Present: Blythe Battram, Urban Seeds; David Brenner, Vanderburgh Farm Bureau; Casey Williams, Purdue Extension; Andrew Smith, Purdue Extension; Arlinda Payne, EVV Chapter Black Nurses Association, Memorial Baptist Church; Helen Azarian, EVV Public Library; Lacy Wilson, Purdue Extension; Bill Hemminger, UE garden master; Robin Mallery, Urban Seeds; Ashley Tenbarge, St. Vincent; Lisa Myer, St. Vincent
Discussion:
- Market on Main
- Social connection–benefit, draw to venue
- SNAP utilization less this year at new location than last year
- Different clientele at MoM?
- Suggestion to share market info to TriState Food Bank to connect with backpack program students (Patchwork and Dream Center)
- Outreach has been made to local Family Services office to share fliers for SNAP at the markets with clients
- Suggestion to attach a Power of Produce voucher to the backpack flier
- Community Bulk Food Buying Club — Casey
- Initiated from Promise Zone’s access healthy food workgroup
- Modeled after Top Box, Chicago
- Funds to Urban Seeds per Welborn’s HEAL grant
- Average ~ 40% lower cost per shopping trip
- Boxes of all/any foods
- Hire Coordinator – 12 hours per week @ $15 per hour, up to 20 hours in year 2
- Deaconess purchasing power for food procurement
- TSFB p/u and deliver to receiving sites
- Referring sites/agencies
- Work with families who are motivated
- Food Bank and pantries do not/cannot engage in financial transaction
- Casey reviewed the rough process, which is being finalized
- Grow into a membership program for new families in 2ndyear
- Local farmers will be brought in as able
- Community/Incubator Kitchen, indoor grow
- PZ annual / federal convene meeting in April to review best practices presented the idea
- Farm on Ogden as example
- Incubator farm and incubator kitchen
- Shared kitchen to mitigate food waste
- TSFB became available as they are moving to a new site
- Fridge/freezer
- Indoor grow in additional warehouse space
- Shared kitchen
- Food rescue
- Question: Who pays for heating/other costs
- Grants are plentiful from HUD, USDA
- Passive income from kitchen space rental — home producers, chefs, caterers; and from leased space for indoor farming
- Big questions:
- How do we distribute food effectively? Capacity is only one piece of the opportunity – a bigger issue is HOW do we engage consumers to actually buy/enjoy food that is grown or sold affordably?
- Is convenience food the ONLY way to go? How do we invite families in to the paradigm of cooking from scratch – low cost fresh food and SNAP frozen food?
- Many details to be worked out with many partners
- PZ flow chart by Julie McCullough, PhD
- Detailed flow chart mapped by Julie to capture food system opportunities (attached below)
- Solicitation of volunteers for any or all of these opportunities, many of which were talked about today
- Open Agenda
- Trauma Informed Nutrition Care & Education workshop offered in September
- Included in HEAL grant per Welborn to bring TINC&E to Evansville
- ~30 participants — educators, agency staff, Food Bank, pantry volunteers
- Links: https://www.leahspantry.org/leahs-pantry-team/qa-with-monica-bhagwan-about-our-trauma-informed-work/ and https://www.leahspantry.org/what-we-offer/resilience-building-nutrition-education/
- Memorial Baptist Health Fair this Saturday August 3rd, 10 – 2, – 100 participants, 25 vendors
- Funded by UpGrade grant
- Focus on healthy eating
- Screenings will be offered
- International Food Day event, hosted by Urban Seeds, October 16th 3:30 – 5 PM
- Next EAFC meeting October 23rd
- Trauma Informed Nutrition Care & Education workshop offered in September
Julie’s flow chart: