PASSAIC COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCIL

Healthy food reduces risk of chronic illness and improves life expectancy. Our work advances the Food is Medicine approach by expanding access to fresh, nutrient-rich food and nutrition education—particularly in neighborhoods facing disproportionate health burdens.

We partner with retail sites, schools, and healthcare stakeholders to ensure healthy food is available where people live, learn, shop, and heal.

We believe food can be a force for good—for health, for equity, and for sustainability.

Our work expands access to fresh, nutritious food while also investing in local food systems that reduce waste, shorten supply chains, and strengthen climate resilience. Through partnerships with small farms, mobile markets, school gardens, and healthy food retailers, we are helping to build a smarter food future—one that nourishes both people and the planet.

As the Rockefeller Foundation states, "We can build food systems that nourish people and protect the planet—if we act boldly and collectively."

In Passaic County, we’re putting this vision into practice through community-led solutions that connect health, local economies, and sustainability.

 1) School Meals & Partnerships

• Expand access to and improve the quality of school meals
• Partner with school districts to build stronger nutrition programs and procurement systems
• Support school gardens and nutrition education for students and families

2) Healthy Food Retail & Farm to Institution

• Partner with corner stores and grocers to offer fresh produce, prepared foods, and culturally relevant options
• Build “Farm to Institution” pipelines that connect local farms with schools, pantries, and retail sites
• Support community-based businesses like A Better Market through infrastructure and innovation
• Through our NJ FEED: Farm to Food Pantry initiative, we strengthen partnerships between local farms and emergency food providers—bringing fresh, Jersey-grown produce directly into communities while supporting small-scale agriculture and reducing food waste.

3) SNAP & WIC Outreach + Enrollment

• Help residents navigate and enroll in federal nutrition programs
• Equip trusted community partners to provide multilingual, culturally competent outreach

4) Cooking & Nutrition Education

• Host cooking demos, meal kits, and culturally grounded nutrition workshops
• Use food as a tool for health education, youth engagement, and community bonding

5) Resident Leadership & Community Action

• Elevate lived experience through our Resident Advisory Board
• Fund and support community-generated ideas that improve access and dignity
• Champion grassroots leadership in decision-making spaces

6) Gardens & Local Food Systems

• Support school and community gardens that improve access and strengthen local food culture
• Partner with local farmers and food entrepreneurs to build a more equitable food economy.

7) Capacity Building for Member Organizations

• Provide training, mini-grants, and peer learning opportunities to strengthen our coalition
• Promote shared measurement, storytelling, and systems thinking across sectors

8) Food Policy Advocacy

• Advocate at the local, state, and federal levels for policies that increase food access, strengthen nutrition programs, and improve health equity
• Educate our members on relevant policy changes that impact their work and communities
• Build the capacity of our coalition partners and residents to advocate for equitable, community-informed solutions
• Create space for collaborative campaigns that amplify the voice of Passaic County across systems