Food
As part of our movement from a biennial report to a full-time program, Community Focus is working with Community Partnerhip of the Ozarks' Collaboratives program to set realistic community goals that leverage interconnectivity and demonstrate our progress. That means that new topics are being added to Community Focus to reflect the work being done through the collaboratives.
Food will explore the systems that make up our local food landscape from the lense of the work being done by CPO's Food Collaborative. Community Focus has a front-row seat to the action, and as data begins to emerge that represents the potential Blue Ribbons and Red Flags of this topic area, we will describe the state of food by gathering information from local subject matter experts and identifying the strategies being taken to support a healthy food environment in the Springfield region.
At-A-Glance | 2005-2024
In the last few decades, Springfield’s efforts around food have evolved from addressing childhood obesity and hunger to building a sustainable local food system that supports health, education, and community resilience.
Early reports revealed high rates of overweight and obesity among children, prompting schools and the health department to improve nutrition education, increase access to healthy meals, and promote physical activity. The community’s faith-based organizations played a key role in meeting emergency food needs for thousands of families through extensive volunteer networks.
Photo Credit: Farmer's Market of the Ozarks
Photo Credit: Drew Lewis Foundation
By the 2010s, initiatives expanded to include urban agriculture, farmers markets, and local food systems, strengthening access to nutritious foods while supporting local producers. Programs like the DIRT Project in schools, the Healthy Living Alliance, and the Ozarks Regional Food Policy Council (now the Food Collaborative) demonstrated how collaboration across education, health, and business sectors could improve community health and economic vitality.
The pandemic highlighted food insecurity and reinforced the importance of coordinated community response. Organizations such as Community Partnership of the Ozarks, Ozarks Food Harvest and the Council of Churches scaled up food delivery, pantry services, and partnerships to meet surging needs.
Today, a growing network of local markets and food hubs continue to advance food security, access to fresh produce, and local economic opportunity, reflecting a long-term shift from emergency response toward sustainable, community-driven solutions for nourishment and well-being.