Food Policy Council (FPC) Meeting Mon, Mar 21 2016 1:30 PM

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Meeting Information

 

  1. Optional @ 6:00pm: Discussion of local initiatives with Mayor Sandy Jacquot

 

  1. Administrative items  
    1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval
    2. Approval of February meeting minutes
    3. Funding requests:
      1. $500 for County Subcommittee bus rental of vans for farm tour
      2. Conference registration for EPA Food Waste conference for Lawrence Solid Waste

 

  1. Common Ground Update (Eileen)

 

  1. Food System Assessment and Farmers’ Market Promotion Program grant updates
    1. Volunteers needed for community feedback this summer

 

  1. Farm Fresh Challenge Results and Future Discussion (Helen)

 

  1. Food Plan Community Engagement 
    1. Review scope of food plan and discuss work of full council, subcommittees, and role of each DCFPC member in facilitating a community engagement event
    2. Present initiative from LiveWell Lawrence to use food plan to work on health equity
    3. Approve timeline
  2. State Legislature Report 
    1. Overview of current legislation (Ashley Jones-Wisner)
  3. Subcommittee Reports 
    • City (Crystal Hammerschmidt)
      1. Urban ag passed Planning Commission in February—set for City Commission vote in April?
    • County (TBD)
      1. Culinary Commons
        1. Website is live: www.culinarycommons.org 
        2. Article in Journal World. Pass out postcards.
      2. County Farm Tours
        1. Discuss timing, strategy, invitees
    • Community (Carol Gilmore)

 

  1. Public comments

 

  1. FPC member updates

 

  1. Adjourn full council meeting

Present: William Vesecky, Jill Elmers, Ashley Jones-Wisner, Carol Gilmore, Marlin Bates, Crystal Hammerschmidt, Carolyn Wulfkuhle, Scott Thellman, John Pendleton, Pattie Johnston, Elizabeth Burger, Rita York Hennecke, Joshua Falleaf, Jennifer Kongs, Kim Criner, Chris Tilden, TK Peterson

Absent: Jan Hornberger, Aundrea Shafer, Jen Humphrey, Russell Mullin, Brady Pollington

Staff: Eileen Horn, Helen Schnoes

Public: Laurel Sears

 

 

  1. Optional @ 6:00pm: Discussion of local initiatives with Mayor Sandy Jacquot

Lecompton is launching a new Summer Feeding program for lunches for kids over the summer, in coordination with the food service department of USD497 in Lawrence.

 

  1. Administrative items  
    1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval  (Johnston, Elmers, All approved)
    2. Approval of February meeting minutes (Johnston, Elmers, All approved)
    3. Funding requests:
      1. $500 for County Subcommittee bus rental of vans for farm tour

The group voiced general support and will review a more detailed budget in April.

  1. Conference registration ($100 before 4/17) for EPA Food Waste conference for Lawrence Solid Waste

**City Subcommittee would like to make this offer as part of commencing its work on food waste. Conference occurs June 28-29. http://www.chlpi.org/food-law-and-policy/reduce-and-recover-save-food-for-people/

York Hennecke moved for approval of two registrations to see what the City (or someone else) says in response; Hammerschmidt seconded; all approved

 

  1. Common Ground Update (Eileen)

Four new properties have joined the Common Ground Program:

  • 817 Oak St. (North Lawrence) for Just Food—front for clients and community members; back of plot for two clients wanting to grow for market
  • Peterson Park (north end) to two community members
  • Lawrence Community Orchard expanding to City of Lawrence-owned park land adjacent to 13th St.
  • Oread Friends Meeting leasing some land to the program, part of existing garden that extends into parkland along Burroughs Creek—first private land to enter the program

Eileen is working with the city attorney on separating the community garden lease from the incubator farm lease. This year they are hoping to adjust to recognize the business implications of a one year rolling lease. Farmers are interested in building in goals and metrics to stay in the incubator farm—for example, incorporate as formal business in year one, make revenue growth goal in year two, etc.

