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<p>Goal 1. Establish a food-enterprise nonprofit community development corporation. </p>
<p>Objective 1.1 Create an Oklahoma nonprofit corporation and pursue IRS nonprofit designation. </p>
<p>Objective 1.2 Develop a 5-year strategic plan to guide the development of TUFEED Corp. Objective 1.3. Explore options to become the manager of Pearl Farmers Market. </p>
<p>Goal 2. Conduct a comprehensive study of food enterprise initiatives to assess their potential for future implementation within the metro Tulsa area . </p>
<p>Objective 2.1 Develop a generalized environmental scan and feasibility study for each of the following potential community food enterprises: Community kitchens to conduct community kitchen activities such as group cooking, demonstration cooking lessons, canning parties, etc.; a training kitchen to teach professional chef skills and food processing techniques; A business incubator for caterers and value-added food producer entrepreneurs; a commercial kitchen equipped to function as a bakery; a commercial kitchen certified to conduct meat processing; an agricultural processing center and packing plant; a mobile food truck vending enterprise, a mobile grocery truck to sell healthy raw foods and prepared foods to low-income individuals living in food deserts; a food hub food warehouse and distribution center; expanded urban market gardens/farms; continued development of the emerging Oklahoma healthy corner store initiative. </p>
<p>Objective 2.2 Explore opportunities to secure supportive resources to support the development and operation of new food enterprise ventures: explore opportunities to develop strategic alliances with food bank, culinary, horticulture and agricultural education and job/career training programs/institutions; research local resource development opportunities. </p>
<p>Goal 3. Conduct ongoing food advocacy and community inter-agency networking to reduce hunger, reduce health and food inequities and to increase access to affordable, locally grown/produced foods. </p>
<p>Objective 3.1 Facilitate the ongoing meetings of the Tulsa Food Security Council and attend other food/nutrition policy groups. </p>
<p>Objective 3.2 Establish a Planning Team to serve as the Advisory Committee for the proposed TUFEED Corporation. </p>
<p>Objective 3.3 Conduct community outreach and engagement with low income residents to be served by the TUFEED project. </p>
<p>1) local community market research findings; </p>
<p>2) industry research findings; and </p>
<p>3) regulatory research findings. </p>
<p>Project Outputs will include: Short Term Outcomes to include: identification of business opportunities for next stage development; and the establishment of an active TUFEED community planning team. Long Term</p>
<p>Outcomes for the project are expected to include establishment of and new community development corporation (CDC) that will be a food enterprise mission-focused organization able to pursue the future implementation of community development projects that: Increase access to healthy and affordable, locally grown/produced food; promote economic development - minority business development, neighborhood revitalization; employ low income residents living in food desert; and improve the health of the community</p>
<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:<br/> Tulsa is home to a disproportionate number of low-income, multicultural individuals who are plagued by food insecurity, obesity and increased rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Many residents live in "food deserts" where they have extremely limited access to healthy food. The 2006 Lewin report, Strategic Planning for Safety-Net Services found the predominantly Black residents of Tulsa north die 14 years earlier than individuals living in affluent south Tulsa. The December 2007 report (OTFH) found that Oklahoma is one of the hungriest states in America. The threat of hunger is especially prevalent among children, as more than one in every five Oklahoma children lives in a "food insecure" household. Due to their special needs, seniors and disabled individuals are also at a disproportionate risk of going hungry in Oklahoma. A 2010 USDA
Report on Food Security reported Oklahoma is the tied as is the 5th most food insecure state in the nation. In the 2010 Kids Count report (Anne Casey Foundation), Oklahoma ranked 44th among states in child-well being continuing a downward trend. In 2010 the Trust for America's Health ranked Oklahoma's adult obesity rate as being the 6th highest in the nation. Oklahoma adults were ranked as a tie for having the highest rate of physical inactivity and the lowest rate of fruit and vegetable consumption. The Oklahoma Health Improvement Plan (January 2011) notes that 31 percent of Oklahoma youth are either overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. The lack of financial resources for adequate food budgets makes it difficult for families to obtain nutritious food on a consistent basis. Among Oklahoma households living below the poverty line, 36.3% are classified as "food insecure" and 14.8%
experience hunger; and in households with income at or below 185% of the federal poverty line, 27.3% are classified as "food insecure" and 10.7% experience hunger. The percent of children in poverty in Tulsa has increased from 19% in 2000 to 23% in 2008 or a 21% increase compared to 6% nationwide. The proposed CFP planning project is expected to create the following sustainability outcomes which will facilitate next stage, future food enterprise development: Low-income resident community buy-in support for a local strategic food enterprise economic development plan; a stronger more effective food policy council. Market research will identify potential business opportunities; industry research will identify potential business opportunities for business start-ups and projected operational requirements for an array of potential food enterprise projects. An extensive library of food
enterprise research materials will be expanded as a result of the planning grant; a general feasibility analysis will identify potential barriers, including regulatory health and food safety requirements, as well as potential opportunities; potential strategic alliances will be explored. A food hub could be organized as an agricultural cooperative. Food truck and mobile grocery truck ventures could operate as for-profit business with the benefit of technical assistance and business financing provided by TEDC/TUFEED.
<p>APPROACH:<br/> The evaluation team will apply an integrated approach to evaluation through the use of a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. These methods will determine both process and outcome data. The process evaluation component will be used to assess how well the project objectives are addressed and to provide feedback in a manner that allows for timely problem identification and correction. By feeding back findings and observations to project staff, the processes involved in attaining objectives will be improved, through the use of activity reports, community surveys and follow-up activities to measure processes. These tools will provide project staff and the TUFEED board with valuable, culturally competent and timely information to guide activities. The project staff will prepare quarterly progress reports to track program progress made towards
attaining the project goals and objectives and as appropriate, initiate appropriate problem-solving measures to resolve identified problems, barriers or constraints. The outcome evaluation will examine the extent to which the project goal and objectives are being reached. Although objective evaluation instruments and procedures (e.g., rating scales, standardized coding) are preferred, qualitative data and narrative interpretation will also be used as appropriate. Documentation of the processes of collaboration and group consensus decision-making may include checklists, analysis of meeting process notes, analysis of administrative documents, or interviews of key informants with structured or semi-structured interviews. Satisfaction surveys will be administered to gain participant feedback at the TUFEED Planning Team and at community meetings. Documentation of the processes of
collaboration and consensus decision-making may include minutes, checklists, analysis of meeting process notes, analysis of administrative documents, or interviews of key informants with structured or semi-structured interviews. Key project products which will be tracked will include the organizational research to guide the development of TUFEED Corporation, research findings, market research findings, industry research findings, food regulatory research findings, environmental scan findings and feasibility studies for the continuum of potential food enterprise projects detailed in Detailed minutes will be maintained Tulsa Food Security Council (TFSC) and the TUFEED planning team meetings.
<p>PROGRESS: 2012/09 TO 2013/08<br/>Target Audience: Low income residents living in food deserts, farmers, retailers, universities, students, health care organizations, consumers, distributors, municipalities, foundations, non-profits, chefs, state agencies. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? We have worked extensively with students to provide class projects and intern opportunities including Oklahoma State University, University of Oklahoma, Langston University, Tulsa University, and McLain High School. Students have assisted with surveys, compainion programs, marketing, social work, economic development, GIS mapping, and volunteering at events. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Reports are shared with partners through written reports and through
presentations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported