Food Policy Council (FPC) Meeting on Mon, September 16, 2019 - 6:00 PM

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Meeting Information

Monday, September 16, 2019

6:00pm to 7:30pm*

 

Vesecky Family Farms

1814 N 600 Rd, Baldwin City, KS 66006

*Please note time change for meeting start.

 

Food For Thought for Today’s Meeting:

Douglas County residents spend nearly $300 million on food annually. 2017 Douglas County Food System Assessment

 

  1. Farm tour
  2. Action Item: Administrative Items
    1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval
    2. Approval of August meeting minutes
  3. Public Comment
  4. Discussion: Climate and Energy Project- Climate and Health Declaration
  5. Update:  Growing Kansas Agriculture- Strategic Action Plan for Growing Douglas County Agricultural Growth
    1. Advancing Food System Plan Goal 1, Objective 1: Develop Local Food and Agricultural Business
  6. Discussion: Fall Food Forum  
    1. Forum purpose and scope

Purpose: Re-engage broader community with Food Systems Plan and associated work

  • FPC member and community learning, capacity building
  • Celebrate progress over last two years
  • ID linkages, connections, network
  • Hear priorities from community in advance of 2020 FPC retreat

Theme: Community wealth, health, & resilience

Format:

·        1 community gathering with keynote speaker, with broad community audience

·        1 more intimate conversation/ dialogue with keynote speaker and the Food Policy Council members

·        1 opportunity for the Food Policy Council to share their progress with the community and collect some feedback from the community to inform next steps.

 

    1. Working Group breakout
      1. Identify 3-5 successes in each working group you would like to share with the community. Discuss how you would like to share the information (will there be a handout? Oral presentation?)
      2. Develop a list of what needs to be accomplished before the Oct 21 FPC and event
      3. Report out to the group
  2. Staff Report
    1. Kansas Leadership Center- Leadership Transformation Grant 2019 report and 2020 plan
  3. Future Agenda Items
    1. Working Groups discuss their Food System Plan goals and health equity connections
    2. Receive KU final report / discuss actions on report findings (October)
    3. Rotating reports from working groups

       
  4. Key Takeaways Review
  5. Member Updates
  6. Adjourn

 

**Next Meeting: Monday, October 21, 2019 at Stull United Methodist Church 1596 E 250 Rd., Lecompton, KS 66050 at 6:30pm.

Monday, August 19, 2019

6:30pm to 8:30pm

 

Lumberyard Arts Center

718 High St, Baldwin City, KS 66006

 

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

 

Absent: Jason Champagne, John Pendleton, Scott Thellman

 

Staff: Jasmin Moore, Amilee Turner- Sustainability Fellow

 

Public: several members from the public were in attendance

 

Food For Thought for Today’s Meeting:

Of 945 farms in Douglas County, 86 sell products directly to area consumers. 2017 Douglas County Food System Assessment

 

