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The Reinvestment Fund’s Michael Norton talks about the interest in supporting local food system investments and data needed to inform such decisions from the health and economic development sectors, during the Local Food Impacts Conference, Monday, April 3, 2017, at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington DC. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), in partnership with GWU hosts the Local Food Impacts Conference. Congressionally authorized grant and loan programs to support local food systems have expanded in recent years. Quantifying and evaluating the impacts of these programs is critical. Attendees can explore how to best measure the impacts of local food investments, improve coordination across USDA agencies, and evaluate the extent to which disparate local food investments are complementary and reinforcing. Beyond metrics, this conference provides an opportunity to share local food stories with new stakeholders. For more information, please see localfoodsimpact.org/. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.