Community engagement

Community engagement and community input are a vitally important part of the planning process. We will be gathering community input in a few different ways:

• Interviews and focus groups with impacted populations and food system experts (January-June 2024)
• An online community survey (April-July 2024)
• Pop-up outreach events (May 2024)
• Public meetings (October 2024)
• Partnering with a Community Advisory Committee and the Rochester Food Policy Council (Ongoing)

Stay tuned here for announcements about opportunities for you to provide input to Rochester’s first Community Food System Plan!

Public Meetings

We held two public meetings in October - an in-person meeting at the Thomas P Ryan Center Community Room on October 23 and an online virtual meeting on October 28. Each meeting used the same format - the consultant team shared a brief presentation of key findings from their analysis of Rochester’s food system followed by small group conversations to gather feedback from participants, as well as their insights and ideas about how to increase access to healthy, affordable food in all city neighborhoods.     

Download the presentation slides here  

Community Advisory Committee

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is a multidisciplinary group of City staff and community members with a wide range of perspectives, knowledge bases, and experiences across the local food system that will inform Community Food System Plan development. Members of the CAC are:

• Shalini Beath, City of Rochester Sustainability Office
• John Brach, City of Rochester Mayor’s Office
• Michael Bulger, Common Ground Health and Rochester Food Policy Council
• Rhonda Destino, The Commissary
• Melissa Dillon, Tops Friendly Markets
• Jim Farr, City of Rochester Public Market
• Jackie Farrell, Westside Farmers Market
• Erik Frisch, City of Rochester Department of Neighborhood and Business Development
• Chris Hartman, Headwater Food Hub
• Michael Henry, Rochester Food Policy Council
• Kevin Kelley, City of Rochester City Planning Office
• Leslie Knox, Friends of the Rochester Public Market
• Sade McCallan, City of ROchester Mayor's Office
• Josie McClary, 19th Ward Community Association and Rochester Food Policy Council
• Nathaniel Mich, Taproot Collective and Rochester Food Policy Council
• Elizabeth Henderson, Peacework Farm and Rochester Food Policy Council
• Denise Read, Monroe County Department of Human Services
• Liliana Ruiz, City of Rochester Mayor’s Office
• Jacob Scott, Rochester City School District
• Sara Scott, City of Rochester Recreation and Parks Stewardship
• Ashley Smith, Mona Street Community Garden and Rochester Food Policy Council
• Julia Tedesco, Foodlink and Rochester Food Policy Council
• Paul Whitehouse, Beechwood Community Garden and Rochester Food Policy Council

Rochester Food Policy Council

The Rochester Food Policy Council (FPC) is a resident-driven collaboration that convenes community members and stakeholders to develop policy solutions, grow partnerships, and support projects that improve the local food system. The Rochester FPC is dedicated to fostering a food system that supports the health of the environment, where every resident has equitable access to high-quality foods that support their health and opportunities to participate in a vibrant local food economy. 

The Rochester FPC is composed of 10 resident members who reflect the diversity of the City of Rochester community, and three administrative members – one each from Foodlink, Common Ground Health, and the City – who provide staff, operations, and fundraising support.

 The Rochester FPC is a key partner in developing Rochester’s first Community Food System Plan! To learn more about the FPC, please visit their website.

Plan documents

 Stay tuned for the draft and final documents below as they become available.

Submit photos for our report/plan

Do you have a photo that you think tells a story about important people, places, or aspects of Rochester’s food system? If so, please let us know! We want to highlight photos from community members throughout our report. We will accept photos on a rolling basis through the summer, but would love to have at least some good photos in hand by June 15.

Click here to submit photos of the Rochester food system in action!

For more information

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact one of the City staff leading this effort:

Elizabeth Murphy, Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives
(585) 428-6813
Elizabeth.Murphy@CityofRochester.Gov

Brent Irving, Senior City Planner
(585) 428-7253
Brent.Irving@CityofRochester.Gov