Common Ground incubator farmers would like a larger visioning process about the program’s future. What are the long-term goals of the program? They want to do that this fall. Eileen would love to convene this and envision next phase of the program’s development, and how to re-engage the City Commissioners on the program—invite them to participate in this visioning session. Incubator farm as 4.8 acres, divided into 4 properties ranging from 2/3 of an acre and 1.25. Farmers want to see same size plots, because space available creates different barriers/opportunities to new farmers.

  1. Food System Assessment and Farmers’ Market Promotion Program grant updates
    1. Assessment—Helen will send out drafted sections to members based upon their expertise and interests. Comments due to Helen by April 15th. Members are welcome to review more than one section. Their goals in reviewing include
      1. What are the clear takeaways? What is the biggest issue/finding to communicate to our political leaders and citizens?
      2. Is the language clear—both in framing issues, their importance, and the findings?
      3. Are we missing important questions/data? Can we include now, or set as a future research priority?
      4. How do these findings shape what issues we should present and questions we should ask with the upcoming community engagement? Is there a policy action for FPC to consider taking?

 

Section

Review

Local government

Ashley, Chris, Marlin, Eileen

Farm Production

Carolyn, Marlin, Scott, John, William

Natural Resources

Jennifer, Jen, Michael, Marlin

Infrastructure

Russell, Marlin, Rita

Waste

Crystal, Jan, Michael, Jill

Economic Impact and Development

Eileen, Jen, Marlin, Brady

Culture & Health

Chris, Josh, Carol, Aundrea,  Elizabeth

Food Environment

Kim, Rita, Carol, Elizabeth, TK

Access

Pattie, Aundrea, Carol, Eileen

 

  1. FMPP: First visit set for June 7-11. Volunteers needed for community feedback this summer

Helen asked for groups folks have connections to who could help recruit volunteers for one-off events.

Crystal, Kim, Josh (for June), Marlin (Extension groups) offered to help.

 

  1. Farm Fresh Challenge Results and Future Discussion (Helen—see back of printed agendas, or the PDF attached to the meeting reminder email)

Farm Fresh Challenge came from YR1 Communications Objectives for the CDC Partnership to Improve Community Health grant received by the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department ($25,000 budget) and the Community Subcommittee. The idea for a farmer-buyer directory came from the Lawrence-Area Chef Farmer Alliance and was piloted with farmers and grocery stores. The campaign promoted local purchasing and sales in August 2015 with 7 partner stores. Researchers at KU conducted evaluation. This included the intercept surveys outside of grocery stores and one-on-one interviews with the grocery partners and the KU team. Helen also conducted a survey of farmers.

The findings led Helen, Eileen, and the Health Dept. to think hard about the goals of the grant funding, and the most effective use of the grant funds to accomplish them. Many of the grocers, while appreciating the effort, didn't feel the structure and framing of the campaign was effective in encouraging local food sales and consumption. (It's hard to build a shared effort across such different--and competing--stores!) The farmers surveyed felt similarly. The social media overlay may not--at least at this time--be the most effective way to encourage local, healthy food consumption in our community.

The group discussed the future of the brand and FFC campaign. Helen asked if perhaps it could be repurposed in the future in a fun way among our different local food stakeholders.

 

Marlin pointed out that restaurants may have more resources with social media than grocers. TK mentioned that restaurants could offer a special local food dish and share the recipes with customers for use of local at home. Carol mentioned that we have to be careful about the words: “Challenge”—that’s a contest. How can the word “challenge” be put into context with a future use?

 

Eileen pointed out that this doesn’t have to be something the FPC does. This could be utilized by someone else in the community to carry the initiative forward.

 

Rita asked how much local are we purchasing/selling and how can we build local pride around that? We don’t need to create events around that. Eileen reminded that with a past KU student project, it was challenging to get data. Helen agreed to send out the KU report.

