dane County, available at
<http://www.co.dane.wi.us/foodcouncil>. This comprehensive resource
includes more than 70 organizations working to strengthen the local
food system, increase access to locally grown and nutritious foods,
stimulate the agricultural economy, and promote food-related
enterprises.

Organizations include: food recovery and distribution programs (SHARE,
CAC), farmers markets, family farm advocates (Family Farm Defenders),
local economic development initiatives (Dane County Buy Local
Initiative), education and research (UW-Madison, Extension), food
security advocates (Hunger Prevention Council), and culinary groups
(Slow Food, Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin). This list is a
living document that will continue to build over time, and the Food
Council welcomes suggestions for organizations that are not already
included.

The Dane County Board created the 12-member Food Council in 2005 to
address local food issues. The citizen-led body includes large and
small-scale farmers, food security advocates, academics, planners, and
farmers’ market managers. The mission of the Dane County Food Council
is to explore issues and develop recommendations to create an
economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable local food
system for the Dane County region.

One of the Council’s first tasks is to assess efforts currently
underway in an attempt to leverage resources and facilitate
partnerships. “Taking inventory of the many organizations working on
local food issues will enable us to identify mutually beneficial
strategies to coordinate and maximize these efforts. This resource
gives us an vivid picture of existing food and agriculture activities
within the non-profit, government, university, and business sectors in
Dane County and the surrounding area,” said Ruth Simpson, Chairperson
of the Dane County Food Council. The Food Council is currently working
on three priority projects, which include: developing a farmers' market
network to increase direct marketing opportunities for local producers
and provide a forum for developing solutions to collective issues;
supporting expansion of a Market Basket program in Dane County that
provides fresh fruits and vegetables for low-income households; and
increasing the amount of local food
purchased by Dane County."

Food issues significantly affect the public health, land use, economy,
and quality of life of Dane County and its citizens. The Dane County
Food Council is helping to capitalize on Dane County’s exceptional
assets and coordinate efforts to build a stronger local food system.
The establishment of a food council has placed Dane County among the
leaders of this growing movement, with food councils in North America
now numbering more than thirty.

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Contact: Dawn Burgardt
burgardt@...
(608) 266-4540
City-County Building, Room 362
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
Madison, WI 53703