FoodSecurityPartnerships

 OpenSpace2003

Food Security Partnerships

Conveners:

• TerraBrockman? http://www.thelandconnection.org
• GaryCuneen? http://www.sevengenerationsahead.org

Participants: (many many)

Summary:

• soul to the table: increase access to local food
• setting up CSA hubs and buying coops
• hok-up farmers to farmers markets
• get farmers and local fresh foods into schools
• how to reach the "middle popluation" - not the already converted
• helping "middle grops" take action on their values
• contacting faith groups and denominations... show them how to take action
• facilitate faith groups in direct buying from farmers and to support purchase of food forneed people
• make food banks and pantry sources for best, healthy food
• communities involved in sustaining agriculture - amherst amss "buy local" campaign
• sing on members of campagn and then generate pubicity for their work and rpoducts
• collaborate with existing educational material and groups - i.e. http://www.heifer.org - for the middle ground apple example... here vs. washington state
• in chicago, are there 'local farms' - not many of them
• chicago churches have land for closer urban agriculture... don: thereis and org that helps churches build land agreements with local farming groups
• eco-justice workshops in churches
  • http://www.faithinplace.org
  • build on http://www.heifer.org message and link to churches
  • tom spaulding's wife... http://www.csalearningcenter.org
• recruit farmers through churches for farmer trainng progrms tony and TomSpaulding? http://www.csalearningcenter.org
• tony - connect our rural ag trianing with urban organizations and markets, chuches center for the land of peolpe
  • rural church recruitment for farmer traingin
  • tom spaulding ag training... susatainable farms need labor
  • financial support from urban churches... shared publication about programs... educate urban church goers
  • food for urban churches and need urban families
• get local food into the super markets LABELED as "local food"
• counter rural devastations by returnin to small scale farming with local markets
• rural farmers are not close to training resources or local markets
• "tool building" needed
  • opinion surveys > support for local ag
  • univof connecticutl public opinion research services
  • new england churches also intereseted in sprawl and land use - connecticut archdiocese - as points of mobilization with churches
• groups...
  • build on current supporters in teh farmers market
  • parents and grandparents, baby boomers in retirement
  • parliament of the world's religions
  • interfaith youth corps
  • universities - urban studies, political science, political economy, econ, etc.
• A way of life: choosing a life PBS consortium ...go around to stations in illinois...
  • the whole community
  • why buy and produce local foods?
  • human - annimal connections
  • showing a different way of living and making a living
  • anchor, audiences, growing cycle... including:
    • the market "moments"
    • children - their enthusiasm
    • all ages - including the elderly
    • in raw form - the passion comes through
    • excitement is contagious