February 24, 2009 HFSC meeting minutes
Present:
Linda Kingery - Northwest Sustainable Regional Partnership
Reed Olsen - Wild Hare Bistro
Dennis Montgomery - Harmony Foods
Greg Chesters – Annishinabe Bison Project
Susanne Rabel – U of M Nutrition Education Program
Joanne Mulbah – MN Chippewa Tribe Nutrition Education Program
Eric Medberry - BSU
Marti Lundin - BWELL
Kyra Busch – White Earth Land Recovery Project
Introductions:
Affirmation and appreciation for Bob Shimek. Discussion about his instrumental role in the creation of the council. Hoping he'll join as a member of the community because he was such a key member of the council. Regional Partnerships have utilized his expertise and networking skills for years. Offer up appreciation of him as a resource and inspiration to activism in the region.
Revision of Agenda to reflect new developments:
Discussion: Where to go now via infrastructure in light of Bob's absence. (All in agreement that we should continue the work of the council.) Also, what is IEN's role on the council now that Bob is not acting as a representative of IEN?
IEN's role: They lack the staffing/funding to send a representative to each meeting, but they are writing the council into a potential grant as a partial fiscal agent to our work (to be supplemented by other fiscal agencies.) Their role is to influence and encourage native participation and perspective into the work done by the council, as well as to support the work of creating accessible local foods to the region as a whole. They support the idea of the council as an autonomous community entity.
Q: who is our key point person now that Bob has stepped down?
A: Lisa W. will act as information point person; Linda (at present, the HFSC Co-Chair) will act as interim 'coordinator' and facilitator. Monday, May 4th is our Strategic Planning Meeting; therefore we’ve given ourselves until the August full council meeting as a deadline to decide Chair/Co-chair responsibilities.
Let’s assess where we’re currently at:
Partners:
IEN
Harmony Foods
BWELL
BSU (Geography and Business Departments)
MN Chippewa Tribe Nutrition Education
Leech Lake Special Diabetes Program
U of M Nutrition Education Program
U of M Extension and Regional Partnerships
WELRP
Network for Native Futures
Wild Hare Bistro
Any others???
Next: How can each partner pick up a piece of the organizational effort?
Discussion: How can the various orgs around the table strengthen the work being done on creating this food system?
Work Groups: Tie together overlapping objectives of several partners. Organizations that make up HFSC can provide leadership and organization in carrying work on and objectives forward; write council into grant proposals to act as one (of many) fiscal agents.
Working Groups:
*Retail working group: Reed Olsen, Terry Nennich, and Lisa Weiskopf. Objectives: to streamline local foods into local retailers in target region. Organize growers into a 'growers alliance' in order to initiate a regional branding program. (Starting small, maybe 5% and working up). Work done: meet and greet w/ farmers and buyers. i.e. Buyer/Seller Workshop at BSU: 30 growers, 5 or 6 buyers. Well attended, good information, good networking. A way of using existing resources (MN Grown, Renewing the Countryside) to reach objectives.
Other tools: U of M's Local Foods Website.
Q: what is the scale of the growers on the local foods database? (
A: whoever has enough to sell off the farm to consumers, etc.
Q: what is the area covered by the local foods website?
A: mostly north central and north west
Q: potential for using the website as a 'craigs list' type of situation? (for one time sales, etc.)
A: yes. Adding this concept to the site this semester. This way many growers can access the resource (no matter the scale).
Dennis: in regards community website project: can we put a link to the Headwaters Food Sovereignty page on KAXE's community website?
Also on localfoods website: “experts link”: use for resources on all sorts of topics.
*Economic and Health Work group: Bob (formerly), Marti, and Roxanne. affect health outcomes more accessible to low income groups. Work Done: organizing a seminar on using local foods to affect diabetes and obesity. (Educate the educators on using local foods.) Location: originally, Meritcare. Many obstacles to this seminar: no bringing in outside food. Then, Meritcare had double-booked for the time and day. Lastly, Bob's resignation forced the meeting to be postponed. Great seminar planned w/ excellent speakers. Postponed and will be rescheduled.
*Policy Group: Linda Kingery, Greg Chesters, Winona LaDuke (as resource)
Organizing a webinar (hosted at BSU) for the Home Grown Economy Conference hosted throughout state. Collin Peterson will talk about Local Foods provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill. Many experts and presenters talking about using local foods as an economic development strategy, focus on local foods programs, etc. (Friday, April 17th)
Group Objectives: to get policies from schools (and other institutions) to include local foods.
*Pilot Programs: Jody Devault, Shannon Murray
Working on: farm to school policies and programs, and community gardening
*Food System Research: Linda and Terry.
Working on: season extension & high tunnels (@300 tunnels statewide currently)
*Strategic Planning Work group: to be created after our May meeting with the consultant from Central Regional Partnerships.
(See attachment for full working group layout and description)
Discussion:
Indigenous Farming Conference: Focus on Tribes adopting independent food codes via: Tribal Food Policy Proposal.
Action:
Kyra will send out to listseve. “Movement is afloat...”
Announcements:
Thursday, March 12th 7 – 9 p.m. Beltrami Electric in Bemidji: Growing Power representative to speak to HFSC and others about local foods organizing. (Will send further information.)
Friday, March 27th Meet at Bug school, tour of Pine Point School
Friday, April 17th Home Grown Economy webinar at BSU
Monday, May 4th Strategic Planning Meeting w/ consultant
Next Meeting: Monday, March 23rd3 p.m. At Bemidji Public Library