The Results of the Second Sustainable Food Meeting and an Update
The Results of the Second Sustainable Food Meeting
The Second Homegrown, Homemade, Hometown Sustainable Food Meeting was held yesterday, February 7th, and was a great success. I think everyone went away seeing more of the vision of rural economic development through food based enterprises, and how they might fit into the project.
The meeting focused on 2 elements. First, Jim Crandall and Elaine Cranford of the UNL, Nebraska Cooperative Development Center walked the group through the principles of cooperatives. Their presentation taught me, at least, that a cooperative is a type of corporation, but rather than getting monthly returns from an investments, members of the cooperative benefit from the services it provides to them. Jim and Elaine’s presentation can be viewed, above, under the heading “COOPERATIVES”.
The second part was more envisioning – led by Shawn Kaskie and Carrie Stitham, from the Rural Research and Development Center at UN – Kearney, the group was asked to project to a year in the future – February 7th, 2013, and where the project stands now, after a year of operation. To meet the goals and ideas that were raised will be a tall order – meeting the consumer needs both individuals and businesses – distributing fresh and processed produce in farmers markets, grocery stores, schools, senior centers, and restaurants throughout the 4 counties.
This is a doable goal, especially with the enthusiasm expressed by the group. Representing the grocers, the institutions, individual growers and processors, it was reassuring to see the themes come together. The next meeting will build on the idea of the cooperative and develop the tools necessary to bring it all together as a working enterprise that meets then goals of the group.
The third and final meeting will be held on March 6th, at the same time and location.
Moisture
I had expected fewer people to show up for this meeting because of the weather. For more than a week we had been waiting for this weekend – as all of the forecasts were predicting that we would get much needed moisture – beginning with rain, and switching over to snow. Like a clockwork it began snowing as the temperature dropped, and Saturday we had receive the equivalent of 2 inches of moisture – in the heavy 6 inches of snow and rain that preceded it. Finally, winter came to Southeastern Nebraska.
On Tuesday morning the north wind drifted the over the East-West highways and dangerous black ice threatened the turnout of the meeting.
Thanks to all of those who braved the weather to attend the meeting.
The Land
Corn Field
Our House
Projects
Slowly we are making our way through the projects – finishing up the underground electrical connection to the building, preparing for lights and the use of power tools in the spring.
The building had remained untouched since the fall – and we worked to remove all of the interior walls, salvaging enough fir tongue and groove 1X4’s to build 2 or 3 produce bins for the Farmer’s Market, and perhaps a table or two. We pulled the plaster off the rear wall in preparation of removing the flooring, installation of new electrical wiring and plumbing for the new commercial kitchen.
The Building
In the basement of the house I built a transplant table from sawhorses beneath a sheet of plywood. It is heated with an electric blanket covered with 2 – 10 mil sheets of plastic, and lit with 4 2X4 foot grow light fluorescent light panels, suspended by pulleys to raise and lower them as the plant grow. Jan Braun has filled half of the table with seeds of tomato, pepper, eggplant, cabbages and cauliflower.
Transplant Table
