Local Foods, Local Places built on the local food efforts already underway in the community. In December 2014, Liberty Merrill of YNDC told local television station WKBN27 News, “Local food is great because food really brings people together. It’s really about sharing food with people, about your family and all those things. It’s really something that everybody can support.” After attending the Local Foods, Local Places workshop, Steve Cerny, Senior Policy Advisor from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), said, “I was very impressed by the team of local organizations assembled. The team is both highly sophisticated and motivated and is very experienced and able as well. This bodes well for the success of Youngstown’s [local food] initiative.” Following the workshop, YNDC received a customized report outlining steps it could take to achieve local objectives based on community input during the workshop.

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) in Youngstown, Ohio, requested assistance from the Local Foods, Local Places program. On April 23-24, 2015, a team of agricultural, transportation, environmental, public health, and regional economic experts visited Youngstown to work with residents and local food groups to explore strategies to support local foods and community revitalization. By coupling local food production with smart growth strategies, communities can create vibrant places while protecting people’s health and the natural environment. EPA’s Smart Growth Program has tools, publications, and technical assistance to help communities achieve these goals.