Delaware/Maryland Food System project
Welcome to the Delaware and Maryland regional food system webpage. This webpage emerged from a community forum that identified ways for citizens, professionals and policymakers to better understand, get involved and support the Delaware and Maryland regional food system.
As part of a larger regional effort, the information shared here recognizes the need to identify and share ways to prevent and adapt to food and agricultural disruptions as well as design and implement resilient ways to grow local economies.
What is a food system? A food system describes the interconnected activities and processes that influence food production, nutrition, health, community development, land use and agricultural practices. A food system includes all the varied processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population: growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, consumption, distribution and disposal of food and food-related items.
Understanding what makes up our regional food system will help identify ways to create and strengthen a sustainable regional food system and increase access to safe, high-quality food across the region.
The information below will help to explore various aspects of our regional food system and learn how you can get involved. If you have ideas or information to share, please feel free to contact Maria Pippidis, Extension Educator, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension.
Finding Your Local Food Resources
Mapping Delaware Food Access Locations
Access to safe and healthy food is essential to the population of Delaware and Maryland. Addressing food security requires understanding how the Delaware and Maryland food system is made up and recognizing the integration of food system issues into state agricultural policies, plans and programming at all levels of government, as well as private businesses and the general public.
Mapping Delaware and Maryland Food Availability and Access
- Military Family Advisory Network — Food insecurity impacts people from all levels of society. One in five families reported experiencing food insecurity. How do we help individuals and families access available food? There are a few tools you can use:
- UD Cooperative Extension's Find Food Locally searchable web tool — The interactive maps on this website include information about local food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, school provision programs, meals on wheels and other food security efforts.
- Maryland Food Bank find food tool — Allows you to search based on your zip code or address to find your local food bank.
- Google's project, Find Food Support — Works with No Kid Hungry and the US Department of Agriculture, to capture locations with free food support across fifty states. The site features a Google Maps locator tool, www.foodfinder.us, to identify local food banks, food pantries and school lunch program pickup sites.
What are the Different Food Access Sites?
Food Banks
Food banks function as warehouses. Food banks accommodate large quantities of food purchased in bulk or at wholesale prices, as well as food that’s been donated from local neighbors, businesses, and grocery stores. As a centralized hunger relief organization, a food bank acts as a supply line, working through a network of food aid partners and programs to distribute and deliver groceries to places like food pantries, soup kitchens, and after-school programs. They may also engage in community outreach and offer educational initiatives that strive to break the cycle of poverty and improve the quality of life for food insecure people.
Food Pantries
Food pantries are charities that deliver food and grocery products directly to the community. In an effort to remove the barriers that prevent access to underserved areas, food pantries are increasingly going mobile. Mobile food pantries enable quick, flexible delivery of rescued perishable food products, including baked goods, meat and fresh produce.
Direct Access: Farms, Farmers Markets, CSA’s
Throughout the region, farm stands, community farmers' markets and Community Supported Agriculture initiatives allow consumers direct access to fresh produce, meat, dairy and seafood products.
Onsite farms stand or market This may be a large or small market located on the farm property.
Community Farmers Markets is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers.
Community supported agriculture (CSA) programs are created by a farm operation. Products are then grown and distributed to shareholders within the community who share both the benefits and risks of food production. A consumer purchases a share at the beginning of the season and then is provided product throughout the season, usually weekly, based on what the farm is producing.
Webinar Series and Speakers Bureau Requests
Curious about how our Delaware and Maryland food system works? Interested in learning about the linkages between food production and its impact on health, environment and communities in the region? Wondering what we learned from disruptions in the food system during the pandemic? This page provides you with the links to our spring 2022 "Exploring the Elements and Interconnectedness of our Delaware Maryland Peninsula Food System" online webinar series.
It will also connect you to our Request a Food System Speaker form, where you can request a regional expert from across the Delaware and Maryland region who will share their work and how it relates to a regional food "system."
Below is a listing of the topics covered in our series. Recordings of our online webinar series are available on YouTube.
- Healthy Food System = Healthy People, Communities and Economies – The Complex Nature of Our Delaware/Maryland Food System
- Rita Landgraf, Professor, Director of Partnership for Healthy Communities, University of Delaware Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition
- Rita Landgraf, Professor, Director of Partnership for Healthy Communities, University of Delaware Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition
- An Overview of Our Delaware/Maryland Food System from an Agriculture Perspective
- Nikko Brady, Deputy Principal Assistant Director Delaware Department of Agriculture,
- Cassie Shirk, Director of Legislation and Government, Maryland Department of Agriculture
- Anna Sierra, Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM)
- Exploring Fruit and Vegetable Production Within our Regional Food System
- Gordon Johnson, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist; Fruits and Vegetables, University of Delaware Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
- Gordon Johnson, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist; Fruits and Vegetables, University of Delaware Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
- Knowing the Consumer in our Region and Increasing their Food Access
- Gina Crist, Community Health Specialist, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and Instructor, University of Delaware Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition,
- Erin Norris, Planner (Natural Hazards) at Delaware Emergency Management Agency,
- Karen Shore, Founder and Principal of Upstream Strategies
- Exploring Seafood and Aquaculture Production Within our DE/MD Food System
- Chris Petrone, Extension Director, Marine Education, University of Delaware Sea Grant,
- Dennis McIntosh, Professor and Extension Specialist – Aquaculture, Delaware State University, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
- Ed Hale, Assistant Professor and Marine Advisory Service Specialist, University of Delaware School of Marine Science and Policy
- How Agricultural Production and Consumer Markets are Intertwined
- Nate Bruce, Farm Business Management Agent, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
- Laurie Wolinski, Extension Agent - Agribusiness Risk Management, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
- Will Climate Change Impact our Regional Food System?
