May 17th 2022 NDLFDA Monthly Membership Meeting
from North Dakota Local Food Development Alliance
NDLFDA Membership Meeting
May 17, 2022
- Welcome: Meeting called to order at 2:00 pm
- Introductions.
- Stephanie Blumhagen, NDLFDA chair, FARRMS executive director, Bottineau
- Ellen Knudsen Duffy, NDLFDA board member, River Road Gardens and Lightspring Solar, Bismarck
- Felicity Merritt, FARRMS Program Manager, Fargo
- Craig Burns, NDLFDA Vice chair board member, UND Social Work professor, Wana Wota Food Pantry, Devils Lake
- Jill Haakenson, USDA Rural Development, BFRDP, Devils Lake
- Claire Lowstuter, NDLFDA board secretary, Bismarck Local Foods Coordinator, Folly Hill Farm, Bismarck
- Ann Olson, Hilltop Farms, Strengthen ND Local Foods Coordinator
- Karen Ehrens, NDLFDA Board member, Bismarck
- Francesca Zetar, NDLFDA AmeriCorps applicant
- Mary Podoll, NRCS State Conservationist
- Jan Stankiewicz, NDSU Extension, Bismarck
- Warm-up question: How are you welcoming the warmer weather?
- 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.
- Nourish Means . . .
- What we do as a local foods alliance is more than creating marketing opportunities. We are trying to nourish our communities.
- Food Systems Diagrams
- Industrial food systems vs local food systems
- 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.
- Nourish Food System Map
- FARRMS Sustainable Ag Intern lesson:
What Are Sustainable Local Food Systems?
- Discussion on Mission, and Vision (2:20 - 2:35pm)
- Mission Statement - “What do we do and who/what do we do it for?”
- 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.
- 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
- ND Compass Article (2:35 - 2:40pm)
- NDSU center for Social research publication
- Article on NDLFDA by Karen Ehrens and Stephanie Blumhagen
- Update on Farm to School in ND (2:40 to 2:47pm)
- Notes from 4/26/22 Farm to School Discussion
- Purchasing local foods can be complex or confusing for schools. Both real and imagined barriers exist.
- Parents are contacting schools and pressuring them to buy local but don’t understand the complexities of purchasing local products (focus on beef).
- Funding for Farm to School Producer Education
- $2,000 stipend
- Available to people who attended training in fall of 2021.
- Trainings have to happen between March 16th and September 30th.
- Could it be used to develop a Farm to School cookbook?
- Incorporate amounts relevant to schools, like how many ½ and ¼ cup servings the recipe makes.
- Quantity foods cooking can be very different from cooking for a family at home.
- Farm to School promotional video?
- NDLFDA Farm to School Folder
- AmeriCorps Position Update (2:47 to 2:50pm)
- Member Updates (2:50 to 3:00pm)
- View Updates: ndlocalfood.org/home/recent
Meeting adjourned at 3:02 pm by Chair Stephanie Blumhagen.