The Edible City: A Technical Policy Assessment Envisioning the Future Development of a Locally Integrated Food System in Washtenaw County, Southeastern Michigan

Abstract

The major purpose of this project is to give the citizens and the City of Ann Arbor a roadmap for localizing Washtenaw County's food system. Extensive previous work provides excellent background information about the current state of Washtenaw County's food system and how its local food businesses can be supported. The aims of the current research are: 1. To further strengthen the case for localizing food systems with a. more detailed monetary estimates of the supply and demand of local food, as well as b. new estimates of the amount of land and labor that might need to be committed to the production of local food. 2. To evaluate Washtenaw County's production landscape and the potential effectiveness of the Greenbelt initiative in supporting the development of local food infrastructure. 3. To envision the potential future development of a locally integrated food system in Washtenaw County based upon the present and previous studies, and 4. To propose new directions for city policy, citizen action, and business development consistent with that vision.