Food Policy Council (FPC) Meeting on Mon, July 18, 2016 - 6:30 PM

Optional pre-meeting conversation @ 6pm! Peach Madl of the Baldwin City Lodge, The Sandbar, and Sandbar Subs.

1. Administrative items 
   1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval
   2. Approval of June meeting minutes
   3. Budget review
      1. Vote for funding: Food System Plan Project Assistant proposal ($1,073-$1,535.50)
   4. New members
      1. Vote: Institutional Purchaser Representative – Lawrence Medical Hospital
      2. Interim appointment: Business Community Representative – Chamber of Commerce

1. Farmers’ Market Project Update

1. Food Plan Update
   1. Community engagement strategy update
   2. 2014 FPC recommendations to comprehensive plan steering committee

1. Assessment Update: Food Desert Map
   1. Review a map created by the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department that updates the map of “food deserts” in Lawrence.
   2. Vote for DCFPC approval; map will be published online by the Center of Disease Control.

1. Subcommittee Reports
   • City (Aundrea Shafer)
     1. Urban ag update
   • County (Jen Humphrey)
     1. Farm policy tour connected with Kaw Valley Farm Tour (“Where do we go from here?”)
   • Community (Carol Gilmore)
     1. FPC Member info collection project
     2. Local food wholesale directory update

1. FPC member updates

1. Public comments

1. Adjourn full council meeting

Optional pre-meeting conversation @ 6pm! Peach Madl of the Baldwin City Lodge, The Sandbar, and Sandbar Subs.

Peach shared about her efforts to “put healthy foods in a fast food environment” with Sandbar Subs. The business offered a change of pace from the bar business she started years before across the street in Downtown Lawrence. She has worked to grow some of the ingredients used and wants to keep foods fresh and whole and nutritious. The store aims to provide a quick meal option for folks who work in Downtown.  She also shared about her experiences as an entrepreneur in Douglas County, underlining that it’s a lifestyle, not a job, that requires your own investment. She also shared some of the community and business differences between Lawrence and the Baldwin City Lodge.

Present: Ashley Jones-Wisner, Carol Gilmore, Marlin Bates, Elizabeth Burger, TK Peterson, Kim Criner, Jan Hornberger, Rita York Hennecke, Pattie Johnston, Scott Thellman, John Pendleton, William Vesecky

Absent: Jennifer Kongs, Jill Elmers (on leave), Carolyn Wulfkuhle, Jen Humphrey, Aundrea Shafer, Joshua Falleaf, Russell Mullin, Chris Tilden, Larry McElwain, Michael Steinle  

Staff: Helen Schnoes

Public: Carla Wiederholt, Margaret Gathunguri 

1. Administrative items 
   1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval (The group reached quorum at 6:52pm)
   2. Approval of June meeting minutes (York Hennecke, Peterson—all approved)
   3. Budget review
      1. The group reviewed a proposal for hiring a food system plan project assistant. The key roles of the hire will be assistance with data analysis and interpretation. The group had previously approved $1000 for food system plan events and, given changes in engagement strategy, the group may not fully use the amount in the coming months. Elizabeth shared that the rate and scope of work seemed reasonable. Helen shared that additional support for the work will be available through the Sustainability Department intern who is a grad student in the KU planning program. Helen clarified that the hire’s engagement won’t be part of academic research.
      2. Vote for funding: Food System Plan Project Assistant proposal ($1,073-$1,535.50) (Burger, York Hennecke—all approved)
   4. New members
      1. Vote: Institutional Purchaser Representative – Brent Smith, Lawrence Memorial Hospital (Peterson, Jones-Wisner—all approved)
         1. This appointment will fill the vacancy created when Crystal Hammerschmidt, representing for USD497 (Lawrence Public Schools) moved out of state this month. Helen has met with both Brent, the Food Service Director, and Carla Wiederholt, dietician and Patient Experience Manager with LMH/Unidine who hosted the FPC meeting in February 2016.
         2. Carla shared the excitement she and Brent have to join the Council as the Institutional Purchasing representative. Brent will serve as the appointed representative, but Carla will fill in if he cannot make a meeting. Carla shared that what FPC is working on is what Unidine wants to work on—reducing the hoops that the hospital has to go through to source local foods. Their chef prides himself in cooking from scratch (a big change implemented in 2013 when LMH contracted with Unidine). Each employee must make a  “Fresh Food Pledge.”
      2. Interim appointment: Business Community Representative – Chamber of Commerce
         1. Helen shared that, while the Lawrence Chamber works to hire a new Vice President, current President and CEO Larry McElwain will serve on the council.

1. Farmers’ Market Project Update

Helen and Marlin shared that SCALE, the consultants hired to oversee the farmers’ market project, have been busy conducting preliminary analysis and follow-up interviews with customers and market vendors. On Friday, July 22 at 11am SCALE will hold a conference call for FPC members to learn about what the research team has been finding, questions that have emerged, and planned next steps for their second visit (anticipated the week of August 29th) and the future of the project.

1. Food Plan Update
   1. Community engagement strategy update

Two focus groups have been conducted—one with the Sustainability Advisory Board, one with the LiveWell Lawrence Healthy Food For All Workgroup. FPC members who want to still propose groups to meet with are welcome to do so—just contact Helen.

Marlin shared that he, Helen, and Kim Criner met with the KU Food Studies workgroup, as part of an effort to refine our local data collection. The meeting helped refine that we want to gather qualitative data to determine what quantitative data questions to ask on the community survey. Another result from the conversation is that staff may explore follow-up interviews with community stakeholders after the focus groups and survey, if it seems useful to dig deeper on some issues. Overall, staff and FPC leadership are feeling in a good place for building the survey to have the information that we need.

