Blog
The Scoop - Fall 2026: County Updates
The GPFAP evaluation is now underway, and several pieces of our work are moving forward alongside it. A new City + County Food Systems map is now available, giving residents and partners a clearer picture of the food landscape across Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. We also received a Growing Justice grant that will expand Good Food Purchasing work at Pittsburgh Public Schools and across the County. And we held our first quarterly meeting with the County Executive’s Office, where we discussed how to better coordinate food systems work and expand funding for food justice.
The Scoop - Fall 2026: Working Group Updates
Our committees have been busy this season, and there’s a lot to catch up on. In this post, we look at the second Good Food Purchasing assessment at Pittsburgh Public Schools, new opportunities for growers to access land, and community composting events and advocacy. We also share how the County Food Justice Committee is shaping priorities for County government, along with a few other updates from across our work.
The Scoop - Fall 2026: City Updates
PFPC recently met with the Mayor’s Office to advance our food systems priorities, and we’re excited to share what came out of those conversations. In this post, we recap our introductory meeting with the new Mayoral Administration, where we began building a working relationship around shared goals. We also revisit our September discussion on composting, including how the City plans to turn its existing efforts into concrete action. Finally, we look ahead to our December meeting and the topics on the docket.
A Record-Breaking Year for the Urban Growers Scholarship Fund: Urban Farm Tour 2026
On September 19th, neighbors from across Pittsburgh set out on a self-guided journey through the city's urban farms. They met the growers, walked the beds, and saw how these small plots are changing the way our city eats, learns, and lives. Together, they also raised more for the Urban Growers Scholarship Fund than at any previous Urban Farm Tour, a total of $8,000.
Food Systems Forward: 2026 Regional Food Systems Summit
In June of 2026, the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council brought together community members, farmers, organizational leaders, businesses, and policymakers from across the region for our Food Systems Summit. This year's theme, Food Systems Forward, was a chance to look back at the progress made through the Greater Pittsburgh Food Action Plan and look ahead at what comes next.
What’s Next for Pittsburgh's Open Space Programs
Over the past decade, the city has built programs that let residents, community groups, and local organizations activate Pittsburgh’s green spaces, growing food, creating public art, hosting events, and stewarding the corridors that connect our neighborhoods. Now, three of those programs are up for review, and the City Council wants to hear from you before a vote on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
What the Farm Bill Doesn't Fix and Why that Matters
The proposed Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 moves forward without reversing $187 billion in SNAP cuts that are already impacting families across the country.
The Keystone Fresh Farm to School Nutrition Act (HB 1768)
Pennsylvania schools serve more than 168 million lunches every year. That's an enormous amount of food, and right now most of it isn't coming from Pennsylvania farms. HB 1768 aims to change that by creating a grant program that helps schools buy more food from local farmers. This means fresher meals for kids, more business for local growers, and food dollars that stay right here in our communities.
Unearthing Inequities: A Review of Black Food Geographies
In recent years, Black scholars and activists have re-imagined the word “food desert” and its meaning within a structure that flattens and strips the experiences of Black people in America. From this re-imagining, the term “food apartheid” was created by Karen Washington – borrowing part of its name from the political, racial, social, and economic separation and subjugation of Black South Africans.