City commissioners agreed to lend their support to a grant application to improve the community’s access to healthy foods.

Douglas County Community Foundation and Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department are working to submit a planning grant application to the Kansas Health Foundation’s Access to Healthy Foods Initiative.

Commissioners also were told that the Douglas County Food Policy Council also likely will approach the city about participating in a program to make public lands more accessible to community fruit and vegetable farmers.

The council is looking at ways that vacant lands currently owned by the city and the county could be leased to vegetable or fruit farmers. Eileen Horn, the city/county sustainability coordinator, said the idea has worked in other communities. She said the project might benefit young farmers who can’t afford the land prices in rural Douglas County or it might assist existing growers who are looking to expand.

Commissioners were told to expect a formal proposal in the future.