EAT Minutes February 2009
EAT Minutes February 2009
February 25, 2009 at 12:30 pm, WVC Room 1033
The meeting began at 12pm and concluded at 2:00pm. Next meeting is March 25, 2009 from 6:30pm to 8pm at the Tree Fruit Research Station lunch room. If Wenatchee World conference room is available in evenings, we may meet there.
Members Present: Rich Colson, Joan Qazi, Kim Lohse, Michel Wiman, Angela Schaub, Colleen Donovan, Bob Gillespie, Mike Brogan and Doug Bergstrom.
Dates to Watch For:
· March 4, 2009: Women Farmers Round Table at Sunshine Market Produce
· March 8, 2009: Sustainable Connections. Methods to start a buy local campaign up in Bellingham. $45 registration fee. Please let Sherri know as soon as possible if you are interested in attending as registration is now due.
· March 17, 2009: Good Food film sponsored by EAT and CFC at Wenatchee Valley Museum from 7pm to 9pm. Film looks at sustainable food systems in PNW.
· March 19 to 21, 2009: Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Portland hosted by CFSC. Heifer International has offered to sponsor two individuals (registration only) to attend the conference and two low income farmers through CFSC to attend. Attendees will be required to participate fully and report back to EAT members.
Treasurer’s Report: $1856.30 is the current balance. $30 check for Seeds of Change is still outstanding. $210.60 needs to be paid for 100 directories via Print Guys.
New Thoughts and Reminders:
· Leavenworth Based Community Farmers Market Meeting: Michel reported that they are in the process for putting a proposal together for the Leavenworth mayor. Help is needed for putting the proposal together. Eric Link has volunteered to be the market manager. They are currently looking for more produce growers. Blog.ncwsustainable.org is the blog site for this group.
· Farm-to-Table Networking Meeting: Follow up from November meeting. Thanks to Richard Kitos from La Bonne Terre for hosting the event. Pastries were donated from the NCT Skills Center Culinary Arts program courtesy of Betty Palmer. Scott Parsons of The Healthy Gourmet donated the Mountain cookies. Attendance count was 43. Food Pavilion, Top Foods, Harvest House, Lemongrass Natural Market, Colonial Vista, and Viscontis all came as buyers. Discussion ensued for different types of workshops held and best time to hold them. Consensus was for informational meetings to happen less often and networking meetings to happen more often perhaps even in the summer time with the option for farmers to be represented by EAT volunteers with price sheets, etc. A donation jar would be a good idea for the next meeting. Locations suggested: Lone Pine Fruit stand, Sunshine Farm Market, Lake Chelan Lutheran (Solid Rock Farm).
· Farm to Table Directory: Thanks to Amy Simonson for producing the Farm to Table Directory—big hit at the networking meeting! Consensus was to distribute remaining directories to all who are listed in them and then to pass out to other buyers and farmers locally. There are already several who want to be added. Forms should be uploaded to the website and attached to the next printing of the directory. Could charge $3 each after the next printing and/or advertize the Print Guys on the back.
· Sustainability Center: Rufus Woods has donated use of El Mundo building to CFC and IRIS. EAT might be able to have a presence with Farmhouse Table. Kim reported that the Wenatchee World Pressroom Theater was also offered for meetings.
· Garden For Food Workshop: This event, which was open to the public, was sponsored by the Chelan County-WSU Master gardeners. 30 WSU master gardeners were there with 100 community members in attendance. Various displays were available for the public to peruse. Workshop surveys were handed out with positive feedback. There was a request for more advanced gardening concepts. 2 class levels taught at the Land Trust office/TFREC. Classes will be free and focus on food gardening.
Committee Reports
· CFA A draft of the final report has been put together by Joan Qazi. Colleen arranged for Ellen Bliss-Stettler , UW Geography student, to work with EAT to create ten maps for the report. Expense of maps will be donated by Heifer International. Other maps include sites of school gardens in relation to school districts and schools interested in installing; sites of existing community gardens in relation to population density; CSA programs, farmers markets; farms that supply foods to CSA, co-ops and farmers markets; retail food stores relative to population density and levels of poverty; public schools using 50%+ reduced meals; food processors; seasonality of produce. Once maps are produced, a local foods lunch will be hosted for community leaders to present our findings (post photo novellas at the luncheon).
· Community Gardens Agriculture students will be putting in a garden at Wenatchee Valley College. Peshastin-Dryden Elementary is moving forward on building a school garden. Foothills is putting together a compost system, hoping to incorporate lunchroom salad waste. Newbery/Sunnyslope/FMS are getting ready to seed. Heifer International has donated some seeds to school gardens. Seeds of Change has not responded yet. The Agriculture department at Wenatchee Valley College has donated the use of their greenhouse. Thank you to Bob and Leo.
· Gleaning Michel Wiman has been working with Julie Fine about the possibility of Vista volunteer to work on gleaing programs for local food bank, women’s resource center, etc.
· Media Richard Kitos was on KPQ last week to talk about the Farm to Table meeting
Follow-up on Topic(s) that were discussed in this meeting:
· Volunteers were asked to distribute the Directories. Joan has 50 more.
· Farm to Cafeteria Conference potential attendees must contact Colleen Donovan right away.