SFWM Meeting Minutes 2/26/08
Dom chaired the meeting
In attendance (or at least those who signed in): Waleed Al-shanna, Simeon Joffe, Jonathan Schwartz, Erika Tilley, Peter Stanton, Lynda Fisher, Carla Blades, Valerie Maynard, Sarah Dibben
Catchment area for our convivium includes western MA (including the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley) southern VT, northwestern CT, and eastern NY
Project Sprout (PS) update by Lynda Fisher
- Attended meeting 2/25/08
- SFWM added to their resource list
- Use us for backup for grants that require non-profit status
- Want us for fund raising support
- Catchall for when they solicit donations
- Water catchment & fencing are main focus right now
- planting first trial garden this spring
- giving first crop to shelters (People’s Pantry)
- “Farm to Table” dinner event to promote and educate public about program
- ideas from SFWM for Project Sprout should be directed to Lynda Fisher (lyndafisher2002@yahoo.com) so as not to overwhelm the Project Sprout team
- Establish workforce that can assist PS – this should be set up sooner rather than later so it is in place when needed.
Slow Food Initiatives & how SFWM might participate
- Ark of Taste
- identifying traditional foods that are in need of preserving and celebrating
- having traditional northeast dinner
- RAFT (Renewing Americas Food Traditions)
- plants and animals eg: boston marrow squash, pippin apples
- Farms growing food identified by RAFT and supported by a convivium so that we can have those foods available for a RAFT event
- MITP grew about 10 RAFT items last year and they were spectacular!
- Slow Food Nation (SFN)
- Giant Food fest with representation from all over the country
- farmer’s markets
- films
- artisinal food producers
- we would be welcome to do something as a convivium for SFN (to be discussed further at next meeting)
Meeting Discussion
- Potluck to be held the 13th of every month
- Rather than scheduling standing meeting, we will schedule the next meeting at the present meeting
- Next meeting is Mon March 17th @ 1 PM
Events committee, what kinds of events – Slow Food is often thought of as events – we need events committee. Think of what events we want to have.
SFWM survey draft presented to those in attendance
- find out what people interested in SF are involved in
- Several people pointed out that the shorter the better
- if it’s too short, maybe won’t get the much useful information
- maybe want to make several shorter surveys
- give some information with the survey so people will be interested and get something and then be willing to answer the questions
- asked people at the meeting to take the survey and give feedback – box will be set up at the Nutrition Center to collect them
Fund raising
- Bookloft affilate: SFWM is now a Bookloft affiliate which means that SFWM gets a small percentage (5.5% to start) on any book ordered through the Bookloft’s website IF and ONLY IF you do the following:
- Go to slowfoodwesternmass.wordpress.com (this website)
- click on any of the links to books you are interested in or general link to the Bookloft
- order any books or other merchandise during THAT website visit
- We are looking into setting up other appropriate affiliate relationships
- Combining efforts with other groups (like Project Sprout) – Pig Roast at Route 7 Grill – can make people aware of SF that otherwise might not hear about SF
- Can request RAFT trunk that displays some of what is part of RAFT – can have at events to educate people
Idea: SFWM help host large Farmer’s Market – good to have RAFT trunk at that event
Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFFMA) – we have opportunity to participate in a big way – temporary committee formed (Valerie, Peter, Carla, Jeremy, Jonathan) which will meet 3/4 at 1 PM at The Nutrition Center
SFWM Meeting Minutes 2/4/08
Slow Food Western Mass Meeting Minutes 2/4/08, 1pm, at The Nutrition Center, 94 West Ave, Great Barrington, MA
Officers elected:
- Dominic Palumbo: co-leader
- Peter Stanton: co-leader
- Simeon Joffe: treasurer
- Jonathan Schwartz: secretary
Dom chaired the meeting and reported:
- To receive notice of meetings, everyone needs to go to slowfoodwesternmass.org to sign-up.
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Through our convivium and Slow Food, members’ own projects and programs, interests, involvements and vocations, either work or personal, can easily dovetail with one another.
