updates
Wander, Michelle M
Folks
Wanted to share
· Info from Pattsi Petri (still can’t figure out why her posts don’t go through sorry)-
Pattsi wanted folks to know about a “proposal to create a Champaign County Local Food Council is on the County Board Committee of the Whole agenda.
You can read the draft proposal and other supporting documents here
https://sites.google.com/site/p2district6/news/champaigncountylocalfoodpolicycouncil--draftproposal
The proposal was deferred until 13 March. There are problems getting this past. Two issues expressed--a view that sees local foods and thus land use in competition with row crops. I just learned this view. Second, argument that this ought to be done by extension and not create another county level of government. So any thoughts or arguments that you can pass along to me as a counter, would be appreciated because I am going to have to make good arguments to get this passed. I will also need lots of people to talk in favor of the council.
If you are interested in speaking in support of this I think Pattsi can help coach. To speak one signs in. If you would like your comments put in the public record, give a hard copy of them to the CB chair. If you can not attend, feel
free to send your comments to Pattsi and she will read them into the public record.
· Info on an online discourse about sustainable agriculture that could be of interest to you.
The first call takes place today at 3 PM central time http://agroecologyandsustainableagriculture.org/?p=543.
· Also, the Edible Economy group has been making lots of progress and is developing a proposal for the DCEO that would help fund efforts to facilitate development of a farmer coo-op and the development of food hubs. I think Lisa Bralts has been following along. ASAP will try to interface with this effort to move conversations related to value-envt based purchasing policies along.
· And, Cynthia Haskins and Steve Ayers are hosting a “Meet the Buyers” event on March 27 for farmers who might be interested.. will forward that email in a second.. (sorry for clogging your box)
· And, did folks in our loose knit CU local foods group want to meet sometime?
Michelle
Roach, Rebecca R
Hi Michelle – Are you going to be on the ‘online discourse?” I will try to be on. And if the local group wants to get together, I am happy to offer our house as a place to do it. B
Rebecca Roach MS RD LDN CDE
Teaching Associate, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
386 A Bevier Hall, 905 South Goodwin
Urbana, Illinois 61801
MC – 182
Wander, Michelle M
I was but got on late.. did you?
Roach, Rebecca R
I heard you – but was having to do other things while I listened. I know more about MOOCs (or whatever) but still not sure what the purpose of this one would be. Cool that the Farm Bureau is doing their distributor/farmer thing. And WHY IN THE WORLD is it so threatening for us to have a Local Food Policy??????????????? B