HEALthy Edgewater: Improving Access to Healthy Food

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From HEALthy Edgewater:

Have you heard about HEALthy Edgewater? It’s a new initiative formed out of the City’s recent adoption of a resolution that makes Edgewater a Healthy Eating Active Living community through the HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign sponsored by LiveWell Colorado. In other words, the City of Edgewater has made a commitment to providing opportunities for Edgewater residents to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. One of the key focus areas of HEALthy Edgewater is looking at ways to increase residents’ access to healthy food. Our seasonal Farmers Market provides ways to achieve that goal and holds great potential for increased healthy food access opportunities.

On July 16, City Council will workshop a concept that has been discussed among members of the HEAlthy Edgewater Advisory Council which includes looking at using the Colorado Cottage Foods Act as a foundation for home gardeners and other artisans who grow and prepare food at home to sell their shares and/or products at the Farmers Market. The Colorado Cottage Foods Act became law in 2012 and allows individuals to sell certain types of “cottage food” products in unlicensed home kitchens (i.e. home grown produce, eggs, spices and certain baked goods). Cottage food operations require no license but do have a net sales limit. City council will discuss ideas for how a local ordinance in Edgewater could align with the state law so that home grown produce could be sold and shared in Edgewater and ultimately at the seasonal Farmers Market. “We are excited about this concept, as it creates another channel for healthy food to be accessed by residents, said Lee Stiffler-Meyer, HEALthy Edgewater Advisory Committee Chair.” For hobbyist home gardeners, it could also be financially advantageous – making a little profit on something that you love to do is a win win for the home gardener and the community at large.”

If you are a home gardener and are interested in this concept, consider attending the City Council Workshop following the business meeting on Thursday, July 16.

You can also like the HEALthy Edgewater Facebook page and stay informed about this exciting initiative.

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