Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community

Proposals Submitted to BPGC Steering Committee

Project Proposal One

Title: Creating a Locally Grown Food System
Project Focus: Create 1 pilot model that can be used at all 3 partner venues and other areas (e.g. Health Dept, YMCA)
Tasks to Initiate: 1) Identify key players/contacts; 2) Learn about venue-specific limitations & conditions
Major Tasks: Develop pilot projects; nurture institutional support; public relations & promotion; find community $ UK volunteers
Cost: Food, equipment (minimal – depends on what is in place)
Timeline: put together an event after Labor Day (when school is back in session)
Successful: Evaluate participant support of volunteers/players
Discussion: Promoting addition of local foods to menus at partner and pilot sites; having a chef at different sites making local meal; toolkits; add chefs to partnering list

Project Proposal Two

Title: Community & School Gardens
Project Focus: Seasonal model; one community, one garden – pilot project
Partners: Schools, LFUCG, UK
Others: Volunteers, master gardeners, PTA, retirement communities/grandparents
Primary Tasks: Find locations, organize volunteers, Alice Waters proposal (Berkley project) and other funding resources
Discussion: Need to research the kinds of programs that already exist. There are a couple hundred neighborhood associations and PTSAs

Project Proposal Three

Title: School-Based Activities That Connect Students to Food & Place
Focus: History of the Bluegrass: How We Get to Where We Are Today. So where are we?
Partners: FCPS, UK, LFUCG

Others: Industry. Bluegrass tomorrow, BG Conservancy, Keeneland, Farmers Market, Kentucky Cattlemen, KDA

Primary Tasks: Audience/Support of FCPS
Major Tasks: Resources Guide, KERA Alignment
Cost: ??
Timeline: ’07-’08 Teacher inservice; Implementation: Now; Results: 0-12 years
Discussion: concept of “pick one thing” (e.g., an apple) is valuable for program building; there are projects that fit in – 1) (Gaines Center): “The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Athens of the West,” Oct. 13 & 14 – highlights aspects of KY Culture from 1792-1852 when KY was at forefront of national culture; 2) History Department program on history of KY with KET; place-based education (Kellogg Foundation, Marty Newell)

Project Proposal Four

Title: Sustainable Land Use & Conservation Education
Partners: Schools, university (students), city, farmers, farmers market, Fayette County Farm Bureau
Primary Tasks: Contact farmers willing to host and do in-school presentations; use friendly PDR Education Brochure
Major Tasks: Bring kids to farms, farms & kids; link farmers to classrooms, develop a user-friendly explanation of the importance of agriculture in the region
Costs: Farmers donate time, cost of field trip, publicity in form of promoting website/booths/GTV3
Timeline: Develop info, related items during summer; begin with classrooms in fall
Successful: If it is sustainable and continues
Discussion: “where the food comes from”

SUMMARY OF IDEAS & POTENTIAL PROJECTS DISCUSSED AT MAY 3, 2006 WORK SESSION

FARMLAND PRESERVATION

Purchase Development Rights
Reduce Chemical Use (Farm & Residential)
Increase Use of Alternative Fuels (biodiesel, ethanol, hybrids)

COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS – DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING

Selling Locally Grown Food Directly to Restaurants and Schools
Expand Farmers Market
Recipe Library at Farmers market
Link Green Purchasing to Home & Garden

Native Plant Focus

SCHOOL/COMMUNITY GARDENS

Demonstration Garden at Arboretum
Enhance Education Programs

School & Community

Food Audits
Develop Curriculum Focused on Local Issue/Resources & Linked to KERA Core Content

Project, food, land, and people

Inservice Workshops for Teachers

REQUIREMENTS FOR A “PERFECT” PROJECT

Doable
Involves All 3 Partners
Has an Educational Component
Achievable
Results Are Measurable

TITLE
PROJECT FOCUS
PARTNER INVOLVEMENT

Other Key Players

PRIMARY TASKS TO INITIATE
MAJOR TASKS TO ACCOMPLISH
COST
TIMELINE
HOW WILL YOU KNOW IT’S SUCCESSFUL?

