About the Howard County Food Council
The Howard County Food Council is led by the Howard County Health Department and the University of Maryland, Extension - Howard County. It was established in 2025 to address upstream root causes of food and nutrition insecurity in Howard County through policy solutions and to coordinate existing resources and providers to improve efficiency and ensure access.
Food Council Administrator: Yekatit Bezooayehu, MS, CHES®
MISSION
The Council works to promote food security in Howard County by bringing together multi-sector partners to advance equitable and sustainable systems-level solutions.
VISION
A County where all neighbors have reliable access to education, healthy and nutritious food that honors their cultural traditions while empowering individuals with choice and autonomy for generations to come.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Advocacy: Working towards advancing policies that positively impact systems change.
Collaboration: Foster partnerships across various sectors of the food system to advance and support impactful and sustainable solutions.
Equity: Ensure solutions are tailored to neighbors facing barriers to accessing healthy foods.
Inclusive: Uplift the perspectives of those experiencing food insecurity while incorporating diverse partners to ensure equitable and representative participation in the Food Council.
Innovation: Learn, adapt, and implement creative solutions to address food access..
Integrity: Engage with honesty, transparency, and accountability to guide advocacy and commitment to action.
BY-LAWS
Reports
RESOURCES
Howard County Food Connection Map: An an interactive tool to help you find low-cost, accessible food and nutrition resources
Food & Nutrition Resources: Food Pantries & Hot Meals Brochures and Nutrition Resources
University of Maryland Extension Food Access Resources: List of food resources for the state of Maryland, including emergency help, government resources, information from University of Maryland, and county resources including local food pantries and charity organizations.
Meeting Documents
Quarterly meeting documents of the Howard County Food Council are found below.
Howard County Food Council Meeting (2.11.2026)
Howard County Food Council Meeting (11.13.2025)
