The Governor-appointed Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council’s charge is to advance recommendations that strengthen healthy food access for all Coloradans through Colorado agriculture and local food systems and economies.

The Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council meets quarterly. All meetings are open to the public.

COFSAC Quarter 3 Council Meeting

Thursday September 7th, 2023

11:00am-1:00pm

https://zoom.us/j/91544768490

PRE-READS 

2023 Q2 Minutes draft.docx 

Open Seat announcement.docx 

MEETING GOALS 

  • Clarify appointment process and marketing plan for new members 
  • Understand next steps for existing working groups 
  • Identify ways for COFSAC to support or signal boost agency efforts 

MEETING AGENDA – SUMMARY 

Time 

Agenda Item 

10:50-11:00am 

Arrive at meeting, 

11:00 – 11:15am 

Welcome and Roll Call (15 min) – Nicholas 

 

15 minutes with 5 minutes for questions 

Presentation from Senator Pelton 

11:35– 11:45am 

Meeting and Council Administration 

  • Approve minutes from April 2023-Ann 
  • Budget update-Libby 

11:45-12:10pm 

Sunset Review Overview-Libby 

  • Impact of SB23-159 on COFSAC appointments 
  • Marketing open positions 
  • Updating language on website and other communication materials to reflect new charge and integration of strategic plan 
  • Q&A 

12:10-12:40pm 

 

Working Group Updates 

  • Institutional Procurement- Nicholas 
  • Communications/Strategic Relations plan – Joan 
  • Food Summit (Nicholas/Liza) 

12:40-12:55pm 

State Agency Updates  

  • CDA-Hollis 
  • CDHS-Karla 
  • CDE-Krista (Justin) 
  • CDPHE-Joan 
  • OEDIT-Greg 

12:55-1:00pm 

Announcements, Public Comment, Next Meeting  

Next Council meeting in person December 7th 9am-11am CSU Spur 

4817 National Western Drive
Denver, CO 80216

The meeting will be held at CSU Spur in the Terra building, “Palisade Peach” Room

Featured panel at the 2022 Colorado Food Summit

This expert panel, featuring council member Hollis Glenn of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, provides a thoughtful overview of the different policy and program levers at the state level that shape Colorado’s food system. COFSAC was a lead organizer of the 2022 Colorado Food Summit, and our working groups lead two additional panels including “Can Policy Move at the Speed of Climate Change” and a series of sessions exploring innovations in farm to institution value chains. Learn more about the summit here.

Council Member Spotlight

Liza Marron

San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition

Representing: Expertise in rural community and regional development, or community and economic development programs

Liza is the founding director of the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition in rural southern Colorado. The San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition works to foster an equitable local food system that restores the health of the people, community, economy and ecosystem. She has been a community organizer with a focus on social justice, wellness and prevention for many years.

Marron served as the Alamosa coordinator of LiveWell Colorado’s healthy eating active living initiative from 2007 to 2013 seated at Valley Wide Health Systems, Inc. She worked with local partners to sustain the LiveWell Colorado investment in the San Luis Valley and to maintain healthy eating active living momentum through the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition.

Ms. Marron has a Master’s Degree in Community Counseling and a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish. Her skill set includes coalition building, grant writing, governance, visioning and strategic planning, non-profit management, finance, and economic development.

The major projects of the Local Foods Coalition are the Valley Roots Food Hub aggregation and distribution enterprise complete with commercial kitchen for value-added production – now a member of Tap Root Cooperative seeking to capture the front range market for rural producers; the Rio Grande Farm Park an agricultural park with a farmer incubator whose farmers have formed the Rio Grande Farm Park Farmers Cooperative, Cooking Matters teaching families to cook healthy on a budget and the San Luis Valley Farm to School Task Force.

Marron lives in Saguache Colorado with her son, their horses, dogs, cat and chickens, her garden and her bicycle.

Latest Resources

Featured panel at the 2022 Colorado Food Summit

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