The FAIRNESS & JUSTICE
Working Group
What we do
The Wyoming Food Coalition aims to strengthen local food systems by connecting stakeholders and amplifying their voices so that Wyoming producers, eaters, and environments thrive. The Coalition’s Fairness & Justice working group is especially focused on supporting people who currently struggle to thrive. For example, this includes families who aren’t always sure they will have enough good food to eat, those who labor in the food system but don’t earn enough to live on, or those whose work puts their health at risk.
Our working group, and the associated Wyoming Food Justice Coalition, connects people and organizations who are working to build just and equitable food systems in communities across Wyoming.
Examples of our projects
Our projects, often in collaboration with other WFC and working groups, include:
- Assessing benefits and costs of Wyoming becoming a participant in the federal Farmers Market Promotion Programs.
- Scoping how to expand SNAP enrollment outreach programs across the state. (Wyoming has the nation’s lowest SNAP participation rate among those eligible).
- Reviewing challenges that imposing a sales tax on groceries would create for food insecure families and local producers who sell directly to eaters.
- Conducting pilot studies and applying for funding to support and evaluate programs such as subsidized community-supported agriculture boxes and farmers market coupons for families struggling with low incomes.
Experience
Collectively, the Fairness & Justice working group members bring 100 years of food system experience to this work as farmers, ranchers, community organizers, action researchers, gardeners, organization founders, chefs and cooks, farmers market managers, and educators.
Meet the Working Group
Christine Porter, University of Wyoming (Chair)
Cassandra Baker, Wyoming Food for Thought Project
Erin Galloway, Edible Prairie Project
Hank Herrera, Center for Popular Research, Education, and Policy
Livy Lewis, Center for Popular Research, Education, and Policy
Kelly Pingree, Cent$ible Nutrition
Jamie Purcell, Wyoming Food for Thought Project
Megan Taylor, Edible Prairie Project
Alyssa Wechsler, University of Wyoming