Cass Clay Food Partners: A networked response to COVID-19

Noelle Harden; Bob Bertsch; Kayla Carlson; Megan Myrdal; Irena  Bobicic; Abby Gold; Kim Lipetzky; Tim Hiller

doi:10.5304/jafscd.2021.102.050

Authors

Noelle Harden University of Minnesota Extension
Bob Bertsch North Dakota State University
Kayla Carlson North Dakota State University Extension
Megan Myrdal Food of the North https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9735-2990
Irena Bobicic North Dakota State University Extension
Abby Gold University of Minnesota Extension https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5966-4440
Kim Lipetzky Fargo Cass Public Health
Tim Hiller Concordia College

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.102.050

Keywords:

Food Network, Food Policy Council, Food Governance, Urban Agriculture Ordinance, COVID-19, Pandemic

Abstract

The Cass Clay Food Partners is a network of professionals, stakeholders, and residents serving Cass County, North Dakota, and Clay County, Minnesota, in creating a healthier, more just local food system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cass Clay Food Partners quickly implemented a multipronged response that leveraged three critical assets of our network: (1) our unique structure, (2) our nuanced understanding of the social ties across overlapping networks, and (3) our ability to quickly pivot our work to address community needs. In this paper, we describe how our network responded to both the challenges and opportunities presented to our food system by the COVID-19 crisis. We also provide tools and recommendations for other food policy and food network practitioners.