Oregon Policy Working Group
Coordinator: Lauren Gwin & Andrew Collins-Anderson
To achieve OCFSN’s vision of a thriving statewide network where people and organizations collaborate to advance a just, equitable, nutritious, and resilient food future for Oregon…
we need supportive public policy.
OCFSN is not, itself, a food policy council. OCFSN members engage with public policy, but the Oregon Policy Working Group does not select or lobby for a specific set of policy priorities.
OCFSN member organizations are the leaders and voices for that work.
The Oregon Policy Working Group brings food systems policy leaders and those new to policy together to learn from and support each other.
Join the Group to stay connected and learn about upcoming meetings.
Send an email to cfs-policy+subscribe@ocfsn.org to be added to the email list and receive updates and invitations to working group meetings!
OCFSN recognizes the importance of public policy in shaping our food system – what we have now, and what we want it to be. We are committed to building members' individual and collective capacity to influence public policy to support our shared vision of an equitable and resilient food system.
We put this into practice by:
Convening and supporting OCFSN members and partners to inform, educate, learn from, respectfully challenge, build common cause, and take action together across our wide diversity of interests in the food system.
Finding ways to learn from members with deep public policy experience and expertise while actively including, bringing along, and learning from members with less policy experience/expertise.
What we do and how we do it has varied over time. Every year, we try new strategies and tactics. Every year, we make progress and also identify new challenges and opportunities. In 2017 we started with a Policy Committee. Check out our 2026/2027 Working Group Plan.
IMPORTANT NOTE: OCFSN is not a food policy council. Some OCFSN members engage with public policy in some way, but not all, and this is only one pathway for OCFSN's food systems work. OCFSN does not lobby at the Oregon Legislature or at the U.S. Congress. OCFSN does not develop/advocate for a community food systems policy platform. OCFSN member organizations are the leaders and voices for that public-facing work, both individually and in focused issue area coalitions with each other.
Webinars & Resources
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OCFSN Farm Bill Education Series | Food Security and the Farm Bill | Thursday, September 21, 2024
Farm Bill 101 Presentation with HEAL Food Alliance | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Community Food Systems at the Legislature: Equity & Allyship - presented by Lauren Gwin and Charlotte Epps in June 2021
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Read full report published in May 2021.
Introduction: This report presents the results of the Oregon Community Food Systems Network 2020 Public Policy Capacity Assessment. This assessment used a survey based on the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future’s Food Policy Networks project, which was based in part on a survey developed by the Alliance for Justice.
Check out these informative advocacy webinars to learn more about the fundamentals of civic engagement and the scope of non-profit organizations working in the legislative process.
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An “intro to advocacy” webinar from the Oregon Community Food Systems Network 2020 Convening, given by Nicole Forbes of Oregon Food Bank. Nicole explained the basics of civic engagement, engaging local legislators, and what we know so far about the 2021 legislative session. View the slides here.
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A “how to” webinar we offered in 2019 about policy advocacy, explaining the legal rules for nonprofits AND some “rules of the road” from OCFSN members with experience at the Legislature.
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Guidelines for 501(c)(3) Public Charities on advocacy work from Bolder Advocacy.
Anybody can be an advocate: Measuring your council’s readiness to work on policy
Administrative Advocacy: Influencing Rules, Regulations, and Executive Orders