Lunch Courtesy of:
UK College of AgriculturE, prepared by Wallace Station

School and Community Gardens

Fayette does not have an active community garden program
Kids have lost touch with the food supply/production processes
Arboretum Master Gardener program is underway
Importance of university for community-wide education mentoring
FCPS representatives unable to attend either team meeting to date
Outreach and EE committees are supportive elements for development and implementation of projects
Dept. of Agriculture curriculum (Foods, Land, & People) could be adapted
“Why Is the Bluegrass So Unique” curriculum being developed by EE committee
School and community gardens
UK Living/Learning Community, community garden on N. Limestone (6th Street Intersection)
Finding a young person to work with the Edible Schoolyard project in Berkley?
Neighborhood Associations could be information conduits
How could we coordinate community gardens among UK and LFUCG?
Can we enhance or expand existing programs? Develop new ones?
GOALS

Be the integrator/clearinghouse/instigator/coordinator?
Strong statement about value of farm, agriculture, sustainability

Development & Marketing of Commercial Products

Farmers are already selling directly to restaurants and schools through state cooperatives; legislative actions are underway to support local purchase at state parks
UK Dining Services (in-house entity) in formative stages of discussions with College of Agriculture about increasing usage of locally grown foods - structural challenges & scale issues, but models do exist (U of N Iowa)
s College of Agriculture trying to extend the season through greenhouses, etc? It’s part of existing courses. Some of the first season-extension research was done at the University of Kentucky 50 years ago. The message is that there isn’t enough sun in the winter for sustainability. This is changing – with some crops, up to 9/9.5 production months.
Pilot Project: one product education, one school, delivery
Sue Weant in meetings with KSU to provide one local meal a month from their farm
Development of Contract Language
Is North Carolina a good market? Farmers markets there are not very profitable, it is state-supported rather than sustainable
Farm-to-School Program is established in some states, will research a model; eating seasonally; most crops are produced when school is not in session
Focus on products that are reasonably deliverable
Does Bath County have a program? It’s getting underway. It’s going to be a public market with a certified kitchen. I think there’s a schools component, too.

Farmland Preservation/Purchase of Development Rights/Reduce Chemical Use – Farm & Residential/Increase Use of Alternative Fuels (Biodiesel, Ethanol, Hybrids)

Fayette Sustainable Ag, PDR program; Scott County has a study underway, Woodford is starting meetings, Boone has established program w/ staff, statewide program pays for ag conservation easements. That program just lost all its money in legislature. Maner: The farm has to be a money-making entity – that’s the key.
Equestrian Games in 2010 as a target; this team could coordinate people working on farmland preservation with those supporting sustainable agriculture; Bluegrass Tomorrow gives their presentation about smart growth to schools
Biodiesel fuels as economic development issues
FCPS use of diesel buses?
There are school systems in the state who swear by biodiesel
Transportation and green purchasing teams are looking into these issues
Voting process described
Leadership desires timely results; please consider projects that will have measurability in the short-term, mid-term, and long-term
Food audits of institutions and how they are doing their purchasing?
Curriculum - there is already existing curriculum that could be adapted and supplemented with new ed/outreach materials. How about “promoting curriculum involved with local foods, land, etc.?”
Farmland purchase development – We need to make sure that whatever comes out stresses the value of our agricultural land; I’m concerned that future elections could reverse support for the PDR programs. 8 votes on the council determines what happens in the community. Once an easement is on it (currently 16,000 acres), it can’t be changed. Getting to the kids gets to the parents. educating the public is not an easy thing to do – that’s what this Partnership can do. Perhaps Farmland Preservation should go with outreach committee. “It’s about keeping your taxes down.”
Develop and sustain political will to support green initiatives. Could that be a mission statement?
Workers attract business, not vice versa.

