Co-Chairs:
- Angela Chester-Johnson, Plum Good
- Natalia Kalloo, Trini Vybez
- Tariq Sheriff, Office of the Deputy Mayor of Planning & Economic Development
- Chellee Walker, Department of Small & Local Business Development
- Emir Gur-Ravantab, Department of Licensing & Consumer Protection
Accomplishments:
Training on BEST ACT in 2025: In 2025, both DLCP and DC Health made significant changes based on two new pieces of legislation — the 2022 Business & Entrepreneurship Support to Thrive (BEST) Act and the Street Vendor Modernization Act of 2023. Food Policy hosted a training in October 2025 to hear from both agencies about new licensing processes. Watch the recording to learn more here.
Farmers Market Resources: Including guidance on how to start a farmers market
Make Food Work: A Strategy to Strengthen the DC Food Workforce (January 2020, with workforce development updates in 2025) creates a road map for improving job quality and expanding career pathways within the District’s food workforce. Created with support from Kaiser Permanente, the report is a collaborative effort of the DC Food Policy Council, DC Office of Planning, Workforce Investment Council (WIC) and Department of Employment Services (DOES) with input from workforce training providers, businesses, and community organizations.
Food Economy Study (September 2019) — The Food Economy Study is an analysis of the economic, employment, and fiscal impact of the District’s local food economy. The study examines various sectors of the local food economy including food production, grocery stores, restaurants and bars, and wholesaling and distribution and then provides recommendations to support and grow the local food economy. View the one pager on the Food Economy Study here.
Other Resources:
Funding for Nonprofits and Small Food Businesses
DC Health Cottage Food regulations: DC Health released the final cottage food regulations in September 2017, which include a list of what non-hazardous foods can be prepared by cottage food producers and where sales can take place. The Cottage Food Expansion Act has passed first reading with DC Council. See this FPC Fact Sheet (2017) on DC cottage food regulations.