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There are sustainable/local/food/agriculture issues programs/initiatives at Monument High School, Mount Everett High School, and Simon’s Rock. Let’s establish mutually beneficial relationships with these.
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Dom working with Waleed (not able to be at meeting) on a survey of our convivium email list to understand interests for direction of convivium.
- will send draft to meeting attendees for comments.
- check with other convivia: have done/are doing surveys?– benefit from their work.
- anyone’s help in crafting survey (especially those with experience) would be greatly appreciated.
Dom introduced three guest speakers from Monument High: Sam Levin, Sarah Steadman, and Natalie Akers talked about Project Sprout:
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Project Sprout is a student lead and inspired effort to supplement food served in the Monument Mountain High School (MMHS) with food to be grown onsite. It is part of the Green Project at the school which a wider effort to live more sustainably.
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An additional goal of Project Sprout is to give students an opportunity to bond with nature and combat Nature Deficit Disorder
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Also create awareness about eating locally.
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Using an old soccer field (20,000 sq ft available).
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This first year, plan to plant 1000 sq ft to get some idea of what can be produced and see how it goes.
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Collaborating with Project Native (Rayna) – having a native plant sale to raise funds.
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Working with garden designers.
- There are 50+ students involved and at least one faculty member (Mr. Powell) who has put in time an served as an advisor (others have expressed interest.)
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Work is done outside of regular school hours.
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At present there is no solid agreement with the cafeteria how this will all work (Cathy Sullivan is the head of the cafeteria at MMHS.)
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Need to have a certified kitchen.
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The Muddy Brook Elementary School (MBES) is doing something similar.
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Would like to be able to combine efforts with MBES and also Mount Everett High School (MEHS) and Undermountain Elementary School (UES.)
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Would like to look into other programs that are doing similar things to learn from them.
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Peter Stanton mentioned knowing 3 food service directors at nearby schools who had an interest and/or are working in this direction (Wocester, Westfield, ?)
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Need to look at where there have been successes at introducing real food into institutional kitchens.
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Students talked about how they only have ½ hr for lunch and as a result of long lines and the limited time, their salad bar was cut. The kids took on a project on their own to be additional “lunch ladies” in order to get their salad bar back and were successful.
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The need to talk to the state was pointed out in order to make sure that program will be in compliance with any state regs.
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Plan is to donate any food that the school(s) can’t or won’t use to local food pantries.
- Apples to Zucchini – a local program to provide CSA shares to WIC families — might be a place to donate food as well.
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Sam has talked to Route 7 Grill about a pig roast to introduce Project Sprout to the community.
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Orion, Route 7 Grill and Gary Nabham — looking to do something together – Slow Food Western MA and Project Sprout might think about trying to join in too
Meeting then turned to organizational matters
- Liason appointed (Lynda Fisher) and committee formed (Lisa Noferi, Ann Rothberg, Sarah, Peter Stanton, Ann Ghitman, Shelly Brooks)
- Decision was made to have this on the same day (the 13th) of every month so that the day of the week would rotate automatically, but it would be easy to remember for scheduling purposes (same day of every month)
- First Monthly Potluck will take place 6 PM at Nutrition Center on Feb 13th.
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Regular meetings
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Some discussion about how often to have meetings – to be continued
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Some discussion of whether sub-committees should meet more frequently – to be continued
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Should there be a monthly meeting of the entire convivium? — discussion to be continued
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Next meeting to take place 2/26 at Nutrition Center at 1 PM
Hello world!
Welcome to the new Slow Food Western Mass Blog. This is THE place to come to find out and share with others all that is going on in the Slow Food movement in western Mass. Our hope is that this will be a very happening place, where people like yourself will come to find out about, learn, grow, share, contribute, discuss, and all that other good stuff. In order for it to be that kind of place we need your participation. If you see something on here and have a comment — post it. If you heard about an event that you think others in this community would like to know about — post it. If you have an idea, question, or possibly even a complaint (yes, even those) — post it. The important for you to know is that this is YOUR blog too. We invite you to participate!
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