EAT minutes March 2009
EAT Minutes March 2009
March 25, 2009 at 6:30 pm, Wenatchee World conference rm
The meeting began at 6:30pm and concluded at 8:15pm. Next meeting is April 29, 2009 from 12:30pm to 2pm at the Sleep Center in Wenatchee between Springwater and 9th on Miller street.
Members Present: Rich Colson, Joan Qazi, Kim Lohse, Michel Wiman, Colleen Donovan, Mike Brogan, Tony Davis, Amy Simonson, Sherri Schneider, Katie MacDonald, Suzanne, Sandi Bammer, and Allison Neher
Dates to Watch For:
· March 27, 2009: “With Respect to Farming” documentary by Terry Hunt a look at sustainable agriculture in the Methow Valley. Free Film showing of Icicle Film/Photo Prize at the Performing Arts Center in Wenatchee at 7pm.
· March 31, 2009: Wenatchee Community Center community garden walk through from 1pm to 2pm.
· April 13, 2009: Terry’s Berries Farm Walk, more information from Michel Wiman.
· April 15, 2009: Gardening With Nature in Mind: Sustainable Landscaping CDLT Greening Your Backyard Series, Chelan County PUD Auditorium, 7pm to 9pm.
· April 26, 2009: Earth Day Community Fair, Lion’s Park Leavenworth, 12 to 4pm.
· April 28, 2009: Leavenworth Community Farmers Market showcase of local farmers. Will be having farmers market in Lion’s Park on Thursdays 4pm to 8pm.
Treasurer’s Report: $1515.12 is the current balance. $24 invoice for Pretiolas for calendar is still outstanding. $75 needs to be paid to the Museum for EAT sponsorship of the Good Food film. $187 in cash box.
New Thoughts and Reminders:
· New building: Community Farm Connections and Initiative for Rural Innovation and Stewardship is renovating and moving into the old El Mundo building on Mission Street. EAT volunteers, Rich Colson and others are helping in the renovations. EAT will have access to deskspace in the new building, for resources and volunteers.
· EAT Seasonally calendars: Still available for sale at the Fishbowl Café at Rocky Reach Dam. Others were sold or complimentary copies for EAT promotions.
· Website: New look to the eatncw.org website where you can find the minutes posted and search for local food. Soon to updated further with a clickable local foods map.
· Farm to Table Directory: Almost out of first printing copies so second printing is in the works. Amy suggested wholesaling them to retailers for $3.50 and then having them for sale to the general public for $5 each to cover our costs. Discussion ensued about offering ad space to those included in the directory or printing it as an insert in the newspaper. Whatcom County charges producers to be in their directory.
· Seasonal Kitchen: New catering business by Amy Simonson and Tony Davis intending to host local food dinners in Wenatchee and on-farm meals highlighting particular seasonal dishes or a particular farm. These would be sit-down three course meals prepared in the commercial kitchen. Would like to host first dinner in April so if you know of a business, service agency, or non-profit group planning a dinner meeting, please contact Amy or Tony right away. EAT’s local food lunch that releases the CFA report to city and county leaders would be another likely client.
Colleen suggested blowing up the CFA maps to poster size for the meeting.
· Buy Local campaign: Sherri, Fran, Joan and Nancy attended the Sustainable Connections meeting about how to start a buy local campaign. Discussion about whether we would want to start such a campaign and how to do so. Allison suggested bumper stickers, PSAs and Public Awareness campaign to build support are a good way to start. Sherri said that Rufus Woods has offered his design staff to start a buy local brand. Colleen cautioned that clarification of where the local food movement groups are in relation to each other so that the buy local food campaign wouldn’t be confused with EAT local as a community food group. One message, one logo best.
· CFSC Farm to Cafeteria conference: Thanks to Heifer International, two EAT members were able to attend this national conference in Portland with the focus on farm to school programs. Joan reported on the school garden workshops and the importance of a paid coordinator position for longterm sustainability, could be VISTA volunteer or PTA sponsored. Other partnerships with FFA or 4H, Master Gardeners, even Waste Management have been valuable elsewhere. Do we want to try to hire a VISTA volunteer, have a school garden blogspot, host a half-day school garden workshop in early summer? Making the school cafeteria connection is also very important. Wenatchee schools have kitchens but Leavenworth schools do not. We might want to survey food service directors to reveal obstacles to using local foods and to find out about partnering with home economic programs, etc. Allison reported on the fact-based claims for farm to school workshop and how rural communities are well-positioned for farm to school. Colleen talked about the Western regional meeting and the success of Montana’s farm to school programs.
A report from the conference attendees is intended to be posted on the website.
· Earth Day activities: Watch the EAT website calendar for Earth Day activities around the region. Wenatchee Valley Mall is having a Green Day event and wants CFC and perhaps EAT to be represented. Contact Joan or Sherri if you’d like to staff this event. Downtown Association would also like us at their Harvest Festival in September and we will have a booth with CFFA again at the Chelan County Fair
· Great Harvest Bakery: Locally-owned franchise using MT wheat and owner is Farmhouse Table CSA member so wants to do some produce pairings with baked goods. Kim Lohse suggested trying to engage with these kinds of potential buyers.
· Wenatchee Valley Farmers Market: Joan met with market manager and board president who would like to find common ground based on our food security advocacy and helping low income populations access to local foods. Also would like EAT to have an educational booth at the Farmers Market in the summer.
Committee Reports
· School Gardens: Joan reported that Orchard Middle School is planning on starting a small raised bed garden. Doug Bergstrom is helping Foothills to design an ideal plot rotation for their garden. See news above for school garden ideas from the Farm to Cafeteria conference.
· Community Gardens Wenatchee Community Center community garden will be promoted on the 31st to the Community Foundation. EAT members are asked to volunteer in planning, neighborhood outreach, and gardening expertise. The City of Wenatchee owns the property and will dig up the sidewalks in the summer which is when the garden will be built, water connected and clean soil brought in.
Follow-up on Topic(s) that were discussed in this meeting:
· EAT members are asked to think about how they would like to volunteer. The leadership committee consists of Convener, Secretary, and Treasurer or there are committee chairs needed. Next meeting, we will revisit our by-laws and decide what committees and what projects we will focus on for the coming year. Joan will send out more information before April meeting.
Committee Sign-Up:
· Working Group Chairperson Joan Qazi; Meeting Facilitator: Joan Qazi; Minute Taker: Angela Schaub; Treasurer: Rich Colson; Webmaster: Ben Fields
Suggestions for next meeting:.
· Next Meeting April 29, 2009 at Wenatchee Sleep Center from 12:30pm to 2pm
· Yearly review—revisit the bylaws, revise committees, decide on projects…
· Decision about protocol for conference and workshop attendance.