EAT Minutes Nov/Dec 2009
EAT Minutes Nov/Dec. 2009
December 2nd at 6:30pm to 8pm
Wenatchee World News conference room
Next meeting is January 27, 2010 at 12:30 to 2pm on WVC campus (room to be arranged).
This meeting served for both November and December due to holiday scheduling and was Moo’ed to a close at exactly 8pm.
Members Present: Mike Cochran (Secretary for this meeting), Nadine Lehrer, Rich Colson, Tony Davis, Michel Wiman, Kerry Steffan, Doug Bergstrom, Mike Brogan, Marcy Ostrom, Laurie Riegert and Joan Qazi
Dates to Watch For:
· December 14: Community Gardens Community Meeting at the Wenatchee Community Center (Veteran’s Hall Annex) from 6:30pm; Doug Bergstrom will present a discussion on companion planting. The session will be offered with translation by Nadine Lehrer and Spanish flyers are available. EAT members welcome (bring dessert).
· December 9: IRIS Regional Food Assessment Meeting at the NC Regional Library
· February 25: Farm to School Conference at the Wenatchee Valley College Campus Theater from 11:30am to 5pm by invitation to School District Food Service and farmers interested in supplying them.
Treasurer’s Report: We have a current balance of $2,469.86 with $2,000 to be paid towards printing the EAT Seasonally Calendar. Accounts receivable include $14 for two directories sold by Sandi at King Corn. Accounts payable also include $5 for community garden plot and $44 for post office box.
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 Mike for stepping in to take minutes for this meeting!
Marketing Your Organization Meeting: Marcy Ostrom attended a seminar for EAT on Marketing Your Organization. The meeting was useful for topics such as: Selling Your Vision; Message Development; Website Development; Radio Announcements; and Social Networking. Marcy collected double handouts for anyone interested in the topics. There are also quick exercises to improve marketing that we might decide to do during a future meeting. If you would like to review these materials, please contact Joan.
WIC Grant: Laurie Reigert presented on an upcoming WIC funding opportunity: Washington State WIC has received $230,000 to be divvied up amongst 10 innovative projects to promote fruits and veggies. There will be a planning seminar in January at some point and then a 2 page proposal will be due on March 5th, awarded by the end of June and the programs will run from 7/1/10 to 12/31/11. Ideas for a grant: Kitchen Groups to cook veggies (maybe in conjunction with the Promoturas; Canning clubs; Cookbook development and distribution. Contact Laurie if interested in attending the planning seminar in January. Members agreed to partner with WIC on this, so we will need at least one person to take the lead and attend the workshop on ideas.
Committee Reports
Community Garden: EAT is getting a plot for the group at a cost of $5 and 8 hours of volunteer time. The plots will be roughly 10’x10’ but might be a little smaller. There has been some hold ups with getting the plots ready due to irrigation and sidewalk installation. EAT is sponsoring a monthly educational series for the garden at the Community Center. Jerrilyn Delany conducted the first session in November on planting garlic. We brainstormed about how to get more Latino participation at the meetings. Flyers are available in English and Spanish. WSU Master Gardeners also want to sponsor the Educational meeting on 12/14 so want their name and logo on all handouts and posters. EAT has to pay for the copying of these materials.
Farm to School Conference: is being targeted to the school districts of Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, and Okanogan Counties. The goals will be to help identify how to get more local food to the districts and making direct connections between the growers and consumers. The Forestry Leaders cohort including Steve Kolk will be reviewing the Local Farms, Healthy Kids initiative and we might try to get some demonstration meals that can be done by the schools.
The conference will occur in the Theater of Wenatchee Valley College (WVC) and the Alley Café has first rights at catering. Bob Gillespie with the WVC Agricultural Department has stated that the Ag Dept might have some funding for sponsoring the main meal of the conference. There will be 100 seats available for lunch and the Alley Café is currently working up a budget number for the meal.Generally, the conference will target the Food Service Directors and Kitchen Managers, but we might be able to move down the chain of command if there is little interest at that level of any of the districts. Concerned parent groups or School Board members will be invited if the direct decision makers cannot attend. There will be a need to brainstorm networking facilitation for connecting the schools and growers. Maybe a speed dating format? The flyer is being handled by Kathleen Whalen.We need to contact midsized farms such as Alvarez, Tiny’s, Pipitone (for processing), and Tonneman’s. Marcy will help with that. EAT expenses could include mileage for presenters, midday snacks, printing costs, promotion costs, postage for the printing and promotions. We intend to ask students at NC Regional Skills Center to make break snacks if Alley Café allows.
School Garden Committee: Oly Mingo has suggested that he will produce a small clip from available footage to use as a promo for getting grants to fund the School Garden Video. The roto-tiller is parked in the Newbery Shed and there are rental agreements to complete before use.
EAT Seasonally Calendar: This year’s calendars have been sponsored by the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center to the tune of $2000. The calendars will have fewer months than last year, but will be slightly larger and have a higher quality paper, so the printing costs are estimated to be similar ~$6/calendar. Once we know cost estimate, then we can decide how many can be printed with $2000. We decided to price them at $10 each and to allow vendors to take on commission (we collect money after they have sold them). A list of 15 main distribution locations were brainstormed and members signed up for locations that they could be responsible for requesting them to carry the calendars. If anyone forgets their location, they can contact Joan, also see list under Follow-up below. Read it Again Books was the only location not assigned. We might want to identify some Cashmere locations for distribution as well, perhaps Martins?
Fundraising: Rich and Joan will meet with Rianne Perry of WSDA next week to learn why we didn’t get the Specialty Crop funding and whether we should apply for future such grants. How about an EAT film series? We had a small discussion on the topics of the movie, King Corn. Maybe EAT wants to start its own film festival focusing on food?? Possible titles include: Deconstructing Supper, Food Inc, Broken Limbs, Fast Food Nation, Good Food, The EAT School Garden teaser.
Follow-up on Topic(s) that were discussed in this meeting:
· Calendar distribution list:
1. McGlinn’s Nadine
2. Fame Nadine
3. Pretiolas Tony
4. Top Foods Kerry
5. Pak-it-Rite Mike C.
6. Wenatchee World Rich
7. Farmhouse Table Mike C. (send out to CSA list)
8. Café Mela Laurie
9. Kitchen Sync Michel
10. Sage Mountain Marcy
11. Wenatchee Natural Rich
12. Book For All Seasons Marcy
13. Lemolos Kerry
14. Lemongrass Rich
15. Great Harvest Rich
16. Sleeping Lady/Pantry Marcy
17. Red Bird Coffee Marcy
18. WRAC Joan
19. KOHO Joan
20. Anjou Bakery Michel
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; Nadine Lehrer; Amy Hendershot, Douglas Bergstrom; Joan Qazi
Suggestions for next meeting:.
Next Meeting January 27 from 12:30pm to 2pm at Wenatchee Valley College, room tba