2014 Wyandotte County Mayor's Food Summit

Join us May 1, 2014 for the Wyandotte County Mayor's Food Summit to promote better access to healthy foods in our community. #wycofoodsummit

A joint effort of the Mayor, the Unified Government and the Healthy Communities Wyandotte Coalition, the Food Summit seeks to bring together elected officials, education, business and community leaders and give them the information and resources they need to take action in their communities to increase accessibility to good food.

The Food Summit arose in part from a transparent community planning process held from 2009-2011 that involved hundreds of residents, area experts and public officials, the results of which were compiled in a document titled "Recommendations for a Better Future." The recommendations included strategies for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, and in fact, the Food Summit is the kick-off for a three-year plan to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among Wyandotte County residents. Holland and others hosting the Food Summit acknowledge that changing individual behavior is an important component of improving diet, and in order for change to stick, the healthy choice needs to be the easy choice.

The Summit will include the following four breakout sessions featuring speakers, facilitators and panelists from community organizations:

- School Gardens and Farm-to-School Programs
- Making Nutritious Food More Affordable
- Transforming Organizational Cultures for Health
- Increasing Physical Access to Healthy Food

The breakout sessions will be followed by lunch and a presentation by Chef Cheryl Runnebaum about the Kansas City Kansas Community College's culinary arts program. Hesterman will also facilitate a discussion during lunch, and Mayor Holland will provide the closing remarks.

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