Community Food Network Meeting Notes

Community Food Network Meeting

Date and Time: September 9, 2013

1:30pm to 3:00pm

Location:  MSU Extension Office (Ionia)

Attending:  Margo Burton, Amanda & Tony Lask, Lynda Richter, Pam Hotchkiss, Adam Ellsworth (VISTA @ UW) Billie Patterson (VISTA @ UW), Heather Jackson (Great Start- Ionia), Mindy Train (Great Start- Montcalm), Ross Pope, Gordon Moeller, and Penny Beeman

Committees

• Gardens & Pantry Committee: 
• Greenville Trailside Garden:  Finished Final Report for the grant from the Greenville Community Foundation, bought a few picnic tables to place under the pavillion, will be hosting members of the Greenville Community Foundation to visit the garden on Oct 13th.
• Ionia ISD Garden:  has had a great growing season with lots of zuchinni and green beans that are being sent to Zion Food Pantry and Belding Food Pantry.  Will check with Tamice on numbers.
• Higbee Acres:  has had lots of people tour the garden, selling produce at Farmer’s Market, lots of canning taking place, etc.  Needs a pitchfork for next year.  Has lots of tomatoes and pie pumpkins if anyone is interested.
• I-M Kids Food:  Ionia ISD received a grant to begin this program with an estimated start of Jan 2014! program will provide a sack supper to up to 500 kids/5 days a week, will start with 1 school in Ionia and 1 school in Greenville with hopes to expand to include additional schools, grant includes funds for hydroponic greenhouse, busing student groups in to volunteer, etc.  Main program will be run out of the H.O. Steele Building on North M-66.  ISD VISTAs are visiting High Schools throughout Ionia & Montcalm County during September with Hunger Action Month Presentations and will be doing Food Drives for select items needed for I-M Kids.
• Washington St Garden/First Presbyterian Garden:  Veggies are ripening quickly, onions, califlower, etc has been stored for later, potatoes and carrots are almost ready, soon will be holding a soup dinner,  tomatoes and peppers are ready now, if anyone wants cherry tomatoes please stop by!
• Portland Branch Produce Patch: (didn’t plant this year due to health issues) working on next year’s plan, will let Penny know needs.
• Angels in the Making:  Preschoolers are enjoying lunch from the garden (pictures in our blog), verticle seed starting was done this year, step-by-step available, would like compost supplies next year.
• Losing gardens next year due to closing- Muir Christian Food Pantry, North Plains Garden, Crayon Box Day Care
• Awareness & Resource Committee:  
• Bertha Brock Fall Fest- September 21st, 10am-4pm  Jen Dugan will set up the booth in the morning, will create a display board with QUESTIONS/ANSWERS for unusual lessons learned in garden at Higbee Acres.  Penny will set up a Food Drive Display.  Still need volunteers to work this booth in the afternoon!
• Educational Committee:   
• Harvest Celebration - October 26, 5-8pm  General timeline:  5pm Potluck, 6pm Workshops, 7pm Volunteer Awards,  Workshops are still being confirmed, once set and invite will be emailed to CFN Partners to share with their volunteers.  Penny will email all workshop leaders an event plan with all the basic info about this event.  Penny will get Lynda a Walmart Gift Card to purchase supplies for table decorations that can be used as Volunteer Prizes, World Wide Kids will build decorations on Oct 7th at their meeting.  If anyone else would like to set up a display/workshop please contact Penny ASAP.
• Volunteer Recruitment & Projects:  
• GET CONNECTED  The United Way & Volunteer Connections will be switching from HandsOn Connect (our online volunteer management software) to GET CONNECTED which is a much easier online system, volunteers will be able to sign up for opportunites with their Facebook Account, organizations can receive a 1 hour training to manage their page.  The first training is set for Sept 17th @ 10am at H.O. Steele, contact Penny if you’d like to attend.  This system will be launched for volunteers on Sept 25th!

Upcoming Events

• County-wide Food Drive   
• Sept 30th Recipient Registration Workshop 4-7pm at the MSU Extension (REQUIRED FOR ALL RECIPIENTS!)  October 11th - Recipient Registration Deadline!
• October 21st Mini-Drive Kick-Off 4-7pm at the Ionia ISD - pick up supplies, marketing materials, and general info for hosting a mini-drive!  (Food Drive Committee Meeting beginning at 7:30pm)
• Mini-Drives may take place October 26th through November 22nd!
• November 22nd - Collection Day at the ISD from 8am-6pm
• November 23rd - Food Pantry Pick Up Day

The next meeting will be the on October 7th at 1:30 pm at the H.O. Steele Educational Building.  There will be a 1 pm tour of this facility for anyone helping to plan the Harvest Celebration.

For a printable version of these notes visit our Google Doc!