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Growing Connections Workshop Notes

Clallam, Jefferson Counties Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Center – Red Cedar Room May 26, 2017

1) Welcome and Introductions

Attendees introduced themselves, the organization they represent, and briefly spoke about their personal goals for the workshop. For some this centered on their desire to get involved with the emergency food network in their community, and for many this revolved around how to build upon the work that is already happening within the community – increasing the efficiency and cohesion of many ‘fresh-to-food program’ strategies already being utilized.

Patty Lebowitz (Sequim Food Bank) Jen Hay (WSU Extension – Clallam) Joe Sharkey (OPHCC/ OEAAC) Juliann Finn (WSU Extension – Clallam) Nick Hoffman (The Farm, Sequim) Kelsey Dosh (WSU Extension – Clallam) Karen Kastel (WSU Extension – Jefferson) Tracy Wilking (WSDA) Kellie Henwood (WSU Extension – Jefferson) Clea Rome (WSU Extension – Clallam) Bob Schroeter (Clallam EDC) Carlos Osorio (Blondie’s Plate Restaurant) Jamie Collier (A3 Family Farm) Neil Conklin (Bella Italia Restaurant) Lisa Bridge (Sequim Farmers Market) John Farias (Peninsula College Student) Laura Titzer (Northwest Harvest) Rachel Ryan (Northwest Harvest)

(Table 1: Workshop participants)

2) Workshop Overview

The workshop began with an overview of Growing Connections and the Produce Portal. Growing Connections is a Northwest Harvest program that seeks to provide support and resources for implementing local strategies to increase the amount of fresh produce available to food program clients. Such 'fresh-to-food program' initiatives are vital in supporting access to healthy and nutritious, fresh food. Community collaboration is fundamental to developing and sustaining successful F2FB initiatives. Growing Connections seeks to facilitate the development of community relationships that increase the amount of fresh, nutritious food to clients and bolster the hunger relief system across the state.

The latest tool we have developed is the Produce Portal, which is a web-based platform for connecting local growers (ranging from commercial growers to community gardeners, home gardeners, and anyone else that wants to grow fresh food for food pantries!) and food banks. You can access the Produce Portal at https://growing-connections.org.

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We will be continuing to discuss, get food programs and growers signed-up to use the site, and providing further support going forward. Additionally, Rachel Ryan, the current AmeriCorps VISTA working on the Growing Connections project, will be reaching out to interested organizations and individuals to help them get started on the Produce Portal.

The ultimate goal of today's workshop is to create actionable solutions and viable timelines for implementing certain goals set out during the first Growing Connections Workshop. This will require participants to review the goals outlined in the previous workshop and to select specific goals on which they would like to focus. We hope you will think about your organization and your role, and vision how you can collaborate with others to be involved!

Goals:

1. Understand and think about how to use Produce Portal within your community 2. Review the challenges, opportunities, and resource sharing potential outlined in the first

Growing Connections workshop 3. Examine the goals laid out by the participants in the first workshop, which are grouped

into four categories: Organizational (new programs, internal enhancements, fundraising opportunities); Collaboration and Education; Distribution and Transportation; and Outreach and Communication

4. Choose which of the many goals groups would like to focus on 5. Participate in calendaring exercise to create actionable next steps to begin or strengthen

‘fresh-to-food program’ initiatives

3) Produce Portal

A review of the Growing Connections Produce Portal allowed new workshop participants to learn about this interactive online tool. Participants were given a ‘How To’ handout and walked through the steps of accessing and using the Produce Portal. Once the overview was complete, attendees asked questions about the site, its functionality, and how it might fit into their community. Additionally, participants were informed about the upcoming outreach from the Growing Connections AmeriCorps VISTA, Rachel, that will allow them to increase their knowledge about and set up profiles with the Produce Portal. The website can be accessed here: https://growing-connections.org/.

