Food Policy Council (FPC) Meeting on Mon, November 16, 2015 - 6:30 PM

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Presentation by Scott Allegrucci, 6:30PM

Senior Development & Communications Officer, The Land Institute

Learn about the research and mission of The Land Institute, and how they’re expanding their presence into Lawrence and working with researchers at KU. https://landinstitute.org/

 

  1. Administrative items – 7:00 PM

    1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval

    2. Approval of October meeting minutes

    3. Remainder of FPC budget ($595.22)

    4. Member openings: Vote on appointments

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

        1. Awaiting response

      2. Ag Producer, County Appointment (for Pep Selvan)

        1. William Vesecky, Vesecky Family Farm (see below)

    5. December meeting: Consider moving to 5:30PM on December 14

       

  2. Food System Assessment Update (Helen Schnoes & Eileen Horn; 7:30PM)

    1. Proposal from Barb LeClair and Review Outline/Structure

       

  3. Market Match Update (Eileen Horn; 7:45PM)

     

  4. Statewide Local Food Taskforce (Helen Schnoes; 7: 50PM)

    1. Review letter of support from Kansas Alliance for Wellness and vote to endorse

       

  5. Fresh Farm HQ Food Hub Update – 7:55PM (Jill Elmers)

     

  6. Subcommittee Reports – 8:05PM

    • City (Crystal Hammerschmidt)

      1. Urban Ag update

        1. Vote to allow City Sub. to write letter from DCFPC to Planning Commission

    • County (Helen Schnoes)

      1. Farmers Market Promotion Program Grant

        1. Review RFP for consultant, timeline

      2. Incubator Kitchen

    • Community (Carol Gilmore)

      1. Communications Plan

         

  7. Public comments – 8:40PM

     

  8. FPC member updates – 8:50PM

     

  9. Adjourn full council meeting – 9:00PMBottom of Form

 

William Vesecky:

William Vesecky has raised pasture poultry with his father for over a decade. They farm about 200 acres just outside Baldwin City. Since launching this operation, they have been active participants in the Kaw Valley Farm Tour, welcoming interested community members to learn more about their production each fall. The Vesecky’s specialize in turkeys, chickens, ducks, and geese. In addition, William farms some wheat and soy on his own. Vesecky Family Farms sell to a variety of area buyers, including The Merc, Hank Charcuterie, and The Local Pig (in Kansas City). In 2015 William began selling at the Lawrence Farmers Market. He attended Colby Community College  to study sheep production and holds a degree in diesel mechanics. Outside of the agricultural lifestyle, he works for KDOT as the NE Kansas District Shop Superintendent and spends time with his wife and three kids. William is interested in serving on the Douglas County Food Policy Council to expand how he engages with the local food system, and to help guide the county’s direction in coming years.

Present: TK Peterson, Russell Mullin, Jill Elmers, Tyra Kalman-Crouch, Ashley Jones-Wisner, Carol Gilmore, Jen Humphrey, Chris Tilden, Marlin Bates, Brady Pollington, Elizabeth Burger, Boog Highberger, Crystal Hammerschmidt, Pattie Johnston, Brenna Wulfkuhle, Jan Hornberger, Jennifer Kongs, Aundrea Shafer, Daniel Poull

Absent: Kim Criner, Sandra Lawson

Staff: Eileen Horn, Helen Schnoes

Public: William Vesecky, Mary Beth Duda, Jason Hering, Greg Burger, Peggy Schultz, Shelia Robertson (Franklin County FPC)

 

                Presentation by Scott Allegrucci, 6:30PM

Senior Development & Communications Officer, The Land Institute

Learn about the research and mission of The Land Institute, and how they’re expanding their presence into Lawrence and working with researchers at KU. https://landinstitute.org/

 

Scott mentioned engagement with the Perennial Agriculture Project with The Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation and the idea of establishing “ecospheric” studies curricula to link KU and the property with other researchers.  

 

  1. Administrative items – 7:00 PM

    1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval

    2. Approval of October meeting minutes (Wulfkuhle, Pollington, all approved)

    3. Remainder of FPC budget ($595.22)

      1. Idea of committing funds to the Food Systems Assessment (Wulfkuhle moves, Pollington seconds, all approved)

    4. Member openings: Vote on appointments

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

        1. Awaiting response

      2. Ag Producer, County Appointment (for Pep Selvan)

        1. William Vesecky, Vesecky Family Farms, Baldwin City, KS (Tilden motions, Bates seconds, all approved)

    5. December meeting: Consider moving to 5:30PM on December 14

      1. Scheduled meeting on December 21 may have low turnout. December 14 is also when the revised urban ag text amendment will be up before the Planning Commission for a vote. Idea to move meeting to hold before Planning Commission.

