Food Policy Board seeks input as it readies strategic plan; may ask for farmland‑preservation funding in 2026 bond

Andy Smith, representing the Austin‑Travis County Food Policy Board, told the Joint Sustainability Committee that the board will hold annual strategic planning in mid‑September and invited input from JSC members on priorities. "If there are any kind of particular areas that you think would be interesting for our board to give particular attention to, please reach out to me and let me know," Smith said.

Smith said the board will consider recommending that funding for farmland preservation be included in the 2026 bond package and is exploring how farmland protection, local food production and supply‑chain improvements intersect with watershed protection, carbon sequestration and resilience goals. He noted that the food plan adopted by council last year provides a road map but has seen limited dedicated funding to date.

Committee members recalled prior JSC work on connecting local producers to institutions and on assessing supply‑chain gaps for school food procurement. Several members suggested coordinating working groups to update inventories of local farms and distribution capacity to inform bond recommendations and program design.

Smith said the Food Policy Board would return with outcomes from strategic planning and welcomed JSC working‑group participation and cross‑board collaboration.