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4) Overview of First Workshop

After reviewing the Produce Portal, attendees were asked to participate in a gallery walk where they reviewed flip chart paper outlining the challenges, opportunities, resources, and goals that were laid out in the first workshop. The goals created in the first workshop were split into four different categories: organizational; collaboration and education; distribution and transportation; and outreach and communication. Participants had a moment to revisit (or review for the first time) these goals and decide on which ones they wanted to focus. After reviewing the goals, participants split themselves into the following work groups:

(Table 2: Work group participants)

5) Group Discussions

The goal of the group discussions was to choose three or four goals from the larger list of goals and to create actionable solutions around these goals. For a full list of the goals created in the first workshop, please reference the Clallam-Jefferson GC Workshop One notes. Each group worked at a table, narrowing down the ideas on their individual flip charts and taking notes on large pieces of butcher paper. Each group spent time selecting the goals that were both most important to them as a group as well as goals they saw as possible to attain. The following are the goals on which the groups chose to focus:

Organizational Collaboration & Education

Distribution & Transportation

Outreach & Communication

Create processing center (1)

Continue to network with stakeholders (1)

Work on more coordinated fresh food distribution system between the 2/3 counties (Clallam/Jefferson/Kitsap) (1)

Food bank personnel and volunteers to come to farms to meet/make connections with farmers (1)

Form a multi-food bank ‘buying club’ to purchase from farms (2)

Continue to work with existing resources to travel around to food banks (education and cooking) (2)

Find a funder for a refrigerated truck to increase delivery capacity to west-end (2)

Meet and greet between farmers and food bank managers to help facilitate and create better

Organizational Collaboration & Education

Distribution & Transportation

Outreach & Communication

Patty Lebowitz Jen Hay Karen Kastel Joe Sharkey Jamie Collier Lisa Bridge Tracy Wilking Nick Hoffman

Karlena Braley Kelsey Dosh Bob Schroeter Kellie Henwood Clea Rome Carlos Osario Juliann Finn

Neil Conclin Alana Linderoth

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communication pathways and relationships (2)

Create an identity at the Farmer’s Market that connects with food issues (3)

Trade fresh produce for fresh fish; coordinate delivery and pickup between eastside and west-end (3)

Increase F2FB purchasing money (3)

(Table 3: Breakout group goals)

Once each group made their final selections of three goals, the attendees traveled around the room, visiting the tables of the different groups, and reviewing and commenting on the chosen goals of the other groups. This collaboration allowed for all participants to be comfortable with and invested in each goal on which the workshop was focusing. The following notes were recorded on the butcher-block paper at each table:

Organizational Work Group Notes:

- Processing center – collaborate with existing food hubs or processor - Secure money to purchase from local farmers - Every season contracts with farmers so they can plan to grow based on secure funds - Could restaurants assist with processing strategy?

(Image 1: Complete list of Organizational goals from first Growing Connections workshop; selected focus goals for second Growing Connections workshop)

(Image 2: Diagram of processing center ‘fresh-to-food bank’ model)

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Collaboration and Education Work Group Notes:

- Utilize Peninsula Food Coalition rather than create a non-profit - Create open and welcoming environment for all shoppers - Increase accessibility for all shoppers at the Farmer’s Market - Develop the identity of the Farmer’s Market – have it be reflection of and accessible to

the entire community - Communication with Farmer’s Market

o Marketing EBT accepted o Cooking demons that feature lowest cost recipes o Education materials to target EBT uses o Kids cooking classes o Coordinate with WIC SFMNP

(Image 3: Complete list of Collaboration and Education goals from first Growing Connections workshop; selected focus goals for second Growing Connections workshop)

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Distribution and Transportation Work Group Notes:

- Overall – Portal already exists – good to promote and maximize - Is there a truck already? (No, Clallam has a minivan for multi-use purposes - It only holds

1 pallet) - Peninsula Food Coalition is working on coordinated food distribution - Trading fish for fresh produce is very ambitious – what do you plan to do with that?

(Smoke or can it) - Veggies for fish is an inequitable trade (need an appropriate trade i.e. Neah Bay = little

fresh produce and lots of fish) - Could restaurants serve as hubs/ stopping points in distribution channel? (Yes, if they

have the capacity and cold storage)

(Image 4: Complete list of Distribution and Transportation goals from first Growing Connections workshop; selected focus goals for second Growing Connections workshop)

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Outreach and Communication Work Group Notes:

- Farmers need to communicate with food banks about the food bank needs. What can you grow off season?