        1. Brady proposed hosting at the Chamber.

        2. Would have quorum of members; Eileen will look into having dinner.

        3. All agreed

           

  2. Food System Assessment Update (Helen Schnoes & Eileen Horn; 7:30PM)

    1. Overview of proposal from Barb LeClair and Review Outline/Structure

    2. Eileen encouraged the group to review the outline and think about what you want to get done with the Food Policy Council, and what do we need to know to be able to get work done going forward?

    3. Idea to use food system diagram to demonstrate what work we have accomplished

    4. Also important to highlight what we have as data gaps, set as potential work to collect through food plan

    5. Important to reach out to KDA, food hub study for existing data

    6. Members who represent specific sectors should think about how this can help their own work

    7. Purpose:

      1. Internal direction for FPC and Commissions, track progress

      2. Educate/engage the community and use as a starting point for food plan

    8. Brenna pointed out how exciting it is to see how much we’ve done, how impactful the first version was.

    9. Members asked to get their notes to Helen by December 11 (ask her questions or discuss your thoughts anytime before then, too!)

       

  3. Market Match Update (Eileen Horn; 7:45PM)

     

    Eileen updated the group on the FINI grant to partner with MARC, Cultivate KC, Rural Grocery Initiative, and Fair Food Network to apply for a 3 year grant to expand matching across Kansas and into grocery stores. Will hear April 1. Turning in the grant December 16. Fair Food Network got the FINI last year and feel good this year. Program would stay within Douglas County, with support of Craig Weinaug and Nancy Thellman.

     

    Ashley shared that the data collection is very interesting as currently done through KU Med with Price Chopper and Double Up Food Bucks. Ashley suggested that DCFPC should invite the KU Med researcher to present to us for a month. Eileen agreed. Families can store their benefits with the loyalty card and use once their SNAP benefits run out. 1.1 million families in KC and MO are SNAP eligible.

     

    FPC conditionally votes to approve a letter.

     

  4. Statewide Local Food Taskforce (Helen Schnoes; 7: 50PM)

    1. Review letter of support from Kansas Alliance for Wellness and vote to endorse

    2. Helen and Ashley presented about the current efforts of the Statewide Local Food Taskforce and the request to sign a letter directing the formation of a Statewide Council. Group discussed what the implications would be from a legislative action and agency-led effort. Questions about local control, if a statewide group would impinge on the local actions of our FPC; others thought this could function like the chambers of commerce which have local group and a state-wide chapter. There was concern that taking an action now would be prematuregiven a lack of clarity about the process and next steps of the Taskforce.

    3. Highberger moved to permanently defer on the idea of signing the letter, seconded by Pollington, all in favor.

       

  5. Fresh Farm HQ Food Hub Update – 7:55PM (Jill Elmers)

    Food hub has officially formed as a co-op in Kansas with five farmers, 2 MO, 3 KS. They are in the process of writing their bylaws and by tomorrow night they will finalize. Looking to determine what is the buy-in to bring in more co-op members? Started a strategic plan for farmer meetings, mostly informational currently. Several presentations will take place at the scaling up workshops, others at regionally-relevant events. Logistics team and directorship getting figured out with partners. A big task coming up will be their resources and grants for what VAPG doesn’t fund (looking at SARE, foundations). Met with After the Harvest, gleaners non-profit in KC, and have formed a formal partnership with them to secure a grant-funded refrigerator truck to lease for $1 a year. Working to create a document about who they are and what they’re looking for to send to different municipalities and cities in the region to find a location. The group cannot accept private donations as a cooperative.

     

  6. Subcommittee Reports – 8:05PM

    • City (Crystal Hammerschmidt)

      1. Urban Ag update

        1. Vote to allow City Sub. to write letter from DCFPC to Planning Commission

 

The subcommittee met with Mary Miller at their November meeting. We are working to research peer communities on a few items she has requested help with (on-site sales). She will have a draft ready by end of November. City subcommittee will then review at their December 2 meeting, which doesn’t leave time for a full council review before it will be brought to the Planning Commission.

 

Bates motions to allow the City Subcommittee to draft a letter for DCFPC Chair to sign, Wulfkuhle seconds, all approved.

 

Group discussed that it will be good to also offer a statement from the Council in person at the Planning Commission meeting, too. Eileen reminded that there will be subsequent steps for comment with the City Commission, too.

 

The subcommittee is working on talking points and educational documents to go along with the urban ag policy.

