General Meeting Notes     |   18 May 2017   |   Body & Soul Healing Arts Center

Pre-meeting Networking and New Member Orientation.

1. Welcome & Meeting Overview. Stephanie Calloway, stephaniec@core-elcentro.org
   1. Gratitude to Venice Williams as host, Outpost for food, Paulette and hospitality team.
   2. Review of meeting procedures
   3. Introductions

• MFC committee updates and engagement.

Progress has been made in development of MFC standing committees. Chairs have been appointed, and charters for each committee have been approved by the MFC Executive Committee. All committees are seeking additional members, especially people of color to form a more representative voice. Please contact chairs of committees on which you are interested in serving, or write to foodcouncilmke@gmail.com.

1. Executive Committee: Stephanie Calloway is chair. EC has approved charters for each committee as listed on back of agenda, with exception of Hospitality Committee, the charter will be reviewed at next board meeting.
2. Engagement Committee: Damian Coleman is chair; elyve12@gmail.com
3. Policy Committee: Barbara Richards & Bruce Wiggins are co-chairs
4. Fundraising Committee: Erika VillaFuerte is chair; Erika_villafuerte@uhc.com
5. Hospitality Committee: Paulette Flynn is chair; pauletteflynn3@gmail.com
6. Food Security Workgroups: Nya Taryor is chair; nyataryorjr@gmail.co

Global Kitchen Community Conversations. Martha Davis Kipcak, mdaviskipcak@gmail.com

1. June 1, 5pm: Global Food Cultures and Sacred Traditions
2. July 6, 10:30am: Youth in the Arts

Community and Regional Food Systems Project Report. Steve Ventura, UW-Madison, sventura@wisc.edu

See presentation at: https://uwmadison.box.com/s/5bcub9i27ypg8un2y4s481t40kzvfd8e

Community and Regional Food Systems Project, funded by USDA. 5-year study. 30 partners, 8 cities around country. $5 million project. Half went to UW and half to community projects. Project components: Education, outreach, research, and advocacy. Academic-style frameworks were developed in each city, more alike than different across cities. Innovation Fund grants, funded 10 organizations with $50,000, each. Walnut Way, Brick & Mortar Food Co-op in Detroit, Food Justice in LA, LA Good Food Purchasing Policy, (google “good food purchasing policy”), Cedar Rapids Flood space made urban ag fields, Madison Groundworks, Chicago Composting, Milwaukee micro-farming, Boston The Food Project, refrigeration in corner store as hub to other small stores, Minneapolis, women’s environmental institute promoting indigenous practices.

Milwaukee Center for Resilient Cities: Milwaukee Food Policy Assessment: laws that are on the books, not enforcement, just existing. City has recognized food system as legitimate policy area; no comprehensive infrastructure across four policy areas, Comprehensive should cut across with a systems-based approach, work with Food Policy Council. Not just looking at food access and production, but looking at wealth strong in aggregation, processing, distributions, marketing.

And here are links to a few of the other items Steve referenced in his presentation:

• Urban Agriculture Manual:  http://urbanagriculture.horticulture.wisc.edu/
• Community Food Systems Toolkit: http://fyi.uwex.edu/FoodSystemsToolkit
• Food council research presentation (Lindsey Day-Farnsworth): https://uwmadison.box.com/s/rsstv2bffmpj9xpg0akng655id5kvzz5

Also check Steve’s powerpoint at https://uwmadison.box.com/s/5bcub9i27ypg8un2y4s481t40kzvfd8e

Final report will be presented to City of Milwaukee and become an official document.

Presentation was followed by hearty discussion regarding coordination of the many local efforts in Milwaukee. So many surveys, more being created, still not getting food out there.

1. Announcements. Please use MFC online calendar to post events.
   1. Hunger Task Force has a mobile market, partnership with Pick N Save.
   2. Hunger Task Force has initiative with nutrition educator going into schools, then bring kids to farm.
   3. CSA worker share opportunity Turtle Creek Farmers Market, volunteer for a share of produce.
   4. Food Label Survey through Deloitte. Looking for subjects, will pay $25. Final report will be made available to MFC for review.
   5. Milwaukee Farmers Union, Collectivo Humboldt 2pm Monday May 22^nd
   6. Fondy Market broke ground today.
   7. Art of Community is a new organizing and decision-making structure. Training is available. Contact Barbara Richards.
   8. Consider car-pooling or renting a bus to get people to any large event.
   9. Shepard Express has feature article about Milwaukee’s urban agriculture.
   10. Eliminating homelessness. Some of the rescue areas are not getting good food. Need more nutritious food.
   11. Karin Prime Time help seminar. Monday nights in June. Designed for older adults that want to eat healthier.
   12. Fondys Food Market has opened and is celebrating 100^th See postcard and website.
   13. This is Hunger, 18-wheelter mobile museum.
   14. June 20 2pm, invite guests into intentional community to discuss food justice and racial justice. Monique Liston is current speaker.
   15. Expanding cream city Gardens, composting, community self-drop garden, looking for volunteers. May 31 prep. June 7 build. 13^th and Juneau 56 gardens.
   16. Getting things on website. Link to
   17. Green veterans just launched in Milwaukee, get to know a vet, collaboration with Growing Power.
   18. Growing Power Green Vets and Veterans Center; Representative Goyke Wisconsin Veterans Farm Bill.

• 2017 Calendar of Meetings. Bi-Monthly Third Thursday. 9:00am-11:00am
• Thursday, 20 July, 2017 – TBD
• Thursday, 21 September, 2017 – Body and Soul Healing Arts Center
• Thursday, 16 November, 2017 – Body and Soul Healing Arts Center