 

TK—if each restaurant had a FFC recipe, they could say how many plates of that food went out. It doesn’t just track purchased amounts. That’s an easier metric for restaurants and chefs.

 

Elizabeth mentioned that the directory can be used with help when chefs are prompted. Crystal shared that for school districts entering in local purchasing the directory has been helpful.

 

John reminded that his farm struggles to reach quantities that grocery stores need. Scotty however saw the same purchasing, as he was already in 5 of the 6 stores—no one shifted their purchasing to promote local in August.

 

Marlin asked TK when restaurant week is—he’s pushing July instead of September. The group discussed if Downtown Lawrence Inc. be engaged? Scotty agreed that this could be helpful, as grocery stores delivery two weeks out but restaurants can be more dynamic. It’s also very competitive on price for grocery stores. Restaurants could easily do more purchasing when they realized how accessible it would be to do.

 

Staff will take the discussion under advisement and determine next steps to present to the FPC.

 

  1. Food Plan Community Engagement 
    1. Review scope of food plan and discuss work of full council, subcommittees, and role of each DCFPC member in facilitating a community engagement event

Helen shared that the DCFPC was tasked to write a food plan for the comprehensive plan (shared a handout about this). Traditionally, planning processes involve a few community meetings to get public input. Helen proposed we leverage the networks and organizations already at the table, and asked each FPC member to identify at least one gathering to host as part of this process (could be an organized board, community group, or social/neighborhood gathering). Then, DCFPC can identify in April where there are gaps that staff can work to fill. Helen has discussed working with Trudy Rice from K-State Research & Extension to help shape the process and provide guidance to DCFPC on what questions to ask, how to structure meetings, etc. Goal is to utilize existing meetings—not just create new ones.

 

