About The Library
Welcome to the Hunger Free Communities Network’s online resource library! This ever growing database serves as a one-stop shop and home base for anti-hunger organizers featuring toolkits, case studies, research, online tools, community plans and other resources generated by the Alliance to End Hunger, our national partners and hunger free community coalitions across the country.
This is a user-driven tool, so feel free to rate resources and leave a comment! Also, please submit your own resources, so we can share your good ideas with others.
How To Search The Library
- Keyword Search: To run a keyword search, simply type the word(s) or phrase(s) you’re looking for into the box on the top right of the page (e.g. USDA, child hunger) and click “submit.”
- Category Search: To run a category search, use the drop-down menus to the right of the page under the heading “Resource Library Search” to select your desired search topic(s) and click “submit”. This search will yield more results if you limit your selections to one drop-down menu (e.g. “Content Type” or “Activity”). For an explanation of the categories, please click the orange “?” symbol next to the heading for each drop-down menu.
When the search results appear, click on the title of the resource for a more detailed description of that resource. There you’ll be able to directly access the resource.
Featured Resources
The Self-Assessment Workbook (SAW): The goal of the SAW is to assist a HFC coalition in determining for itself the critical elements for effective organizational management and network functioning and to identify those areas in need of strengthening or further development. The SAW is designed to enable organizational learning, foster team sharing, and encourage reflective self-assessment within an anti-hunger coalition. It can be used for strategic planning, evaluation and building group cohesion.
The Advocacy Playbook: The Advocacy Playbook is the Alliance to End Hunger’s signature advocacy toolkit and resource. It helps make the case for why advocacy a good idea and provides guidance on how your coalition or organization can help the cause.
Toolkit for Developing and Strengthening Hunger Free Community Coalitions: This provides a step-by-step guide for building coalitions, plus it gives best practices examples from the field, ideas for implementation, and practical tools. We hope it serves as a jumping off point for your local community’s efforts to find a solution to food insecurity.
Bringing Legislators to the Table: Addressing Hunger and Nutrition in America
By National Conference of State Legislatures
State legislators are in a unique position to tackle hunger and nutrition issues from various angles. They can provide incentives for schools to institute school meal programs, create legislation that would appropriate more funds toward a WIC farmers market nutrition program, or establish an award to recognize those individuals and organizations that are champions in...
Read MoreRebuilding the American Economy–One Heirloom Tomato at a Time
By The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Rebuilding the American Economy–One Heirloom Tomato at a Time is based on a conference held by the Wilson Center in March 2011. This summarizing report was prepared to discuss both the scope of healthy/sustainable food consumption and the challenges faced by those seeking to transform the way Americans eat. Particular emphasis is placed on planning...
Read MoreSonoma County Community Food Assessment
By Sonoma County Food System Alliance
Sonoma County Community Food Assessment contains information about the existing conditions of the food system. This information will be used to help inform policy and to develop broader awareness needed to facilitate systems change. This assessment is broken down into chapters, based on the eight identified goals of the Sonoma County Food System Alliance. These goals...
Read MoreCommunity Supported Agriculture (CSA) in and around California’s Central Valley: Farm and Farmer Characteristics, Farm-Member Relationships, Economic Viability, Information Sources, and Emerging Issues
By Agricultural Sustainability Institute - University of California, Davis
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in and around California’s Central Valley: Farm and Farmer Characteristics, Farm-Member Relationships, Economic Viability, Information Sources, and Emerging Issues explores and documents the characteristics of, and innovations in, CSA production and marketing. This report is divided into seven parts. The first explores the recent expansion of CSAs. The second explains the study....
Read MoreWorkplace Community Supported Agriculture: Connecting Local Farms to Local Employers
By Center for Environmental Farming Systems
Workplace Community Supported Agriculture: Connecting Local Farms to Local Employers describes community supported agriculture (CSA), widely recognized as an effective way to build direct connections between small- and medium-sized farmers and local consumers. This guide explains the benefits and difficulties of running a CSA program and provides examples from a pilot program. This guide explains how...
Read MoreGrowing Leaders, Growing Change: Youth and Urban Agriculture
By World Hunger Year / World Hunger Year's Grassroots Action Network
Growing Leaders, Growing Change: Youth and Urban Agriculture provides a detailed, in-depth look at some of World Hunger Year’s Grassroots Action Network’s Model Programs, Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award Winners, and United States Department of Agriculture Community Food Project Grantees who are taking their programs to the next level by offering innovative urban gardening programs for...
Read MoreFood Safety and Liability Insurance: Emerging Issues for Farmers and Institutions
By Community Food Security Coalition
Food Safety and Liability Insurance: Emerging Issues for Farmers and Institutions is a report addressing critical concerns about food safety, quality control, funding and liability insurance, particularly for institutions looking to buy produce and the small-scale farmers trying to sell. It provides the history of these issues and details challenges for small or limited resource producers. This...
Read MoreReal Food, Real Choice: Connecting SNAP Recipient with Farmers Markets
By Community Food Security Coalition / Farmers Market Coalition
Real Food, Real Choice: Connecting SNAP Recipient with Farmers Markets is an in-depth study of the use of SNAP benefits at farmers markets. The report examines the issue from a variety of perspectives, including the capacity of farmers markets to operate programs to accept EBT (electronic benefits transfer) cards; the types of programs that markets...
Read MoreAre Farmers Markets a SNAP?
By Iowa Department of Human Services
Are Farmers Markets a SNAP is a powerpoint presentation describing how SNAP works in conjunction with farmers markets in Iowa. It also includes a general information that is applicable to anyone interested in how SNAP benefits can work at farmers markets. The resource outlines the Iowa model for EBT and then shifts the focus to...
Read MoreHow to Start a Farmers Market
By U.S. Department of Agriculture
How to Start a Farmers Market is a comprehensive guide for those interested in starting a farmers market in their community. It breaks down important topics to consider such as how to choose a market location, how to find farmers, how to arrange the vendor stalls, and how to create a budget. This guide also...
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