May 17th 2022 NDLFDA Monthly Membership Meeting


from North Dakota Local Food Development Alliance

NDLFDA Membership Meeting 

May 17, 2022

  1. Welcome: Meeting called to order at 2:00 pm
  2. Introductions.
    1. Stephanie Blumhagen, NDLFDA chair, FARRMS executive director, Bottineau
    2. Ellen Knudsen Duffy, NDLFDA board member, River Road Gardens and Lightspring Solar, Bismarck
    3. Felicity Merritt, FARRMS Program Manager, Fargo
    4. Craig Burns, NDLFDA Vice chair board member, UND Social Work professor, Wana Wota Food Pantry, Devils Lake
    5. Jill Haakenson, USDA Rural Development, BFRDP, Devils Lake
    6. Claire Lowstuter, NDLFDA board secretary, Bismarck Local Foods Coordinator, Folly Hill Farm, Bismarck
    7. Ann Olson, Hilltop Farms, Strengthen ND Local Foods Coordinator 
    8. Karen Ehrens, NDLFDA Board member, Bismarck
    9. Francesca Zetar, NDLFDA AmeriCorps applicant 
    10. Mary Podoll, NRCS State Conservationist 
    11. Jan Stankiewicz, NDSU Extension, Bismarck

 

  1. Warm-up question: How are you welcoming the warmer weather?

 

  1. Local Food Systems Discussion (2:10 to 2:20pm) 

Adding an education component to our meetings. We can learn a lot from other similar organizations. Today’s learning comes from the FARRMS Sustainable Ag Intern curriculum.  

  1. Nourish Means . . .
    1. What we do as a local foods alliance is more than creating marketing opportunities. We are trying to nourish our communities. 
  2. Food Systems Diagrams
    1. Industrial food systems vs local food systems
    2. These systems don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Especially in areas like North Dakota where we can’t grow all of our own food.
  3. Nourish Food System Map
  4. FARRMS Sustainable Ag Intern lesson: 

What Are Sustainable Local Food Systems?

 

  1. Discussion on Mission, and Vision (2:20 - 2:35pm)
    1. Mission Statement - “What do we do and who/what do we do it for?”
    2. Thank you Ellen for organizing the mission statement conversation and survey.  

NDLFDA brings together local food advocates, producers, and consumers to co-create resilient local food systems, resulting in equitable, healthy communities. 

  1. Vision Statement - What is the vision we are working toward?
    Breakout rooms of 2 or 3 for five minutes, five-minute report back: What is our big dream? What would “resilient local food systems” and “equitable, healthy communities” look like? Please see Notes document
  1. ND Compass Article (2:35 - 2:40pm)
    1. NDSU center for Social research publication
    2. Article on NDLFDA by Karen Ehrens and Stephanie Blumhagen
  2. Update on Farm to School in ND (2:40 to 2:47pm)
    1. Notes from 4/26/22 Farm to School Discussion
      1. Purchasing local foods can be complex or confusing for schools. Both real and imagined barriers exist.
      2. Parents are contacting schools and pressuring them to buy local but don’t understand the complexities of purchasing local products (focus on beef).
    2. Funding for Farm to School Producer Education
      1. $2,000 stipend
      2. Available to people who attended training in fall of 2021. 
      3. Trainings have to happen between March 16th and September 30th. 
      4. Could it be used to develop a Farm to School cookbook? 
        1. Incorporate amounts relevant to schools, like how many ½ and ¼ cup servings the recipe makes. 
        2. Quantity foods cooking can be very different from cooking for a family at home. 
      5. Farm to School promotional video? 
    3. NDLFDA Farm to School Folder
  3. AmeriCorps Position Update (2:47 to 2:50pm)
    1. NDLFDA Coordinator 
  4. Member Updates (2:50 to 3:00pm)
    1. View Updates: ndlocalfood.org/home/recent





Meeting adjourned at 3:02 pm by Chair Stephanie Blumhagen.