1. 2014 FPC recommendations to comprehensive plan steering committee
   1. Helen shared that previous FPC member Brenna Wulfkuhle suggested after the June 20 meeting that current members be reminded of the comments the FPC submitted in 2014 to the Horizon 2020 Steering Committee. At that time, the FPC was instructed to see how it could fit food system issues into the existing structure of the plan. This document can help us think about ways that policy suggestions can be worded. However, given changes in context and the task to create a food system plan, this document is best referenced as a historical document. Subcommittees are encouraged  to discuss items further as it seems relevant.

1. Assessment Update: Food Desert Map
   1. Review a map created by the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department that updates the map of “food deserts” in Lawrence.
   2. Margaret Gathunguri, of the Lawrence Douglas County Health Department, shared about her efforts to help the FPC update the local food desert map (the current map available from the USDA uses 2010 data. Importantly, to use more recent data Margaret worked with experts at the CDC to develop a similar but different method to define “food desert areas”. To emphasize the core definition, the prepared document shows three maps: low access (more than a mile drive to a grocery store), low income (based upon Census poverty data), and then food deserts (where a significant portion of residents face both low access and low income. Helen explained that having all three maps was an important part of using the maps for community education and conversations for the food plan.
   3. Next steps for mapping as part of the food system assessment are to look at other food resources—pantries, community gardens, farmers’ markets, fast food and convenience stores. How do they compare to the food deserts? Additional food desert analysis will also be done for the whole county. (In rural areas, “access” is often defined as a 10 mile drive time.) The group discussed that maps can be as important for launching conversations and asking questions, as “showing” what is inherently “true.”
   4. The FPC shared comments, generally approving of the clarity of the maps in showing data and helping the viewer understand the food desert concept. The differences from past maps was noted, especially where the USDA map mistakenly overlooked local realities. The prevalence of over 20% poverty outside of food deserts, and in neighborhoods with high home values was also discussed.
   5. Vote for DCFPC approval; map will be published online by the Center of Disease Control. (Burger, Peterson—all approved)
      1. Margaret shared that the CDC has three online publications and they would like to include these maps. The CDC recognizes that the USDA food desert mapping methodology was a national approach, and that locally people are redoing/adapting the methodology to make sense in the local context (she cited Baltimore, MD, and Lansing, MI, as examples).

1. Subcommittee Reports
   • City
     1. Urban ag update

Helen shared that the Planning Department is continuing to refine its foster farmer policy and the procedures the city will follow to enforce seizing of urban agriculture animals improperly kept or on the loose.

The graphic design for community communications summarizing the key elements of the new policies are in their final stages. Will be ready for publishing soon. The City of Lawrence will develop a website to serve as a one-stop-shop for urban agriculture policy information. K-State Research & Extension—Douglas County already created a resource page for the “doing” of urban ag: douglas.k-state.edu/urban-agriculture/index.html

• County
  1. Farm policy tour connected with Kaw Valley Farm Tour (“Where do we go from here?”)

John Pendleton shared that the group met and further discussed having a farm policy tour coincide with the Kaw Valley Farm Tour (first weekend in October), taking place the Thursday before. Helen shared an example of the schedule and goals for a farm policy tour held in 2010 as the FPC was getting started. The group thought this would be a good opportunity for local politicians and policymakers to see what it’s like to live and work on a farm, especially in advance of the Food System Plan. The group brainstormed focusing on Planning Commission, and then also inviting other elected officials. The full council was generally supportive of the idea, encouraged inviting officials and staff who work on rural zoning and our county’s state legislators, given their role in Topeka and the work of the Local Food and Farm Taskforce. Helen shared that the group had discussed choosing among the farmers currently serving on the FPC as host sites, but these details had not been defined yet. Helen will meet 7/20 with Planning staff to understand the best timing, length, etc. to engage the Planning Commission.

• Community (Carol Gilmore)
  1. FPC Member info collection project—Carol and Marlin strongly reminded folks to send in info in for this project. Members can complete their form and send it to Helen.  

1. Local food wholesale directory update

TK shared that he and Rick Martin are hosting an event on Wednesday, August 3 at Merchants as a happy hour for chefs about local food sourcing. It will feature a panel discussion with chefs and a few farmers. Helen will be present to invite the chefs to fill out their information to be added into the Local Food Wholesale directory. The group will then meet again with more producers in the winter when things calm down for them.

Helen shared that at the same time she will be reaching out to the grocers who participated last year to see if they’d like to update their information. She will also reach out to institutional purchasers (school districts, LMH) for inclusion. The broad goal is to get more buyers right now, so then farmers can be added in the late fall/early winter for a release in the “off” season.

1. FPC member updates

Marlin shared handouts and posters, inviting everyone to spread the word and come to the Chefs Challenge next Wednesday, July 27 from 6-8pm as part of the County Fair. The event will be held in the newly-completed Meeting Hall. The Fire Chiefs from Wakarusa Township, Eudora, and Lawrence will serve as judges. Chefs will represent Ladybird Diner, John Brown Underground, and caterer Raven Narramore. Okra is the feature recipe. 

Helen shared that she was contacted by a German grad student interested in using DCFPC as case study. The student requested interviews with 5 members, each lasting 30 minutes. She will ask questions related to a current program or initiative being discussed within the council or about a recent decision where diverse interests had to be consolidated for local food systems governance. TK, Elizabeth, Marlin, John, and Rita graciously agreed to participate.

Helen also shared that the City of Lawrence will host an Advisory Board Reception for all its volunteers that serve on boards on Thursday, August 18, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the new meeting facility at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. 

1. Public comments

1. Adjourn full council meeting (York Hennecke, Hornberger—all approved)