Monthly Meeting Notes: October 2010
MEETING NOTES
MEETING ATTENDEES (count 12): Edgar Hicks, Larry Kurtz, Kareca Moore, Neel Montgomery, Stephanie Ahlschwede, Kay Stevens, Jenifer Valandra, Jason Valandra, Kristy Carlson, Aja Kniep, Nancy Williams, and Susan Whitfield
OLD BUSINESS:
2nd Annual Food Summit: A Blueprint for the Harvest – Nov. 19 & 20, 2010: Updated and reviewed conference schedule with three tracks: home, food system development and business & community. Still seeking volunteers to serve on Summit committee, please contact Susan Whitfield, project manager at 972.7330, nomoremptypots@gmail.com. See schedule on www.nomoreemptypots.org.
NEW BUSINESS
- Nebraska Legislative Resolution 453 (LR 453): Food Desert Study. Senators Brenda Council and Tom Carlson introduced LR 453 for the purpose of examining “food deserts” in the state of Nebraska. The goal of the study is to identify potential policy interventions in order to increase access to and utilization of nutritious food choices for residents in underserved areas.
- Many thanks to Coalition members: Annette Artherton, Omaha Economic Development Corporation and Edgar Hicks, NCR SARE for accompanying Susan Whitfield, NMEP Project Manager to Lincoln, NE to testify before the Agriculture Committee of the Nebraska State Legislature on Friday, October 22, 2010.
- Community-Based Participatory Research project (UNMC, College of Public Health): Kristy Carlson and Aja Kniep, UNMC, College of Public Health graduate students, selected NMEP for their Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) project. They educated the group on the CBPR process and developed research questions based on the initial discussion of a commercial kitchen education program. The program will help train families and individuals to prepare healthy food, including local and seasonal ingredients and possibly serve as an incubator for food related microbusinesses. The results of the discussion will provide the foundation for funding proposals with a research based evaluation plan.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- People’s Garden School Garden Pilot Program: NMEP was invited to support and help develop a plan with this $1MM USDA FNS grant in partnership with the City of Omaha Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, Douglas County Health Department, metro area school districts and nonprofit organizations with an interest in youth nutrition and school gardens. The planned proposal submission is November 8th.
- Community Commercial Kitchen-Family Housing Advisory Service: FHAS and NMEP will collaborate with others on funding proposals as needed to prepare the kitchen so that it becomes a more useful community asset. The results from NMEP’s kitchen survey will be used to determine the feasibility of modifying an existing kitchen resource. FHAS will convene the meeting on Thursday, October 28, 2010. For more information, be sure to complete the survey before Wednesday, Oct. 27.
NEXT MEETING
Date: Saturday, December 4, 2010 @ 10:30AM
Location: University of Nebraska-Omaha, College of Public Affairs & Community Service (CPACS), Room 132D
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