Webinar: Monday, December 10th, 2012 at 6pm
Do you have a CSA program or are you planning to start one? Would you like guidance on how legal documents can help you achieve your CSA goals?
Farmers are invited to attend a webinar December 10th at 6pm to learn about the legal aspects of running a CSA and gain strategies for crafting a CSA member agreement to improve customer satisfaction and retention. This webinar will also discuss how to create meaningful volunteer opportunities with worker share or volunteer agreements, while also identifying potential legal risks. We will discuss setting up a CSA business, hiring interns and apprentices, and overall risk management strategies to build a CSA that can thrive.
CSA farmers, educators, and advocates are invited to attend. The legal principles discussed will be relevant to CSA farmers nationwide, although Wisconsin and Illinois examples will be emphasized for state-specific discussions.
Please register for this webinar at www.farmcommons.org.
After registering you will receive more information about how to log into the webinar. We are excited to use the University of Illinois’ user-friendly and interactive webinar presentation resources. It will be accessible for those on dial-up. Phone support will be available if you have any trouble accessing the presentation.
This webinar is presented by Professor A. Bryan Endres at the University of Illinois Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics and Rachel Armstrong of Farm Commons and the University of Illinois. It is hosted by the University of Illinois, Online and Continuing Education and funding is provided in part by the North Central Risk Management Education Center.
Some of you may know Josh Miner, former F2S coordinator for the LaCrosse school district. Josh has done some great work looking at the economics of some of the efforts to get high-quality food into medium-sized school districts. As we know, it must be economically viable to be sustainable. Josh shared his thoughts on the economics of F2S with me recently. Making Farm-to-School work in Wisconsin (for real)
When there was talk that Chicago was bidding to host the Summer Olympics, the word on the street was that bike races would happen in the Driftless. I know there are a number of bike-related events in the region and wonder if any organization is in place to organize and promote bike tourism? One of the best things about biking is that it burns lots of calories and so I can eat! So I see a natural affinity between local food and biking in the Driftless.
See the fastcompany article below that includes information on the economic benefits to biking around the country, and including Wisconsin and Iowa.
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680611/bikes-arent-just-good-for-you-theyre-good-for-the-economy-too?goback=.gde_4278819_member_172029476
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is in Madison today to award our project a grant!
CIAS is working with farmers, processors, and distributors to go from zero Wisconsin veggies in Wisconsin public schools to 1.3 million servings in 2014.That amounts to targeting 60% of Wisconsin school districts with two new food service-friendly products.
Andy Dierks, Coloma Farms, Teresa Engel at DATCP, Anna Maenner at the Wisconsin Fresh Market Vegetable Growers Association, Mary Pesik with DHS, June Paul with DPI, Cheryl Piel with the School Nutrition Association, and Mike Bell (CESoc) and Alfonso Morales (URPL) at the UW, supported the project proposal.
The project encourages two new products to the school lunch menu: Harvest Medley – a mix of root vegetables, squash and herbs – and a roasted potato blend. Both products have been successful in St. Paul and Milwaukee school lunch program trials.
Fifth Season coop in Viroqua will be working with Reinhart to get the new products to market. Maglio’s in Glendale is working with SYSCO.
Not too shabby.
Congratulations and thank you to Sarah Tedeschi and project partners for making this happen!
Culinary travelers make up roughly one-fifth of the U.S. leisure traveling population, according to the 2006 food and wine travelers study conducted by the US Travel Association. And, on average, they spend one-third of their travel budget on food-related activities.
The World Food Traveler Association is about to launch a follow-up study. If you are interested in sponsoring or knowing more, contact Laura Mandala at 703.820.1041 and laura@mandalaresearch.com
Iowa State Extension just hired Brittany Bethel as the new Regional Foods Coordinator for Eastern Iowa and the tri-state area of IA, WI and IL. She writes,
” We have a vibrant community of farmers, consumers, institutions and agencies dedicated to promoting the use of local foods, and many resources for people interested in the nutritional, environmental and economic benefits of using more food produced in our region. I will be promoting promote resources, partners and programs that will support the further growth of our local foods community.
My position is supported by the Limestone Bluffs  RC&D and the Dubuque County ISU Extension.  The deliverables include: Producer Inventory, Local Food Buyer List, Email Distribution (to share events, information, and news), Training Events, Stakeholder Meetings, Business Development Activities and Development of a Regional Food System Expansion Plan.  Other organizations involved include Buy Fresh, Buy Local-River Bend and Dubuque Eats Well RFSWG.”
Sign up for their site – she is posting many local events that may be of interest, especially for those in the Dubuque area.
Welcome Brittany!
Forward Community Investments is committing $5mil to support sustainable agriculture business development in Wisconsin.
The Sustainable Agriculture Loan Program will finance the growth and development of mission-based organizations and cooperatives participating in sustainable agriculture businesses and delivering environmental and social benefit to low-to-moderate income communities in Wisconsin.
Eligible borrowers will include nonprofit mission-based organizations, cooperatives and, eventually, for-profit small businesses operating in or supporting sustainable. This loan option might be right for you right now if you are a:
• cooperative;
• regional land trust promoting farmland conservation efforts;
• nonprofit aquaponic enterprise selling to regional markets;
• nonprofit engaged in supplying, distributing to and serving organic or small farms;
• nonprofit developing markets for local and in-state agricultural products;
• nonprofit food producer primarily using products from small farms in Wisconsin; or
• food processing, storage, or distribution nonprofit enterprise working primarily with small farms.
FCI just appointed our esteemed colleague, Will Hughes, to manage this program. Congratulations Will!
Appalachia is similar to the Driftless in many ways – multi-state, geography, transportation, communications, even culture. So is it any surprise they are actively developing their regional food economy, too? Check out this conference web site to see what people are talking about, who is organizing good works, and how they are funding the work.
Seattle is doing it – check out their up-coming event. Could we convene a meeting of chefs along the river hotels maybe? Just a thought. Weigh in please!