EAT Local News and Events

EAT minutes June 2009

EAT Minutes June 2009

 

June 24, 2009 at 12:30 pm, Van Tassel Lounge, Wenatchee Valley College

The monthly meeting facilitated by Joan Qazi began at 12:30pm and ended at 2:03 pm.  Next meeting is Wednesday July 29th from 6:30pm to 8pm.  We are wanting an outdoor potluck meeting location.  Please let Joan know if you have space or an idea.

 

Members Present: Kim Langston, Michel Wiman, Sandi Bammer, Mike Brogan,

Allison Neher, Jim Allyn, and Joan Qazi.

 

Dates to Watch For:

• Sunday July 26^th  Local Farm Celebration:  Delicious dinner prepared by some of our favorite chefs to showcase Sunshine Farm produce with Guy and Rachel Evans.  Location: Chateau Faire Le Pont with wine reception starting at 6pm.  Tickets still available at Farmhouse Table, La Bonne Terre, Kitchen Sync…
• Thursday Leavenworth Market:  Amy Simonson would like to find people interested in helping in her pizza booth.
• Local Food Fridays to start sometime in late July
• Chelan County Fair: September 3 – 6, 2009.  EAT will need volunteers to help with the booth that we share with Cascade Foothills Farmland Association.  EAT is also invited to join the Leavenworth Community Farmers Market at the fair. 
• Taste of the Harvet: Saturday, September 19, 2009, Downtown Wenatchee.   EAT will have a booth and plans to show a video and have an interactive game.  One suggestion is to have butcher paper where people can draw their favorite fruit or vegetable. The guess the mystery vegetable was a hit last year.  Please share your ideas for kids and teenagers to connect with food at the booth.

 

Treasurer’s Report: Current balance is $1,424.26.

 

Announcements:

• Heifer closed the Pacific Northwest regional office so EAT has lost a valuable partner in its community-based just food systems efforts.  Angela was able to attend the ‘office closing’ lunch in Ellensburg to thank Colleen and Claudia for all their help over the years.  Colleen has also donated some supplies to the new Sustainability Center offices.  Thanks Colleen and Claudia!

 

Committee Reports:

• Community Garden Committee: 

Plans are well underway for a pea-patch style community garden at Wenatchee Community Center.  Funding did come in from The Community Foundation.   Most work parties will start in late August.  Plans include keystone-raised beds.  Partners include the Parks Department.  The aim is to engage the surrounding community, which is multi-cultural.  EAT has been asked to help with volunteer labor and consulting for problem solving.

Mike Brogan’s community garden is alsocoming along, lots happening.  Goats clearing out weeds, cover crops going in and lots of tomato plants. 

·         Leadership Group:  We now have a laptop for the group to use to take minutes.  Joan will bring it to our meetings for a volunteer to record minutes so that we can continue to post them on the website as we look for a more permanent secretary.

• Farm to Table:  EAT’s concept paper was invited to apply for the full Specialty Crop grant.  Full application due July 13^th.  The farm-to-table project that we proposed has three objectives:  consumer awareness campaign; farm to table workshops and printed directory to link buyers and producers; increase demand through schoolyard gardens and farm-to-school assessment.  WSDA has asked us to consider partnering with four Western WA organizations: Cascade Harvest Coalition, Chef-Connect (Seattle Chapter), Northwest Agriculture Business Resource, and Sustainable Connections in Whatcom County. Discussion of who to ask to write a letter of support.
• Edible Schoolyards:  Foothills needs help with pruning the tomatoes. Mike Brogan volunteered to do this.  We still need to be vigilant about deadly nightshade there and there’s plenty of purslane.  EAT applied for a Community Foundation grant in mid-June to produce the schoolyard garden video with Oly Mingo donating the filming time.  EAT has been asked to attend a ‘site visit’ to answer questions from Community Foundation on July 29. All school garden committee members are asked to attend.
• Community Food Assessment (CFA):  Executive report release has been postponed, it may be available for our July meeting.  Please give feedback when you have an opportunity to review the maps that Joan sent out via email.
• EAT Calendar:  Please remember to send high-resolution photos of your favorite fruit, vegetable, farm or farmer to Michel Wiman ((JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) for our 2010 calendar.

 

Follow-up on Topic(s) that were discussed in this meeting:

• Site visit results from Community Foundation grant for school garden video
• CFA report release; CFA maps review
Farmers markets, fairs, festival booth sign-ups

 

Committee Sign-up:

• Leadership Committee:  Convener Joan Qazi; Treasurer Rich Colson; Secretary open position, rotating minute taker (please consider helping with this for one term); Webmaster Ben fields; Media/Communications Kim Langston; Fundraising Vaishali Bhide; Calendar Michel Wiman; Directory Amy Simonson.