Food Policy Council (FPC) Meeting on Mon, October 19, 2015 - 5:30 PM

1. Administrative items – 5:30 PM

   1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval

   2. Approval of August and September meeting minutes

   3. Remaining FPC budget ($1,836.91)

      1. Vote to spend: Incubator Kitchen Photography ($375)

      2. Vote to spend: Conferences ($800)

   4. Member openings:

      1. Vote: Jen Humphrey for Vice Chair (through December 2015)

      2. Food Security, City Appointment (for Emily Hampton)

         1. Consider/vote to recommend Aundrea Shafer, Just Food (bio attached)

      3. Ag Producer, City Appointment (for Teresa Flory)

         1. Update on recruitment

      4. Review of terms expiring December 2015

          

2. Farmers Market Promotion Program Grant (Eileen Horn & Helen Schnoes; 5:50PM)

    

3. Northeast Kansas Food Hub Update – 6:00PM (Jill Elmers)

    

4. Vote on Subcommittee Work Plans (included with packet) – 6:05PM

   • City (Crystal Hammerschmidt)

   • County (Helen Schnoes)

   • Community (Carol Gilmore)

1. Public comments – 6:25PM

1. FPC member updates – 6:30PM

1. Adjourn full council meeting – 6:35PM

Planning Commission Meeting begins 6:35pm in Commission Room

Present: TK Peterson, Russell Mullin, Crystal Hammerschmidt, Kim Criner, Sandra Lawson, Jill Elmers, Tyra Kalman-

Crouch, Ashley Jones-Wisner, Carol Gilmore, Jen Humphrey, Chris Tilden, Jan Hornberger, Daniel Poull, Jennifer .                Kongs

Absent: Marlin Bates, Brady Pollington, Elizabeth Burger, Pattie Johnston, Boog Highberger

Staff: Eileen Horn, Helen Schnoes

Public: Quill Merrill, William Vesecky

1. Administrative items – 5:30 PM

   1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval

   2. Approval of August and September meeting minutes (Tilden motions, Kongs seconds; all in favor)

   3. Remaining FPC budget ($1,838.17)

      1. Vote to spend: Incubator Kitchen Photography ($375)

      2. Vote to spend: Conferences ($800)

         1. Group discussed interest in sending citizens. Eileen spoke to precedence from past actions that sent farm staff to conferences—sees current as similar. Jill reminded the group that a debrief form exists for attendees to share their takeaways with the FPC. Jennifer’s work is paying for her registration now for WFAN. Russell mentioned two KU Student Farm leaders interested in the WFAN conference; group agreed that supporting their registration would align with the goal of enhancing our strategic partnerships with higher education.

      3. (Hammerschmidt motioned for approval of items I.c.i and I.c.ii; Jones-Wisner seconds; all in favor)

   4. Member openings:

      1. Vote: Jen Humphrey for Vice Chair (through December 2015)

      2. Food Security, City Appointment (for Emily Hampton)

         1. Consider/vote to recommend Aundrea Shafer, Just Food (bio attached)

         2. (Kriner moved to approve Vice Chair appointment and Food Security position recommendation to City Commission; Hammerschmidt seconds; all in favor)

         3. Helen will draft memo for Commission to appoint Aundrea

      3. Ag Producer, City Appointment (for Teresa Flory); Ag Producer, County Appointment (for Pep Selvan)

         1. William Vesecky (Ve-set-sky) of Vesecky Family Farms, poultry producers near Baldwin City who sell whole sale heritage and free range poultry attended and is considering the county agriculture producer opening.

         2. Quill Merrill of Trails West Farm, orchard and beef producer near Eudora who sells at Lawrence Farmers Market and to USD497 (Lawrence Public Schools) attended and is considering the city agriculture producer opening.

      4. Review of terms expiring December 2015

         1. Two members have their second term expiring in December : Brenna Wulfkuhle and Boog Highberger. They are both At-Large appointees by County Commissioners Flory and Gaughan, respectively.

         2. Six members have their terms up for renewal in December: Ashley Jones-Wisner, Sandra Lawson, TK Peterson, Kim Criner, Marlin Bates, Jennifer Kongs. Most of these members filled an opening so have not yet served their first full 3 year term. Helen asked that they consider if they’d like to stand for re-appointment at the end of the year.

             

2. Farmers Market Promotion Program Grant (Eileen Horn & Helen Schnoes; 5:50PM)

   We received the USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program grant! This will provide just over $53,000 over two years. In year one we will hire a consultant to lead a market and policy analysis of our county’s farmers markets, including consumer  and vendor surveys/focus groups, and then issue the FPC and each market strategic recommendations. The second year will hire a technical assistance provider to work with FPC and the individual markets to implement the recommendations.

    

   The County Subcommittee will work with the markets throughout the process. Next steps are drafting a RFP for a consultant. Jen Humphrey is working with LFM to have FPC present about the grant at the fall vendor meeting.

Eileen commented that the project is strategically important because it helps the FPC support different market channels of local food system development.

1. Northeast Kansas Food Hub Update – 6:00PM (Jill Elmers)

   Jill shared the official logo for Fresh Farm HQ (freshfarmhq.com). They have hired a director and she’s working on farmer recruitment. The farmers decided to form an agricultural cooperative and the papers are being processed now. Last Monday the group had their first public presentation to farmers in Osceola, MO, which went well and they’ve been receiving other interest from farmers. Finding a site is the next key step. Douglas County economic development is interested in sharing information about local properties. The group will work with a logistics team from the KC study and meet with them in two weeks. The plan is to official launch in March 2016. 

    

   The group is planning for a full press release once all of the startup details have been finalized. Ashley mentioned the chance to tie in with other food-related events, such as Food Day. Eileen mentioned how exciting it is that the feasibility study didn’t just sit on a shelf.

    

2. Vote on Subcommittee Work Plans (included with packet) – 6:05PM

   • City (Crystal Hammerschmidt)

   • County (Helen Schnoes)

   • Community (Carol Gilmore)

      

The group reviewed the drafted work plans for each subcommittee.

Eileen briefly discussed the current $6 million renovations at the Fairgrounds. There will hopefully be online signup and a key code system for all buildings. There will be a new arena for animal shows and tractor pull. She thinks there will be some opportunities for planting fruit trees, showcasing local agriculture. Construction will begin soon and Eileen will keep the group up to date.

The County Subcommittee will begin planning another Farm Tour of the county. The group briefly discussed what the potential focus could be for this trip (previous one was an introduction) and timing in November 2016. Will follow up with group as ideas solidify but this will be good for everyone to consider how it can align with the FPC work for the year.

1. Public comments – 6:25PM

    

2. FPC member updates – 6:30PM

   Jill provided background on the Sunrise Gardens zoning item before the Planning Commission.

    

   Helen reminded everyone that the Planning Commission would not vote on the urban agriculture text amendments that evening—only the draft and some questions were being presented.

    

3. Adjourn full council meeting – 6:35PMBottom of Form

    

    

Women’s Food and Agriculture Network—November—6-7 (Davenport, IA)

Registration

100

Attendees (Jan &Crystal, FPC; Trina McClure & Mary Beth Duda, KU/Student Farm)

4

Total

400

Great Plains Growers Conference--January 7-9 (St. Joseph, MO)

Registration (estimate)

175

Attendees (Jill)

1

Total

175

Subtotal

575.00

FPC remaining budget

1,838.17

Conferences expenses (with some wiggle room)

800

Incubator Kitchen Photography

375

Remaining budget

663.17