REGULAR MEETING of the AUSTIN-TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD POLICY BOARD MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2025, 6:00 PM CITY OF AUSTIN PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, ROOM 1406 6310 WILHELMINA DELCO DRIVE AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Austin Travis County Food Policy Board may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Amanda Rohlich, 512-974-1364, Amanda.Rohlich@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Andrea Abel Lisa Barden, Vice-Chair Marissa Bell Mark Bethell Joi Chevalier, Chair Beth Corbett Nitza Cuevas CALL TO ORDER Board member roll call. Hilda Gutierrez Kacey Hanson Erin McDonald Natalie Poulos Matt Simon Andrew Smith AGENDA PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Regular Meeting from Monday, July 14, 2025. STAFF BRIEFING 2. Briefing on Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations, Greg McCormack, Program Manager II 3. Briefing on Austin-Travis County Food Plan Implementation, Edwin Marty, Food Policy Manager at City of Austin and Yaira Robinson, Assistant Director of Environmental Programs at Travis County DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. 5. 6. Discuss Board Member Advocacy Efforts Board discussion of Strategic Planning for next fiscal year Review Board Member Assignments DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM 7. 8. Discuss and take possible action on a City of Austin recommendation to support engaging in USDA-NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program to preserve farmland in Austin and Travis County Discuss and take possible action on a Travis County recommendation to support engaging in USDA-NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program to preserve farmland in Austin and Travis County FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Discussion and scheduling of future agenda items. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Amanda …
1. What is your idea for a project/focus area? 2. What would be the Board’s deliverable for this project? This is the thing you would like the Board to do in 2025-2026. For example, would it look like … a resolution, research, memo, Court or Council briefing or agenda request, a presentation, etc. ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 3. What resources are needed to make this project happen? 4. How does this project relate to/support the Food Plan? This could be … people, time, money, connections, etc. *Note – this refers to the resources needed to create the Board’s deliverable (not the resources to make the big dream come true). Think about which Goals, Strategies, and/or values in the Food Plan this project aligns with/supports. ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Recommendation Number: xxxxxxx: Support for engaging in USDA-NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program to preserve farmland in Austin and Travis County WHEREAS, the 2022 City of Austin State of the Food System Report indicates that less than 0.6% of the food consumed in Travis County is produced locally, and that approximately 16.8 acres of farmland are lost daily to development pressures, underscoring the critical need for dedicated agricultural land preservation efforts; and WHEREAS, land in Austin-Travis County is continuing to increase in value and decrease in quantity, the opportunity to invest in preserving a meaningful amount farmland will disappear as development spreads and land is permanently converted to other uses; and WHEREAS, agricultural lands are vital to local food security, environmental sustainability, emergency preparedness, and climate resilience; and WHEREAS, the Austin/Travis County Food Plan, approved by the Austin City Council in October 2024, includes strategic, measurable, and time-bound goals and strategies to strengthen food security, promote environmental sustainability, and address climate change; and WHEREAS, the Austin/Travis County Food Plan’s Goal 1 prioritizes expanding community food production, preserving agricultural lands, and increasing the amount of farmland dedicated to regenerative food production long-term in Austin and Travis County; and WHEREAS, Strategy 1.1 of the Food Plan calls for the preservation of land for food production in Central Texas through conservation easements, fee-simple purchases, and land-banking, ensuring that farmland remains dedicated to agricultural use; and WHEREAS, Strategy 1.2 directs the City of Austin and Travis County to pursue capital funding sources to finance the conservation of land for agricultural use through conservation easements or direct purchases; and WHEREAS, preserving agricultural land also supports the goals of the Austin Climate Equity Plan by promoting sustainable land use, strengthening local food systems, and reducing carbon footprints through localized food production; and WHEREAS, Natural Systems Goal 2 of the Austin Climate Equity Plan aims to protect 500,000 acres of farmland across the five-county region through legal conservation or regenerative agriculture programs by 2030; and WHEREAS, Link to the previous recommendation WHEREAS, farmland preservation supports multiple City priorities, including improving water quality, wildlife habitat preservation, ecosystem biodiversity, stormwater management, recreation, carbon sequestration, and food production. WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) invests in conservation easements through regional partnerships between municipal, county, and nonprofits, and land trusts using the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). WHEREAS, The Texas …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Recommendation Number: XXXXXX: Support for engaging in USDA-NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program to preserve farmland in Travis County WHEREAS, the 2022 City of Austin State of the Food System Report indicates that less than 0.6% of the food consumed in Travis County is produced locally, and that approximately 16.8 acres of farmland are lost daily to development pressures, underscoring the critical need for dedicated agricultural land preservation efforts; and WHEREAS, land in Austin-Travis County is continuing to increase in value and decrease in quantity, it is imperative to act quickly as the cost of action will only increase over time; and WHEREAS, agricultural lands are vital to local food security, environmental sustainability, emergency preparedness, and climate resilience; and WHEREAS, the Travis County Commissioners Court passed a Resolution of Support for the Austin-Travis County Food Plan on October 29, 2024, whose goals and strategies prioritize addressing local food security and environmental sustainability; and WHEREAS, the Austin/Travis County Food Plan’s Goal 1 prioritizes expanding community food production, preserving agricultural lands, and increasing the amount of farmland dedicated to regenerative food production long-term in Austin and Travis County; and WHEREAS, Strategy 1.1 of the Food Plan calls for the preservation of land for food production in Central Texas through conservation easements, fee-simple purchases, and land-banking, ensuring that farmland remains dedicated to agricultural use; and WHEREAS, Strategy 1.2 directs the City of Austin and Travis County to pursue capital funding sources to finance the conservation of land for agricultural use through conservation easements or direct purchases; and WHEREAS, Travis County has successfully managed agricultural leases on 845 acres of agricultural land through the Parks Land Stewardship Program; and WHEREAS, Travis County currently operates a Conservation Easement Program allowing landowners to preserve agricultural, natural, or cultural resources while retaining ownership of their property. This program, funded by voter-approved bond funds and supplemented by donations, has successfully preserved significant tracts of land and helps protect vital resources such as watersheds, wildlife habitats, and agricultural lands; and WHEREAS, the Conservation Easement Program has been a key tool for Travis County in its efforts to protect land from development, with more than $24.9 million approved by voters between 2011 and 2017 for the purchase of easements. The program prioritizes properties in conservation corridors and those with significant environmental or agricultural value, aligning with the broader goals of the Austin/Travis County Food …
