Coalition NIFF December 6, 2007 The NE IA Food & Farm Coalition met on December 6, 2007 at noon at the Winn. Co. Ext office. Present: Joe Organist, Liz Rog, Mary Steen, Randy Uhl, Dan Burkhart, Lyle Luzum, Teresa Wiemerslage, Linda Long, Brenda Ranum, Charlie Baier, Eric Nordschow, Al Peake. The Story Subcommittee has met to layout the message we want to share about the NIFF Coalition at the Food & Fitness meetings in Jan-Mar. The Timeline was discussed. The proposed timeline is for sharing future reports/learning, as well as bringing in resource speakers in for local food system stakeholders in the coming months. We have funding left from the Leopold Center. One of the line items was to bring in a speaker. Liz will find out a name for a speaker form Pennsylvania. Dan B. will contact Crane orchard in Mich. On-farm processing school at NICC. Need to have the speaker by the end of March 17-28. Target audience would be producers and lenders. Need to report by Jan 3 for decision.
The new grant application to RFSWG has been accepted (see box below). We will be able to offer producer grants again through the Economic Development offices ($1000 per county). The members discussed the producer grants for new or expanded projects. The grant should be no more than 10% of the total project cost. (ie. $500 grant requires a $5000 project). The maximum grant award is $500. Counties can decide on the number of grants to award. Grants will be available after April 1, 2008. Scholarships will be available to producers interested in taking the "Transitioning to Organic" webcast series in JanMarch. $500 total is available on a first come basis. The students must pay the $10 session fee and ask for reimbursement. The assessments were briefly discussed. --Economic Analysis Dave Swenson is working on this. --Producer/Processor Focus Group Focus group completed and report being developed by Mark Storlie.
Upcoming Events December Dec 12: Buy Fresh, Buy Local Annual Meeting, Vinton, IA. Group discussed using the Alces Funds to help pay for Kyle Dec 12: Sustainable Ag Alternatives, Caledonia, MN Holthaus to attend a producer trip to Costa Rica. If the Registration info. funds can be used, we agreed to give him $1000 if he Dec 14: RFSWG Leopold Meeting, Ames, IA, 9:00 am presents 5 meetings within 4 months after the trip. Brenda 2:00 pm will check into the option. January Jan 3: NE IA Food & Farm Coalition meeting, noon-1:30 pm, Members reviewed the current grant balances. Winn County Extension offices NIFF Budget For RFSWG Assistance Plan (July 1, 2007 Jan 15: Transitioning To Organic Course begins, 6 pm 9 March 30, 2008) pm, County Extension offices Project Title: Building a Model Local Food System in Jan 22: Transitioning To Organic Course, 6 pm 9 pm, Northeast Iowa Part I - $13,875 County Extension offices Sponsor: Iowa Department of Natural Resources/Leopold Jan 29: Transitioning To Organic Course, 6 pm 9 pm, Center (Wallace Funds) County Extension offices Spent: $8,702.33 Remaining: $5,172.67 February (Funding needs to be spent by March 30.) Feb 5: Transitioning To Organic Course, 6 pm 9 pm, County Extension offices Project Title: Building a Model Local Food System in Feb 7: NE IA Food & Farm Coalition meeting, noon-1:30 Northeast Iowa Part II - $6,125 pm, County Extension offices. Sponsor: Wallace Center of Winrock International/Leopold Feb 8-9: Women Adding Value to Agriculture Conference, Center The Hotel Winneshiek, Decorah Spent: $4,065.00 Remaining: $2,060.00 Feb 12: Transitioning To Organic Course, 6 pm 9 pm, County Extension offices Project Title: Alces Foundation Grant - $3,000 Feb 19: Transitioning To Organic Course, 6 pm 9 pm, Sponsor: Alces Foundation Through the Leopold Center's County Extension offices Project Period: 8/01/07 3/30/07 Feb 26: Transitioning To Organic Course, 6 pm 9 pm, Spent or Committed: $2,000.00 Remaining: $1,000 County Extension offices March Mar 4: Transitioning To Organic Course, 6 pm 9 pm, County Extension offices
Mar 6: NE IA Food & Farm Coalition meeting, noon-1:30 pm, County Extension offices. Mar 11: Transitioning To Organic Course, 6 pm 9 pm, County Extension offices Mar 18: Transitioning To Organic Course, 6 pm 9 pm, County Extension offices Mar 22: Blazing a Trail, Part III. Organic agriculture conference, NICC Center, Cresco. Mar 25: Transitioning To Organic Course, 6 pm 9 pm, County Extension offices Food & Fitness Initiative January Jan 9: Regional Leadership Team meeting, 11 am-2 pm, Baker Commons, Village Luther College Jan 10: Clayton County Food & Fitness Planning Team, 6-8 pm, Clayton County Extension office. Jan 16: Allamakee County Food & Fitness Planning Team, 4-6 pm, Allamakee Extension office. Jan 16: Winneshiek County Food & Fitness Planning Team, 4:30-6:30 pm, Hovde Lounge, Library, Luther College Jan 17: Howard County Food & Fitness Planning Team, 6 pm, Location TBD. Jan 17: Fayette County Food & Fitness Planning Team, 4-6 pm, Fayette County Extension office. Jan 30: Regional Team meeting, 11 am-2 pm, Baker Village Commons, Luther College Next NIFF Meetings: Thursday, January 3, 2008, Noon 1:30 pm Thursday, February 7, 2008, Noon 1:30 pm
NEW!! Proposal to the Regional Food Systems Working Group Leopold Center (April 08 August 09) Goal: To continue implementation of the Northeast Iowa Food & Farm Coalition's strategic plan to develop new and nurture existing food and fiber enterprises in the five county region. Objective 1: This goal will be realized by bringing key stakeholders together to continue: envisioning their future food system; identifying key elements that will make the Northeast Iowa regional food system more stainable; identifying key indicators to inform stakeholders of progress toward our goals. Objective 2: This goal will be realized by continued dissemination of economic, business development, and marketing information compiled through the Northeast Iowa Food and Farm Coalition, the RFSWG and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture to food stakeholders in Northeast Iowa and throughout the state. Objective 3: This goal will be realized by bringing key stakeholders together with key resource people that can provide the information needed to foster an environmentally, healthy, social, secure and economically strong local food system. Objective 4: This goal will be realized by addressing the issues related to food policy with key policy makers throughout the food system at the local, state and national level. Identification of indicators to be collected to measure changes in the regional food system: To share estimated net economic impact data due to potential increases in local food production and consumption for five counties in Northeast Iowa To use $5,000 in small producer grants to leverage at least $50,000 in local resources for local food capacity building of producers and entrepreneurs in Northeast Iowa To gather data on local food sales of healthy, fresh and community based food sold by individual producers or groups (excluding Oneota Co-op and Grown Locally, CSA) between Aug1, 07July 30,08. To gather data on local food sales of healthy, fresh, and community based foods by Oneota Co-op and Gro...