Minutes of Milwaukee Urban Agriculture Network, February 20, 2007

by Nicole Penick

I. Introductions were given by those present:

Ken Leinbach,
Marcia Caton Campbell
Nicole Lightwine
Sharon Adams
Julilly Kohler
Pam Mehnert
Margaret Bert
Erin Kanuckel
Jamie Ferschinger
Peyton Covey
Stephanie Philllips
Maragret Brill
James Godsil
Jan Christianson
Camille Mortimore
Sally Callan
Martha Davis Kipcak
Ann Beier
Mary Lou La Monda
Young Kim
Ginger Lee
Nicole Penick
Will Allen
Ron Doetch
Janet Gamble
Susan Gavelle
David Boucher

II. Mapping Project- presented by Mary Lou Lamonda

Found several maps already in Milwaukee
Green Map Milwaukee from 1997
Go to wisconline.com/green map to view the Green Map
Main goal of Map for this group is show impact of our work
Map can show correlations of neighborhood stabilization with gardens or school nutrition with school gardens ( examples to demonstrate impact)
Need a location to house the map and someone to update it

Possible layers to the map would be:

• Community gardens
• Vacant lots in city
• Soil compositions of sites
• Water resources
• Organic Food availability
• Garden types: food, flowers, orchards, rain

Kyle Nowel offered to create the map for free if we provide all needed data

Jack at Bicycle Federation offered to do the listings of vacant lots and gardens if the addresses match the Department of Transportation listings for $40 /hour
Also UW-Madison has interns who could work on the project
Base Maps are available- the cost is the GIS system and someone to keep it updated
Also important to map people ( growers, purchasers of food)
Important to keep the map at an accessible organization- possibly Urban Ecology Center
Mary Lou Lamonda will continue to work on this with Ken Lienbach
People should send ideas for what should be included on the map, what it should show etc. to Mary Lou Lamonda

III.Name and Mission of Group – Sharon Adams

Possible Names, decision will be made next time--- but MUAN— Milwaukee Urban Agriculture Network seemed the most descriptive.

Mission that was presented: “An info exchange network that enables community building and self organized collaboration around local urban food projects. “

Meet Monthly or alternating months as suggested by Ken Leinbach since everyone has so much on their plates:

• Present one project/ organization in depth at each meeting
• Present on global connections and world projects
• Check in on each others’ projects
• Eating and networking
• Policy discussion and formulation
• Advocacy—especially need to get City to acknowledge Urban Ag is a permanent, community development use for vacant lots

• Web page link—Mary Lou La Monda will be working on setting up a wiki-page
• Map available
• Need saving and local sources for seed in Milwaukee a suggestion for group

IV. System Development for the group

• Systematically come together with consistency to share information
• Meetings would have a tight format so as to get through news then have time to socialize
• Learn information- network – possibly work on policy issues
• Chance for self forming groups around particular interest to network/emerge
• Group is not an artificial project-generated association
• Group is not a fund raising group
• Examine what systems each organization members are feeding into/out of and how group fits into bigger picture – the why of what we do
• Want load lightened- through sharing information around the table and share issues related to public policy and not reinvent the wheel for each project—an information bank
• Next meeting bring a community member/leader to mentor and join our network
• Important to speak cohesively on food policy/ urban agriculture/ food security to the press and media
• Take off individual plates the issues around public policy (?)
• Grass roots method spreading what works and what doesn’t work
• Important to center around issues as a group and also create and build relationships among members as issues will change but still need cohsion
• Educator curriculum to help others—help sponsor and advertise workshops
• Be prepared to insert issue into upcoming elections
• Sponsor films and lectures in the alternating months between meetings
• Employment seeking and advertising network

V. Action Items for Next Meeting

• Nicole Penick will take comprehensive notes which will be emailed to Jan Christensen and others interested in reviewing them
• Jan Christensen CDC will bring minutes and agenda copies to the meetings
• Each group will write a 200 word max. on their work as it is related to food , urban agriculture etc.
• James Godsill will put a wiki space up for Urban Agriculture group
• A database of everyone’s information will be updated
• Meeting dates will be the third Tuesday of the month
• Next meeting March 20th, 4PM at Growing Power
• Some discussion on possible list serve and mass email communications nothing decided

VI. Shared info:

• Community Building Workshop through American Gardening hosted at Growing Power and Urban Ecology Center to bring more neighborhood leaders to the table and provide resources to them by developing skills etc.
• Greening Communities Curriculum was shared with group
• Spin Workshop in March- Small Plot Intensive workshop for how to develop the economics and profitability of selling produce in urban centers—Grower who designed this method has grossed over $50 thousand off one acre plot. Farmer is coming to teach and Michael Fields is video taping it,. Also training manuals available and at the workshop
• Goal is to get people interested and implementing this type of farming in Milwaukee through examples

• Academy of Learning and Leadership is hiring 20 educators in science and social studies for interested applicants who like hands on teaching. Interviews over next three weeks. All-milwaukee.org for info
• Part time marketing position at UEC open also two educator positions will be opening up
• May put announcements on website only in future
• Outpost is hosting a mini film screening on Urban Agriculture related themes over Earth Day weekend in April
• Slow Foods is hosting a film screening of “ Living on the Wedge” on April 23 Monday

VI. Meeting Recap

• Continue work on Green Mapping project
• Scribe/ distributor of minutes/ agenda established
• Website will be created
• Common interests are emerging
• Next meeting we will come together and decide on our name and mission
• In 200 words or less we will share who we are
• Focus on food development, community development and business development

Planting season has begun!

Bring seeds to share next time

Updated resource list with websites etc.