BREAK

Are we duplicating the efforts of other committees? the actual handling of issues like alternative fuels will fall more under transportation and green purchasing, and curriculum issues under EE. I think it is possible to make suggestions regarding fuel and curriculum to the committees, but the implementation likely will fall to those teams. Think of Outreach as a support team that, through publicity and social marketing, will help advance your projects.
You can’t separate education from these things. Anyone who wants to attend the team leader meetings should attend. We should discuss these things and bring them to the table. What about creating a resource directory (contacts, etc.) as part of a project? Distribution?

SPLIT INTO THREE WORKING GROUPS

Group One

A.
TITLE: Creating a Locally Grown Food System
PROJECT FOCUS: Create 1 pilot model that can be used at all 3 partner venues and other areas (e.g. Health Dept, YMCA)
TASKS TO INITIATE: 1) Identify key players/contacts; 2) Learn about venue-specific limitations & conditions
MAJOR TASKS: Develop pilot projects; nurture institutional support; public relations & promotion; find community $ UK volunteers
COST: Food, equipment (minimal – depends on what is in place)
TIMELINE: ([ending approval in June) put together an event after Labor Day (when school is back in session)
SUCCESSFUL: Evaluate participant support of volunteers/players
Discussion:
Promoting addition of local foods to menus at partner and pilot sites; having a chef at different sites making local meal; toolkits; add chefs to partnering list

B.
TITLE: Community & School Gardens
PROJECT FOCUS: Seasonal model; one community, one garden – pilot project
PARTNERS: Schools, LFUCG, UK
OTHERS: Volunteers, master gardeners, PTA, retirement communities/grandparents
PRIMARY TASKS: Find locations, organize volunteers, Alice Waters proposal (Berkley project) and other funding resources

Discussion:
Need to research the kinds of programs that already exist. There are a couple hundred neighborhood associations and PTSAs

Group Two

A.
TITLE: School-Based Activities That Connect Students to Food & Place
FOCUS: History of the Bluegrass: How We Get to Where We Are Today. So where are we?
PARTNERS: FCPS, UK, LFUCG
OTHERS: Industry. Bluegrass tomorrow, BG Conservancy, Keeneland, Farmers Market, Kentucky Cattlemen, KDA
PRIMARY TASKS: Audience/Support of FCPS
MAJOR TASKS: Resources Guide, KERA Alignment
COST: ??
TIMELINE: ’07-’08 Teacher inservice; Implementation: Now; Results: 0-12 years

Discussion
Concept of “pick one thing” (e.g., an apple) is valuable for program building. There are projects that fit in – 1) (Gaines Center): “The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Athens of the West,” Oct. 13 & 14 – highlights aspects of KY Culture from 1792-1852 when KY was at forefront of national culture; 2) History Department program on history of KY with KET; place-based education (Kellogg Foundation, Marty Newell)

Group Three

A.
TITLE: Sustainable Land Use & Conservation Education
PARTNERS: Schools, university (students), city, farmers, farmers market, Fayette County Farm Bureau
PRIMARY TASKS:

Contact farmers willing to host and do in-school presentations
Use friendly PDR Education Brochure

MAJOR TASKS: Bring kids to farms, farms & kids; link farmers to classrooms, develop a user-friendly explanation of the importance of agriculture in the region
COSTS: Farmers donate time, cost of field trip, publicity in form of promoting website/booths/GTV3
TIMELINE: Develop info, related items during summer; begin with classrooms in fall
SUCCESSFUL?: If it is sustainable and continues

Discussion: Maner: “where the food comes from”

Meeting Wrap-Up

Sue: “Our job as to take these projects to the steering committee, who will prioritize and take to senior administration.” Combining things that are going on that people might not be aware of.

What happens to project ideas? Go to steering committee à approval? à go to senior administration for approval à approval? à back to teams for implementation

Teams will be involved at many levels as projects go forward. Teams may need to work together on some projects. Sue will email folks to keep them informed of progress with steering committee. It would be nice to present a project at EPA Conference in August. Should a meeting be in late June? Early July, after the 4th? Timing depends on steering committee’s June meeting. Sue will email everyone with date. Need strong involvement from all partners. Discussion of Agriculture/TFCE involvement in GIS of Kentucky. Reiteration of Alice Waters proposal for Berkley project.