EAT minutes July 2009

EAT Minutes July 2009

July 29, 2009 at 6:30 pm

in Wenatchee World Conference Room

 

The meeting began at 6:40pm and concluded at 8:20pm.  Next meeting is August 26, 2009

from 12:30pm to 2pm at the Wenatchee Valley College (room to be announced).

 

Members Present: Marcy Ostrom, Joan Qazi, Kerry Steffan, Rich Colson, Jim Allyn, Kim Lohse, Ginny O’Kelly, Colleen Donovan and guest, Robin Read from Food Access Coalition for Kittitas County.

 

Dates to Watch For:

 

Treasurer’s Report: The current balance is $1,547.71.

 

New Thoughts and Reminders:

Secretary:  We are still looking for a volunteer to help take minutes at our meetings either by hand or by the donated EAT laptop (makes it very easy).  Many thanks to Colleen for stepping in to take minutes for this meeting!

 

EAT website:

Joan is still trying to update the website and touched base with Ben, the webmaster.  Jim entered a lot of information on it. Ben needs to buy icons for the farm directory search (baker, meat, etc.). Goal is to make site as accessible as possible.  The icons cost $38.00.  Expense was approved. [what really happened is that Rich moved to buy the icons and everyone “mooed.”]

 

Farm to Table Directory:

We are all out of the Farm to Table Directory. Amy has been working on an updated version and has a proof. It is almost twice as long as the original version. There is a lot of interest in it.

 

The idea is to charge for this version. It will have two pages with color (page 1 and the last page). Joan passed draft around for everyone to see.  Sense is that they want to get it out now so that it is available for upcoming events. The back page has a list of past farm to table events and plans for the coming year. Ginny suggested adding quote from a past participant testifying to the event’s value. Marcy asked if it would be posted on the EAT website. Joan said that all of the information is really already there.

 

The printing cost for 200 copies is $827 of $4.13 per copy. The cost for 250 copies is $1,027 or $4.11 per copy. The idea was to charge $7.00 per copy now so that in the future when it was longer and cost more you wouldn’t have to raise the price.

 

Question: is the idea to pay for itself or build up an account?

We are not planning on mailing copies; they will be available at Farmhouse Table and other outlets plus at the Fairs and Festivals. The proposal to WSDA included funding for the directory.

Idea of adding “suggested donation” (perhaps of $10.00) instead of cost was discussed.

 

People present voted on the amount they would pay for the directory. Results: 7 votes for $5.00 and 1 vote for “suggested donation of $10.00.”  Also discussed adding that 100% of proceeds would go to benefit EAT programs. Another idea was to use this edition to indicate that future sponsorship will be available.  Marcy suggested calling Sleeping Lady to sponsor this printing.

 

Networking:

Joan met with CFC Board President Steve Kolk to discuss how the two groups could most effectively work together.  Steve will be drafting a Memorandum of Understanding to sketch out this relationship and organizational responsibilities.

 

Wenatchee Valley Museum:

The Museum is asking for financial help with some of the films for next year. They are asking for $150 to be a film partner to show “King Corn.” Last year EAT partnered with CFC to sponsor “Food, Inc.” Idea is to do the same thing this year.

 

Buy Local Campaign:

EAT is working with CFC, IRIS, and Downtown Association to promote the new Buy Local logo that has been designed by the Wenatchee World with rights given to these groups to use it to build a Buy Local campaign.  EAT member, Allison Neher, is advising on this project.

 

 

Committee Reports

School Garden Committee:

Committee members met with the Board of the Community Foundation of NCW about EAT’s grant proposal requesting $5,000 to help pay for the school garden video which will be posted on the EAT website and available to buy on DVD.  EAT member, Oly Mingo is donating time to film the video.  Production costs are estimated at $9,000 by Howell at the Moon Productions.  The Foundation was very interested and appreciated the school garden map.  They will let us know in October whether we will receive these funds.  New member, Sara Rolfs, would like to start a school garden at Mission View and will meet with Joan at Newbery garden next week.  Kerry Steffan has toured the Foothills school garden and offered to help with educational activities about school gardens, insects, and maintenance.  We are looking for ideas for winter season filming for the video with a goal to have four seasons represented in the film.

 

Question: are master gardeners involved?  Angela is in Master Gardeners and PTA president is too. Individual Master Gardeners have been helpful, like Doug Bergstrom for Foothills garden.

Idea: Master Gardeners should include school gardens in their “garden tour.”

 

Community Garden Committee:

The City of Wenatchee has broken ground on a new garden. They are using recycled materials from the City. The garden will have 20 plots – p-patch size, 10 are reserved. The plots cost rent plus 8 hours of community service. The City is looking for an irrigation control box donation.

They are also looking for help with amendments for the soil and in deciding what they should plant in the fall. Ginny suggested that they contact the prison about helping with labor.

 

Community Food Assessment Committee:

Joan is working on the “executive summary”--goal is to get it out this summer. The community profile and pulling out quotes from the focus groups need to be done too. Joan shared maps that the UW student is working on for the CFA report (paid for by Heifer).

 

Need data for two more maps:

1.      One showing value added processing (driers, bakery, dairy)

2.      One showing grocery stores in relation to population living in poverty.

 

Communications and Media Committee:

Kim Langston is working on making more EAT cards and European-style little EAT stickers.  Joan will meet with J Russell creative marketing to use the $50 gift certificate that Rich donated to EAT in order to update our brochure.

 

Follow-up on Topic(s) that were discussed in this meeting:

·         Joan will work with Amy Simonson to get the Farm to Table Directory reprinted, 200 copies, and will ask Michel Wiman to call Sleeping Lady about sponsorship.

 

Committee Sign-Up:

 

Working Group Chairperson Joan Qazi; Meeting Facilitator: Joan Qazi; Minute

Taker: Rotating ; Treasurer: Rich Colson; Webmaster: Ben Fields; Newsletter:

Fran Taber; Media Diva: Kim Langston; Fundraising: Vaishali Bhide

 

Community Food Assessment Chairperson Joan Qazi; Michel Wiman,

Colleen Donovan; Kim Langston; Angela Schaub (Data Analysis); Marcy Ostrom; Laurie Riegert; JoEllen Colson; Consuelo Coronel

 

Consumer Education Chairperson None; Kim Langston; Joan Qazi; Ginny O’Kelley

 

Community Garden Chairperson None; Jenn Crawford; Nadine Lehrer; Bonnie

Shanafelt; Douglas Bergstrom; Allison Neher

 

Suggestions for next meeting:.

 

Next Meeting August 26 from 12:30pm to 2pm at Wenatchee Valley College.

 

 

NCW Food Events