- Jenn Volk, Associate Director of Cooperative Extension and Extension Specialist - Environmental Quality, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension,
- Emmalea Ernest, Scientist - Vegetables and Fruits, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
- Grazing, Food Production and the Environment
- Susan Garey, Kent County Extension Director and Extension Agent Animal Science and State 4-H Animal Science Program Coordinator, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
- Susan Garey, Kent County Extension Director and Extension Agent Animal Science and State 4-H Animal Science Program Coordinator, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
- Exploring Poultry and Egg Production Within our DE/MD Food System
- Georgie Cartanza, Extension Agent – Poultry, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
Community Garden Connections
In Delaware and Maryland, the number of community gardens has been increasing. A community garden is a piece of land gardened or cultivated by a group of people individually or collectively. Normally in community gardens, the land is divided into individual plot, and each individual gardener is responsible for their own plot and the yielding or the production of which belongs to the individual, and in collective gardens the piece of land is not divided, a group of people cultivate it together and the harvest belongs to all participants.
Interested in learning how to start a community garden? Review these resources for ideas and local support:
- University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Lawn and Garden team provide a variety or resources to support the development of community gardens. From online webinars to site visits, the team can assist with planning to diagnosing issues.
- The Complete Communities Toolbox provides information about why community gardens are valuable tool for addressing access and availability. It also provides some resources to determine how to collaborate with community decision makers to locate and start to plan a community gardening project.
- Delaware Center for Horticulture – this organization supports the development of gardens within communities and has an annual contest for gardeners.
- The Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition is a thriving network of individuals and organizations working to strengthen local communities by supporting local urban agriculture projects that seek to increase access to fresh, healthy, and local foods
Supporting Your Local Food System
There are some simple ways to support our local food systems by shopping at local...
Farmer’s markets — Many farmers bring their goods to one market on a given day.
Community supported agriculture (CSA) — A group of people who buy shares for a portion of the expected harvest of a farm for the year.
Pick-your-own — One goes to a farm and harvests the food themselves.
Farm stands — Stands on the side of the road.
Community garden — People in a neighborhood farm a sectioned plot of land in their neighborhood either together or in individual plots for their own consumption.
On-farm stores — Stores on a farms’ location.
Mobile vendors — Mobile venders offer opportunities to provide underserved communities with fresh produce in locations where brick-and-mortar stores are not feasible and can be adept at providing culturally appropriate food items.
Embrace biodiversity — buy rarer types of produce which is unique to your area and plan your meals around local harvests.
Organizations and contacts for consumers who want to support local food systems include...
Delaware Grown Pick Fresh — A website for Delaware with an interactive map showing local farmer’s markets, farm stands, CSA creameries, wineries, breweries and even Christmas tree farms.
Maryland’s Best Agriculture — Links agriculture products to consumers. From this website you’ll be able to find growers, order online, learn about festivals and find recipes using Maryland agriculture products.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation — Includes resources to find locally sourced and sustainable Maryland foods. It includes two main resource guides. One is a 27-page guide includes farmers' markets, community supported agriculture, meat and eggs, creameries, seafood, locally sourced restaurants, wineries and breweries, natural food stores, and a guide to Maryland's seasonal harvest. The second is a publication, produced by Future Harvest CASA, which helps consumers and grass-based farmers connect. The directory lists grass-based farms in the Chesapeake region that sell directly to consumers.
Buy Local Delaware Guide — Local CSA’s, creameries, famers’ markets, farm stands, U-Pick guides broken down by county.
Local Harvest — Just put in your zip code to find local farms’ markets, farm stands, U-pick sites, CSA, meat processors and farm to table restaurants:
Eat Well Guide — Search over 25,000 farms, restaurants, markets, and other sources of local sustainable food. Just put in the zip code and a map will show it.
- Ark of Taste — To find rare harvests specific to your area
Understanding Our Regional and National Food System
The food system in our region is complex and is impacted by local, national, and international policy and processes. To build a foundation for understanding and discussion additional background information is offered on this page. The curated list of links that follow take you to briefing papers, regional news articles, and formal journal articles.
Briefing Papers
In April 2021, the University of Delaware and University of Maryland Cooperative Extension systems teamed up to conduct a forum that engaged community decision makers in learning more about, discussion and taking on short term action steps to address the topic of “Could COVID-19 Disruption Happen Again? Working Collectively to Build Resilience Across our Food and Farm Systems Forum.” Several projects evolved from this forum including the speaker’s series and this website. Additional teams developed briefing papers. These briefing papers outline issues raised by the small groups and suggested next steps.