  1. Action Item: Administrative Items 6:36
    1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval (need 9 for quorum) Motion to approve by Marlin, second by Michael. Approved
    2. Approval of July meeting minutes. Motion to approve by Marlin, second by Sarah. Approved.
    3. Pendleton member update. He is interested in coming back later. Would like to ask for an approved absence until the end of the year (4 months). Marlin, motion to make an exception to the bylaws with the condition that he let the FPC know in December. If he intends to return. Second by Michael. Motion passed.
  2. Public Comment
  3. Presentation and Discussion:  Ruaa Hassaballa from the KU Center for Community Health & Development shared preliminary findings for Kansas Alliance for Wellness Policy Implementation grant with Health Equity working group.
    1. Advancing Food System Plan Goal 4, Objective 1: Apply Equity Principles to Local Government Food System Efforts
    2. Interviewed all store owners. Preliminary finding shared in a handout. (get document from Ruua).
  4. Presentation and Discussion: Growing Kansas Agriculture: Strategic Action Plan for Growing Douglas County Agricultural Growth
    1. Advancing Food System Plan Goal 1, Objective 1: Develop Local Food and Agricultural Business
    2. Presentation by Russell Plaschka, Agribusiness Development Program Manager/Workforce Development with Kansas Dept of Agriculture and Marlin Bates.
      1. https://agriculture.ks.gov/AgGrowthStrategy
      2. The Kansas Dept of Agriculture is looking for direction from counties about which agricultural growth industry sectors are desirable in their community. The state identified 19 sectors of interest, and hopes to grow the Kansas economy and agriculture industry.
      3. The Aggies working group has a strong interest in engaging the Douglas County community in conversation about available assets, needs, and which industry sectors are ideal to promote in Douglas County.  The goal is to complete the recommendation and submit to the state by the end of the year. There was a discussion about using some of the remaining FPC budget to allocate to this effort, but it was not called to a vote.
      4. The Aggies will meet next Wednesday, August 28, 8:30 a.m. to discuss public engagement strategy. There are a number of stakeholders who could be involved in this work including, but not limited to, state and local chamber of commerce, Peaslee Tech, Health Department, and Community Health Plan.
  5. Staff Report
    1. The Sustainability Advisory Board presented a recommendation to the City of Lawrence Commission to implement a $0.16 fee for plastic and paper bags. The Commission expressed support. City of Lawrence staff will meet in September to discuss additional areas of research and develop a plan to bring the issue back to the City Commission before the end of 2019.
    2. Sustainability Office staffing changes: Sustainability and Food System Analyst position beginning the interview process.
    3. Call for application: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Local Foods, Local Places program. Grant application deadline September 30, 2019. Communities with projects located in federal designated Opportunity Zones will receive special consideration.

The Local Foods, Local Places program will provide selected communities planning assistance that centers around a two-day community workshop. At the workshop, a team of experts will help community members develop an implementable action plan that promotes local food and neighborhood revitalization. Click here to see examples of action plans from community workshops organized through this assistance.  This assistance is not a grant, and the program does not provide money directly to communities.

  1. Future Agenda Items
    1. Working Groups discuss their Food System Plan goals and health equity connections (September)
    2. Receive KU final report / discuss actions on report findings (September)
    3. Climate and Energy Project- Climate and Health Declaration (September)
    4. Rotating reports from working groups
  2. Key Takeaways Review

     
  3. Member Updates
    1. FORWARD working group is working in partnership with several community partners (KU, USD 497, Health Dept, and Lawrence Restaurant Association) to develop and distribute a Food Waste Tool Kit. They plan to roll out the tool during Lawrence Restaurant Week 2020.
    2. Farmers Market Permanent Location efforts. Several FPC members engaged with people at the Lawrence Saturday Farmers Market and shared the work of the Architecture students from last year and spread awareness about a market permanent location. People were very engaged.
    3. Tyler and Sarah presented about the FPC Food Waste efforts at the Kansas Environmental Conference.
    4. Kim will be on a panel to discuss the Food Plan System, Thursday, September 26 in Wichita.
    5. Connie is hosting an exhibit, August 24- “Untold Stories: Douglas County Social Movements from 1968-2018.”
  4. Adjourn 8:41 pm Motion by Michelle, second by Christina.
  5. Upcoming Meetings

Date

Time(s)

Location

Who helps coordinate / make arrangements?

Monday, September 16th

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Vesecky’s Farm, 1814 N 600 Rd, Baldwin City, KS 66006

William Vesecky

Monday, October 21st   

 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Stull United Methodist Church

1596 E 250 Rd., Lecompton, KS 66050

Brenna Wulfkuhle

(staff coordinate)

Monday, November 18th

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Eudora City Hall / Chamber / Library (?)

Staff

Monday, December 16th

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Cider Gallery / Bon Bon

TBD

 

Time and Date

Location

Vesecky Family Farms
1814 N 600 Rd, Baldwin City, KS 66006