- Have local/ regional coalitions – or WFC – focus energy here - More money from WSDA for F2FB - “Large” farms may already have connections to food bank/ would be better for

someone (extension office) to organize small farmers meet and greet to make connections with local food banks

- Utilize Peninsula Food Coalition to fund or facilitate all these ideas/ goals - Farmers are maxed out. Doing what they can. The equitable solution is finding ways to

buy from farms. - Outreach at healthcare facilities – where are the people that need to be reached? (I.e.

walk-in clinics, free clinics, tribal centers, etc.) - Strengthening relationships between: producer; food banks; consumer/patron/client

(Image 5: Complete list of Outreach and Communication goals from first Growing Connections workshop; selected focus goals for second Growing Connections workshop)

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6) Debrief

After fleshing out their chosen goals and creating actionable solutions, each group was asked to share their strategies with the larger group. This process began with a calendaring exercise where the groups posted their solutions onto a large piece of butcher paper with monthly calendars from June – November. Some groups chose to put their Post-its on the calendars before they presented their plans, and others chose to add their Post-its during their show and tell. Each group came up with some wonderful, actionable next steps, which are outlined in the calendar below*:

*Key: Organizational: goal one (OR1); goal two (OR2) Collaboration and Education: goal one (CE1); goal two (CE2); goal three (CE3) Distribution and Transportation: goal one (DT1); goal two (DT2); goal three (DT3) Outreach and Communication: goal one (OC1); goal two (OC2); goal three (OC3)

Action Planning Calendar

June July August OR1 – June 1 – meet with Skill Center to discuss whether could start processing center

CE1 – (monthly) – Clallam food Coalition (of FBs, WSU, Farmer’s Market) meet to discuss FB needs

CE1 – (monthly) – Clallam food Coalition (of FBs, WSU, Farmer’s Market) meet to discuss FB needs

OR1 – end of June – expect to receive funding to start feasibility study for processing center

DT1 – throughout July- envision ideal system

DT1- end of August – create a case for funding

DT1 – end of June – map existing food distribution system

DT2 – throughout July – explore idea of sprinter van and HarvestNode trailer

DT2 – throughout August – pros/ cons of transportation

DT2 – end of July – find ownership of transport

DT3 – throughout August – develop ratio of fish to fruits and vegetables (think about nutrient density)

CE3 – by mid-July – begin outreach and promotion of SNAP/ EBT at the Farmer’s Market

OC2 – throughout August – begin to create food access map

September October November CE1 – (monthly) – Clallam food Coalition (of FBs, WSU, Farmer’s Market) meet to discuss FB needs

CE1 – (monthly) – Clallam food Coalition (of FBs, WSU, Farmer’s Market) meet to discuss FB needs

CE1 – (monthly) – Clallam food Coalition (of FBs, WSU, Farmer’s Market) meet to discuss FB needs

DT2 – throughout September – identify funding source/ stream

CE3 – Nov. 1 – start process of securing incentive program

CE2 – mid-September – cooking demonstration that features low-cost recipe

CE2 – Nov. 1 – start to plan schedule of Jr. Chef events for May-October 2018

OC3 – begin to collaborate with food banks and produces to organize annual growing calendar to ensure diversity of local food

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December 2018 CE1 – (monthly) – Clallam food Coalition (of FBs, WSU, Farmer’s Market) meet to discuss FB needs

CE1 – (monthly) – Clallam food Coalition (of FBs, WSU, Farmer’s Market) meet to discuss FB needs

OC1 – end of year – local organization organize annual in-person meet and greet

DT1 – May 2018 – complete mapping and distribution project

OR1 – end of year – publish results of processing center business plan and begin fund raising

OC2 – May 2018 – tap into community network and expand emergency food network

OC3 – Winter 2018 – finalize strategy for annual growing calendar

(Table 4: Action planning calendar)

7) Next Steps

After the groups shared their strategies and action plans with one another, they brainstormed how they intend to continue their collaboration moving forward. They decided to:

a. Include an agenda item about their ‘fresh-to-food-bank’ programming at every Peninsula Food Coalition meeting

b. Utilize and refer to the GoogleDoc contact sheet and calendar to stay connected with other participants from the workshop

c. Stay in touch with Growing Connections and be thinking about how to integrate the Produce Portal into the upcoming growing season