Food Policy Council (FPC) Meeting on Mon, April 15, 2019 - 6:30 PM

*6:00pm Pre-meeting Presentation: Tour former KS State Rep. Tom Sloan’s farm and hear his experience and perspectives from 25 years in the Kansas Legislature.  **Please show up at 6:00pm if you’d like to join the tour! ADDRESS: 772 US Highway 40

I.Action Item: Administrative Items 

- Determine quorum of members, agenda approval 

- Approval of March meeting minutes 

- Consider moving May 20 meeting to May 13

- Budget overview (FPC $3,735.72; KAW $6,157.67) 

    - Request: Connie Fitzpatrick, $50 for Conference registration + travel

II.    Public Comment 

III.    Discussion Item: Plan 2040 Draft Comments on Chapter 7: Community Resources

IV.    Discussion Item: Update from Aggies Working Group (Focus Area: Goal 1 and Goal 2 of Food System Plan) 

V.    Discussion Item: Economic Development 101 

VI.    Discussion Item: Update on Kansas Alliance for Wellness Implementation Grant (Health Equity Working Group) 

VII.    Staff Report

 

VIII.    Future Agenda Items 

IX.    Key Takeaways Review 

X.    Member Updates 

XI.    Adjourn 

**Next Meeting: Set date, location at April 15 meeting 

 

In attendance: John Pendleton, Kim Criner, Elizabeth Burger, Tamara Cash, Marlin Bates, Michael Steinle, Christina Ostmeyer, Michele Dillon, Tyler Lindquist, Connie Fitzpatrick, Sarah Hartsig, Scott Thellman 

Absent: Jason Champagne, William Vesecky

Staff: Helen Schnoes

Public: AshLee Lattner

Food For Thought for Today’s Meeting:

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

-- Edward Everett Hale

 

1. Action Item: Administrative Items
   • Determine quorum of members (6:51pm), agenda approval (Steinle, Bates—all approved)
   • Approval of March meeting minutes (Bates, Pendleton—all approved)
   • Consider moving May 20 meeting to May 13 (Lindquist, Bates—all approved)
     1. Scott Thellman will check about locations in Grant Township
     2. Helen to send out time information for May 20 and follow-up with the staff liaison for more information
   • Budget overview (FPC $3,235.72; KAW $5,757.67)
     1. Helen alerted the group that the digital agenda sent in advance did not reflect the most recent budget allocations. This agenda / budget report has been updated.
     2. Request: Connie Fitzpatrick, update: $234 for conference registration and travel on April 23rd to New Americans conference in Wichita about immigration and health. (Bates moves to use from KAW, Ostmeyer—all approved)
2. Public Comment

1. Discussion Item: Plan 2040 Draft Comments on Chapter 7: Community Resources
   • Draft Plan available online
   • Council reviewed Chapter 7, Section E and FPC comments from October 2017 that were formally submitted to the Plan 2040 Steering Committee
   • Kim, Marlin, and Jason are on an ad hoc group to draft new comments for May 20. Sarah Hartsig volunteered to join. Kim will work on a draft with the group to bring to the May 13 meeting for the Council to vote on.
   • Marlin shared that Helen presented to the Planning Commission on April 10 about the Food System Plan. Upon mention of the FPC planning to make comments the Commissioners asked for very descriptive, specific language. Not to give over-arching, umbrella language.
   • FPC members asked to share comments with Kim by April 26.
   • Helen provided background on what a comprehensive plan is and the update process since 2014.