Improving Communications with Farm Audiences – Ideas for Delaware and Maryland’s Farming Systems by Shannon Dill, Extension Educator, University of Maryland Extension and Maria Pippidis, Extension Educator, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
Reducing Farm Food Waste – Ideas for Delaware’s Food and Farming System by Laurie Wolinski, Extension Educator, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and Adriana Kwok, Senior, University of Delaware, Nutrition and Dietetics
Delaware Food Systems and Food Insecurity Mapping Food Access Points for Consumers — by Jerri Husch, FRSAN Extension Project Coordinator, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, Sydney Spencer, Student Intern, American University and Maria Pippidis, Extension Educator University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
Delaware State Resources
Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy (Del Dept. of Agriculture) — Helping to shape food policy and sustain food security in the state of Delaware
Delaware First Map — A centralized repository for commonly used Geospatial data layers.
Delaware Farm Bureau —Promote and protect Delaware agriculture through education and advocacy to ensure a quality of life for farmers and their families and their consumers.
Delaware Food Distribution Handbook — On an annual basis, the Food Distribution Program Handbook will be updated with current information.
Delaware Future Farmers of America Association — High school youth learn about agriculture through classroom education and hands-on experience
The Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association of Delaware — The Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association of Delaware encourages improvement in the production and marketing of fruits and vegetables throughout the state of Delaware.
General Food System Links
Food Systems Practitioner and Education Resource Database — Aggregating and identifying educational resources to improve the competencies of food systems practitioners to stailize and strengthen our food systems workforce.
Community Wealth-Local Food Systems — A local food system is a collaborative network that integrates sustainable food production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management in order to enhance the environmental, economic, and social health of a particular area.
Community, Local and Regional Food Systems — Provides information and networking opportunities for educators, community-based practitioners, policy makers, farmers/growers, families and those individuals involved in building equitable, health-promoting, resilient and economically balanced food systems.
Local Food Systems Response to COVID — Translating lessons learned from local food systems stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic and simultaneous social crisis into a specific, long-term collaborative strategy for fostering recovery, and equitable approaches to LRFS resilience.
Food Tank- 22 Educational Programs Changing the Food System — A list of 22 programs, both nationally and internationally, that integrate food into their curriculums.
Food Systems National Agricultural Law Center-Legal Website — Legal information regarding “food systems”, the interconnected processes that connect the complex spectrum of food production to food processing, consumption, and ultimately disposal.
Background (2008) to Food Systems-Annotated Bibliography — A resource for food system research and agricultural development.
University Based Food System Work
- University of Delaware-Sustainable Food Systems Major — Sustainable Food Systems (SFDS) will train you to approach key food system challenges critically and innovatively—from agriculture and production, processing, retail consumption and waste.
- Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, Center for a Livable Future
- FoodSpan — High school curriculum of critical food system issues
- Food Policy Networks — Project to support development of state and local food policy
- Food System Primer — Short readings about food system topics and issues.
- Maryland Food System Mapping — Mapping of Maryland food system, public health and the environment.
- University of California, Davis, Agricultural Sustainability Institute — Solutions for a Sustainable Food System.
- Michigan State University, Center for Regional Food Systems — Our work spans the many people, processes, and places involved in regional food systems.
- Virginia Technical University, Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation — Exploring and catalyzing the conditions for a more just and sustainable food system so that all may thrive.
- Sustainable Agriculture Research & Extension (SARE) — Building Sustainable Food Systems projects
Food System Planning
- Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Food Systems Planning — The Planner’s Portfolio Series is an outreach effort developed by Delaware County Council in order to explore the planning concepts available for communities to take advantage of the unique opportunities across Delaware County.
- The Complete Communities Toolbox provides information about why community gardens are valuable tool for addressing access and availability. It also provides some resources to determine how to collaborate with community decision makers to locate and start to plan a community gardening project.
International Food System Resources
- International Food Policy Institute (IFPRI) — Research and offers policy support on a range of food system issues.
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO/UN) — A platform where food systems policy is discussed and relevant agreements are negotiated and adopted by its Members.
- Sustainable Food Systems Approach — Sustainable food systems concept and framework.
Journals and Articles
- Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems — Publishes rigorously peer-reviewed research on one of the biggest challenges of our time: that of sustainably achieving global food security.
- Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD) — The world's only peer-reviewed, transdisciplinary journal focused solely on food and farming-related community development.
- Journal of the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society — Dedicated to an open and free discussion of the values that shape and the structures that underlie current and alternative visions of food and agricultural systems.
- Journal of Hunger and Environment Nutrition — A peer-reviewed professional quarterly examines hunger and the interconnectedness among individual, political, and institutional factors that govern how people produce, procure, and consume food and the implications for nutrition and health.
- Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the US Food System — Provides current research and outreach on structural racism in the U.S. food system.
- Innovations in the Food System: Exploring the Future of Food: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC — Summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.