  1. Present initiative from LiveWell Lawrence to use food plan to work on health equity
    1. The Health Dept., Helen and Eileen decided to take a more grass-roots approach and use the communications funding from the CDC PICH grant to conduct a community leadership program around food systems and civic engagement to align with the policy development efforts of the Food Policy Council this year. This change of course is OK with the CDC, and aligns with other health initiatives the state looking at the issue of health equity, and with the work of LiveWell Lawrence. Funds are also being sought from the Kansas Health Foundation and Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The project will be subcontracted to The Sunrise Project. It will build in “this is how you talk to a city commissioner.” Community Subcommittee will help guide this process, too.
    2. Josh shared about the process of the Cultural Arts Plan process. Their proposal is online—4 to 6 strategies we could draw from. The consultants for that project got all their in-person meetings done in a 2-day blitz. Maybe we could organize for something similar?
    3. Chris mentioned that PolicyLink was the group that conducted the training. Funders have excitement about this new direction. Eileen shared that it is very forward-thinking.
  2. Approve timeline—approved
  3. State Legislature Report 
    1. Overview of current legislation (Ashley Jones-Wisner)
      1. HB 2595—Limitations on local government actions re: food & nutrition policy
        1. http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/measures/hb2595/ 
        2. This bill is being pushed nationwide by the restaurant association. Don’t want local nutrition standards to preempt national nutrition standards. However, this bill is broadly written and may preempt some FPC work. Two amendments were added to the bill last week as it passed the House—that the bill doesn’t limit zoning and that people can still do educational activities around local foods and nutrition.
        3. The bill is out of the house. The Legislature may work this week or may go on break early. The bill won’t be heard and debated in the Senate, but two committees will come and look at it in Conference Committee and they’ll try and work it out then. Advocates are hoping to insert language that protects incentives (including doubling programs for food stamps)—don’t think the bill writers intended to hurt these projects. Committee chair is open to fixing. It was a rushed process last week. The Douglas Co. legislators have been great.
        4. Eileen is preparing a letter for the Chair of the County Commission and Mayor of Lawrence to send to the county’s state senators.
      2. HB 2444—Reduction in the state sales tax on food by Rep. Mark Hutton.  This bill would drop the sales tax on groceries to 2.6 percent (from 6.5%) while ending the income tax exemption on some 330,000 businesses.
        1. Good hearing last week, 4 hours. Drove in 17 business owners to say they’d rather have what they’re saving from the tax breaks and see that used on reducing food sales tax.
      3. A constitutional amendment, SCR 1612, by Senator Tom Holland.  The amendment would reduce the state tax to 4 percent beginning in July 2017, then to 2 percent in 2018 and to zero by July 2019.
        1. This is an interesting angle to take, because the legislature would put this up as a state-wide vote
      4. SB 314 – Local Food & Farm Taskforce
        1. http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/measures/sb314/ 
        2. Bill to extend looks favorable, there hasn’t been opposition
  4. Subcommittee Reports 
    • City (Crystal Hammerschmidt)
      1. Urban ag
        1. Text amendment passed Planning Commission in February—set for City Commission vote in April? Helen will update when the date is finalized. Helen and Eileen will work with Marlin and Jen to draft a memo to the City Commission. Emily Ryan is working with the City Subcommittee on some public educational pieces. Marlin is coordinating some trainings that Extension can hold in conjunction with the new policies when they are finalized.
        2. LJ World cover story today: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2016/mar/21/lawrence-considering-crop-small-animal-agriculture/  
        3. Motion to approve staff to write a letter to the City Commission: Tilden, Hammerschmidt  seconds—all in favor
      2. Started conversation about food waste, talked with EPA Region 7. Will reach out to Solid Waste department of the City of Lawrence.
    • County (TBD)
      1. Culinary Commons
        1. Website is live: www.culinarycommons.org 
        2. Article in Journal World: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2016/mar/20/fairgrounds-commerical-kitchen-rebranded-hopes-rea/
        3. Sam Komosa (intern) will distribute postcards. Marlin has more if anyone is interested in helping distribute a stack.
      2. County Farm Tours
        1. The goal would be to gain input for food plan, and also expose those who may be reviewing the plan to the farms in the county. We discussed perhaps inviting farmers from elsewhere in the county to attend lunch, speak during driving, etc. to include more farms without having to traverse so much territory (for example, the applicators like Lone Pine)
        2. Group discussed having two tours, June and August, could allow for more flexibility with who's invited and a Thursday may be a good date. The idea in the past was to include elected officials, planning commissioners, others—something to discuss further tonight.
        3. Group discussed the need to have a range of operations represented. Members have begun reaching out to see where there is some interest. Scotty suggested that Grant Township could provided a geographically condensed range of examples (Nunnemaker Ross, Pines International, Common Ground Incubator Farm, Juniper Hill, Chestnut Charlie, Midland Farm. The group also discussed some farms south of the river, including some fruit producers and non-farm food businesses (Trail's West, Wineries, South Baldwin Farms, Seeds from Italy, Incubator kitchen, Cottin's Market)
        4. The idea of two sites allows for folks to choose from one or the other, invite more people. We have to publicize an event if we get 3 city commissioners or 2 county commissioners. Elizabeth mentioned that this is money well spent (for DCFPC to approve in April).
    • Community (Carol Gilmore)
      1. Heard about Farm Fresh Challenge evaluation and the grant redirection to look at health equity.
      2. Discussed engaging higher education of the three universities in the county. Want to have a larger discussion of this in April or May. What does the county want to hear about? Then we can reach out to researchers in the universities who are engaged in issues (water). What would we like to ask the experts?
        1. Josh shared that water is one of the themes being proposed for the Free State Festival this year, the notion of sustainable something .This could be an opportunity to engage further. Josh can share that and foster connections.

 

  1. Public comments

 

 

  1. FPC member updates

 

Chris and Carol will go to Wichita at the end of the month, along with The Sunrise Project, for a Kansas Health Foundation training.

 

Helen and Marlin will both present at the Urban Food Systems Symposium in Olathe, KS, in June.

 

  1. Adjourn full council meeting

Time and Date

Location

Lecompton Community Building
349 Elmore St. Lecompton, KS