 

  • County (Helen Schnoes)

    1. Farmers Market Promotion Program Grant

      1. Review RFP for consultant, timeline

      2. County subcommittee reviewed the timeline for working on the grant and the list of consultants/groups to share the consultant RFP with. Will send out on November 23. Helen will present to the Lawrence Farmers Market board on November 19.

    2. Incubator Kitchen

      1. Helen shared the final logo for the incubator kitchen. The subcommittee is preparing a postcard for the promotion of the kitchen with new branding. Photographs of current users being taken. Helen working with County to create a web presence.

      2. Brady shared that the EDC is focusing on start ups and entrepreneurship—kitchen incubator relates to this effort and an connect with its users.

      3. BizFuel is working on their strategic planning process in late November to plan out activities and workshops to host to help start-ups and entrepreneurs in Douglas County. BizFuel wants to create a scholarship plan to help subsidize rents for participants. Users of the Incubator Kitchen could benefit from this. Revolving loan fund could be utilized by users of the kitchen for a gap loan.

  • Community (Carol Gilmore)

    1. Communications Plan

      1. Elizabeth began working on this last December when she saw the difficulty of explaining DCFPC purpose and work. The Community Subcommittee will work to implement some of the goals in 2016 but want whole council to see it as their document. Elizabeth asked group to always think if these action steps that are outlined relate back to the Purpose.

      2. Next steps with communications plan:

        1. Group would like to personalize the membership for the council through small bios that can also be used with social media. Let Helen know if you don’t want to be on the website with a photo and short statement.

        2. Subcommittee will work to establish talking points so that members can more easily communicate about our work

          1. Who we are

          2. What we do

          3. Etc.

        3. The subcommittee sees a rich opportunity to think strategically about where we meet in 2016. This can help us:

          1. Go different places in Douglas County

          2. Find a spot that is good for meeting but lends itself for a speaker/presentation that aligns with our work

          3. Gets other people to come to our meetings

          4. Gets others engaged in FPC

          5. Meet at barns and with individual framers

          6. Send ideas to Helen for meetings!

        4. Brainstorm groups the DCFPC might be missing in our work that we could know about and collaborate with. Community subcommittee can then reach out to them as it makes sense through the various efforts in the coming year.

      3. Eileen reminded the group that when people realize about the resources of the DCFPC, we’ll get lots of requests. There’s a need to think ahead about what is our purview for sharing information.

         

  • Public comments – 8:40PM

     

  • FPC member updates – 8:50PM

    Chris Tilden invited the group this Friday at 7:30am to the Eldridge for the LiveWell Lawrence breakfast celebration. Every is welcome.

     

    Carol reminded the group that the Public Health Law Center website has KS-specific resources, some of which draw from our work.

     

    Carol also highlighted that there is a focus on Food & Health in latest issue of Health Affairs – some articles are publically accessible. There is an infographic on using data visualization to convey complex information.

     

    Jen announced that on December 8 Simran Sethi, former KU professor, will give a talk for her new book Bread Wine Chocolate –about the collapse of biodiversity and flavor in food. It will be held at 6:30pm at The Commons. Edibles provided by local providers. Arrive early! Last day for the New Farmers photo exhibit.

     

    Plastic Bags: Under discussion with Sustainability Advisory Board. Three community environmental groups brought the idea to the group, which decided to look at a ban or a charge/fee. Will be looking at cities who have already taken action at this.

     

    Michael Morley of SAB will join the FPC in January; coordinates Pearl Clark Common Ground garden.

    Jim Flory is looking for a Western farmer to replace Brenna. Boog reached out to CMEF for his replacement.

     

  • Adjourn full council meeting – 9:00PMBottom of Form

 

William Vesecky:

William Vesecky has raised pasture poultry with his father for over a decade. They farm about 200 acres just outside Baldwin City. Since launching this operation, they have been active participants in the Kaw Valley Farm Tour, welcoming interested community members to learn more about their production each fall. The Vesecky’s specialize in turkeys, chickens, ducks, and geese. In addition, William farms some wheat and soy on his own. Vesecky Family Farms sell to a variety of area buyers, including The Merc, Hank Charcuterie, and The Local Pig (in Kansas City). In 2015 William began selling at the Lawrence Farmers Market. He attended Colby Community College  to study sheep production and holds a degree in diesel mechanics. Outside of the agricultural lifestyle, he works for KDOT as the NE Kansas District Shop Superintendent and spends time with his wife and three kids. William is interested in serving on the Douglas County Food Policy Council to expand how he engages with the local food system, and to help guide the county’s direction in coming years.

 

Time and Date

Location

The Land Institute/Malone Foundation
984 N 1800 Rd, Lawrence, KS 66049, USA