History of Community Food Systems in Pleasant Hill

In November 2015, the City of Pleasant Hill adopted a new Comprehensive Plan along with a Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan. During the public meeting and stakeholder engagement process of those plan updates, input was received that residents and business leaders in Pleasant Hill are looking to be a unique suburb of choice in the Des Moines metro. The City is working to implement the goals of those plans through new investments, programs, and initiatives.

The City of Pleasant Hill was awarded a competitive grant opportunity in the spring of 2016 for the Community Food Systems Program through Iowa State University. The program is a joint partnership between the Community Economic Development and Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension offices. The Community Food Systems program is a two-phase program that partners with communities to develop, design and enhance their local and regional food system. The program began in 2014 and is now a joint program between Iowa State University Agricultural and Natural Resources and Community and Economic Development Extension and Outreach, working in partnership with the Community Design Lab.

The City of Pleasant Hill has completed it's first year of working on coalition development, assessment of the food and health system, and will select 5 priority projects to be developed in the next two years. The coalition has quarterly meetings that are open to the public. 

For more information about the program in Pleasant Hill – contact Madeline Sturms, Community Development Director.