This introductory course is designed to provide a solid general foundation of knowledge of local food systems practice. The course will provide a history of the U.S. food system, define key terminology, and describe the benefits and challenges of local food systems.
 
You will be encouraged to learn about and reflect on what values and historical context influence local food system development in your own communities. You will be introduced to the concepts of equity in food systems, and explore how the structure of the food system affects outcomes for different communities and populations.  

Strategies for participatory food system development to affect systems change will be shared, as well as the importance of community-based leadership on local food projects. The course will help you to distinguish between government, policy, and law as it relates to local food systems, and guide you towards understanding how to best act to address structural issues in local food system development. 

This course is a prerequisite for other courses in the Overview of Local Food Systems Training Program series.

See specific content information below in the section "Learning Outcomes" section.