1. Discussion Item: Update from Aggies Working Group (Focus Area: Goal 1 and Goal 2 of Food System Plan)
   • Farmers Market update: Long-range Planning Committee met April 8 with Derek Rogers, City of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Director. Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager, had hoped to be there as well but could not join. The group discussed opportunities for partnerships, including public-private.  Diane had sent an email asking about the market’s interests, and they related to the priorities the group already identified and presented at the February Final Friday event. Looking to continue engage with the Downtown Master Plan Committee.
     1. Marlin added that at the Planning Commission meeting Scott McCullough, Director of Planning and Development Services, spoke to interest with the farmers market as part of the Downtown Master Plan process.
   • Agritourism brochure: Working with Planning and Zoning and Codes to finalize a new communication piece. This has been in-discussion for almost five years. Several years ago the County updated its codes concerning zoning and codes – most codes are about what you can’t do, and with this policy they’re trying to be promotional. Current code language and pieces on the website are complex, not catchy. Want to create a new piece the encourage current farmers, landowners to think about agritourism as a way to diversify their portfolio, or have outsiders see Douglas County as a place to locate for ag-based business development. Look to increase local agritourism registrations for those already registered statewide.
     1. Helen reminded the group that in 2014 the Council looked at possible incentives. Could be a next step.
   • Climate Change and Adaptation: This new priority was set at the FPC retreat in February 2019. Have not started quite yet, but want to engage with Michael Steinle (Sustainability Advisory Board liaison to FPC), so will look the June meeting once the agritourism brochure is done.
   • Growing Good Neighbors: Dinner event at Bluejacket Winery engaged specialty crop growers, ag chemical applicators, public works noxious weed, livestock producers and crop, agribusiness retailers, statewide ag groups (farmers union, farm bureau, rural center), elected officials, environmentalists. All who attended said it was a smashing success and a helpful way to build relationships and keep working towards civility and conversation. Several attendees encouraged the need to continue the conversation. Marlin is putting together a survey to help get feedback and determine next steps. This was the first Kansas event after the program piloted in Missouri last year by national group FieldWatch.
2. Discussion Item: Economic Development 101
   • Helen and Marlin facilitated a discussion with the full council about what economic development is, and how it relates to their work and the Food System Plan. This was based on a PowerPoint the FPC had developed for food councils across the state to support Council’s engagement in economic development as a means of advancing food systems policy change.
     1. Examples of Economic Development Tools / Resources in Douglas County
        1. Tax Increment Financing
           1. Oread
           2. Bauer Farms
        2. E-communities / NetWork Kansas – gap financing for rural entrepreneurs
        3. Metro e-communities in Lawrence
        4. Chamber (Lawrence, Baldwin, Eudora)
           1. Advocacy/lobbying
           2. Business attraction and retention
           3. Locations for industrial businesses / expansion
        5. KU Small Business Development Center – business planning, growth
        6. Banks & traditional financing, loans
        7. Business incubator – free/low-cost space/land
        8. 1 Million Cups (started by Kaufman Foundation in KC, now national)
           1. Entrepreneurs present/pitch their start-up as practice, to network, get feedback
        9. SlowMoney / NE Kansas Chapter – informal neighbor-based loans for food / ag enterprises + networking
        10. KU Business School / Entrepreneurship program
            1. Wally Meyer professor has RedTire program for business succession / transition planning
        11. FPC’s recent KAW grant to support policy barrier / community asset identification with culturally-specific food retail stores
     2. Examples of local food / ag businesses (many discussed – notes reflect a summary)
        1. Industrial hemp – innovator in DeSoto looking at alternatives to plastic for food packaging that’s biodegradable; challenges for producers interested in switching some production – policy opportunity?
        2. Restaurants, grocery stores  
        3. Food trucks
        4. Tilapia farms
        5. Cricket farms
        6. Vermiculture
        7. Missouri organics
        8. Fry oil
        9. Alpaca / emu farms
        10. No slaughter house in Douglas County – barrier  
     3. Who could the FPC Engage?
        1. Steve Kelly, Vice President, Economic Development @ Lawrence Chamber and Lawrence-Douglas County Economic Development Council
        2. Imagene Harris, Manager of Economics and Operations, NetWork Kansas
     4. What questions should we ask? What else should we share?
        1. What are our current economic development policies / priorities in Lawrence and Douglas County?
        2. What food systems businesses are Chamber members?
        3. What were their perceptions from the Harvesting Opportunity in Kansas symposium? 
        4. Share out about economic development connections to the Food System Plan.
           1. Each working group to review their goal areas and pull out key objectives / policy action items that connect.

1. Discussion Item: Update on Kansas Alliance for Wellness Implementation Grant (Health Equity Working Group)
   • Connie reported that the group met with the KU Center for Community Health and Development to identify barriers for culturally-specific stores, collecting stories. Interviewing owners, customers to learn more. Just started first step.
     1. Helen will send out list with addresses to identify store owners.

1. Staff Report
   • Helen shared that there is interesting discussion across the US among sustainability offices about supporting food waste, including a report released in February by the Natural Resources Defense Council. As part of a national network, Helen and City of Lawrence Solid Waste Manager Kathy Richardson are joining a working group of peers to learn more.
   • The USDA, EPA, and FDA have launched a new collaborative on food waste, and declared April Winning on Food Waste Reduction month. Helen and Sarah Hartsig are collaborating on a press release to try and highlight local work.
     1. Echo national collaboration message and reflect diversion + impacting hungry populations and reducing waste for sustainability (USD497, Just Food, KU dining for post-consumer waste); goals/actions in Community Health Improvement Plan and Food System Plan  
     2. Forward is working with KU students for survey and to share survey via personal social media networks – Elizabeth sent it out to FPC members
   • Helen shared that Jasmin Moore Sustainability Director presented to the City Commission on April 9 about climate change, and more actions may follow. On May 1, Helen will engage the County Commission in a study session discussion about opportunities to discuss open space planning and preservation, which could include efforts relating to agriculture land preservation.  
   • Helen reminded to look at the staff report for lots of upcoming conferences that may be of interest.
   • The Lawrence Common Ground program is talking with Extension about submitting a grant proposal for program development at its 5-acre incubator farm site. Helen will update if the grant is awarded.
2. Future Agenda Items
   • May:
     1. Connie Fitzpatrick to report on her conference in Wichita on immigration and wellness.
     2. Working groups to report out about economic development connections to the Food System Plan
     3. Forward working group update – including update on single-use plastics from Michael Steinle, SAB liaison
   • June:
     1. Push back presentation from Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department on Community Health Improvement Plan + Health Equity Report

1. Key Takeaways Review
   • There’s a lot to learn about economic development!
   • Economic development can learn a lot about food systems / engage with FPC more regularly.
   • Heard significant progress from all of the working groups – great to hear. Nice to learn more about what they’re working on, how to support.
   • Starting to see intersection of topics, how they connect.

1. Member Updates
   • Michael reiterated the Vice Mayor and Mayor are very interested in a policy statement about climate change – presented a policy statement to SAB last week for elevating climate as priority across the City and with dedicating funding. SAB approved the statement unanimously and is looking forward to next steps. Interested in linkages to carbon sequestration and hemp production with FPC.
   • Kim updated the group that her position at the University is being eliminated. She asked for ideas/opportunities that relate to Sustainability, Education/Outreach, Event planning, Communications.
   • Connie applied for 9th Street Grant for East Lawrence community cookbook. Got to the next round and she’ll present on Saturday for the next stage.

1. Adjourn (Lindquist, Fitzpatrick—all approved)