Present: Jenna Carlsson, Mary Lou Laubscher, Dave Pitman, Kathy Renfrow
Snacks: basil, tomatoes, lemons, and peppers from the backyard garden!
Announcements
· Transportation meeting 10/21 at 7pm
· Monday at NAT meeting – someone is going to come to get public input on the spray park
· The Public Health Department is sponsoring a Bed Bug Prevention Forum 10/28 at 7pm Meadow Homes School – we need to do outreach
· Friday October 22 at 6pm – Want to form an informal outreach group for SCUFI.
Program Updates
· Melinda did container gardens at the health fair. She helped kids to make over 75 container gardens with seedlings, and 150-200 more with seeds!
Sustainability Issues, Funding Changes for Future Grants (Kathy)
Big Picture Solution to Larger issues – Funders are looking for collaboration of community partners (non-profits, businesses, faith community, restaurants, farmers, school districts)to work on BIG INTERRELATED ISSUES like hunger, food production, health, food systems, nutrition/education, physical activity, economic development and sustainability (conservation of resources, air quality, storm water mitigation - #1 pollution per EPA, carbon footprint).
When we talk about food, we talk about:
- Food Production
- Food Distribution
- Food Processing
- Consumption
- Waste
Along with that, we have to be VERY CLEAR about measurements, outputs and outcomes. How we can PROVE that growing local food changes the nutrition of families that will prevent/reduce diabetes and obesity and improves the local economy. The more coordinated, the more groups working together, the better. That’s what Grant Makers are going to fund.
Main Agenda Item: How to Secure Land on the Monument Trail through the Iron Horse Trail Advisory Committee
Questions we need to answer for the Iron Horse Corridor Advisory Committee by February:
Kathy’s opinion: The Iron Horse Corridor Board wants to know not just general but SPECIFICS – a business plan presentation (where pipes are, water usage, who’s in charge of the maintenance)
1. How do we describe ourselves in this new way?
o We are the coordinator of partners MCP City food policy council responsible for growing 20% of food in Concord that will be distributed to restaurants, hospitals, and schools.
o As in BART land, MCP obtains land and permits, covers insurance. SCUFI will do training – local owned business farmers (individuals and co-ops) to be established. Advisory group (of experts and interested community residents) will be established.
o We are addressing the Iron Horse Corridor Advisory Committee to acquire their parcel of land to grow local vegetables and fruit that would be part of Sustainable Commercial Urban Farming in Concord. SCUFI is the training incubator for local farming businesses copyrighted.
2. What are we requesting? To be worked on next
3. How much land are we proposing? And where would it be placed? We have this mapped out – but work with Bruce to map out how we would be avoiding utilities.
4. How does Iron Horse Corridor proposal link up to SCUFI? To be worked on
5. Is water available? Connection to house on Mayette or City connection. We need to give SPECIFICS – which house, get a contract, and find out about City connection. Needs to be worked on
WATER: Build relationships with and connect to water source – Melinda?
- Are the neighbors ok with it?
- Are they going to be part of it?
- Will they be the protectors of it?
- Do they fully understand what it means to allow us to use their water connection and do they want do it?
- Kathy will bring in water bill. Would give idea on how much the water usage increased with the backyard garden.
- Think of creative sources: research them (Jenna)
- The city has trails that have water meters. What would that cost to do? Where are water connections for new trails? Would connecting to future trails water connections be feasible?
6. How would the project be funded? By the farmers themselves – using a business model. Community members could then rent a plot from the farmers.
7. How would long-term maintenance be covered? – Long term maintenance would be done by the local business owners themselves, who are farming the land, not as an extracurricular activity, but as a business. (Maybe 10 are local farmer owned; 14 community garden members would pay a fee but the overall production of plots would be managed by farmers)
8. How would underground utilities be avoided? See #3.
9. How would the right to use County land be obtained? The Iron Horse Trail Advisory Committee should know the answer to this.
Next Steps
- Research water possibilities
- Find out about utilities
- Really solidify advisory group
- Work with James to give professional presentation
Next Meeting Agenda: Update Iron Horse Corridor Proposal – New Draft
Next Meeting: Nov 10 7-8:30pm Keller House 1760 Clayton Rd
This Meeting Eval:
| + | ∆ |
| Small group helped to really get through proposal Good working group Big picture idea Dave talking to James that this is 1 of many Garden plots in SCUFI project | |