Seattle Good Food Network: February Meeting Highlights

This evening the Seattle Good Food Network (SGFN) held their fourth meeting at the Capitol Hill Library. More than 40 people attended, representing a diverse group of interested individuals and organizations such as University of Washington, United Way of King County, Seattle Youth Garden Works, 21 Acres, Seattle Urban Farm Company, and Full Circle Farm.

SGFN Asks Who Are We?

Every new organization is faced with a list of tough questions: who are we?; what’s our vision?; what’s our mission? As the group pondered these questions, there was general consensus that a centralized good food network presents a unique opportunity to connect organizations and individuals; potentially becoming an incubator of ideas, an info-sharing forum, and coordinated advocacy body. Concerns regarding social justice, inclusiveness, and the balance between advocacy and reflection were voiced, as well as compliments about the mobile nature of the meeting. There was also discussion about community outreach and the role it should play in the network–is the network reaching out to organizations, consumers or both?

The answers to these tough questions and others will form the foundation for the network moving forward, ultimately shaping its role in the region and determining its membership base.

What’s On the Horizon

As part of the City of Seattle’s Year of Urban Agriculture, SGFN is organizing an event this summer being referred to as the Community Good Food Summit. A committee has formed to work out the details of the Summit, including the date, venue and format.

Spring into Bed, Seattle’s first annual garden building event, has been officially scheduled for May 8. For a bigger impact, the event will be coordinated with similar efforts underway in Portland and Olympia. Stephanie Snyder Seliga, lead organizer for the event, is seeking volunteers to help with planning and outreach. For more information about helping out, click here.

The Washington Food Policy Council Bill has moved beyond the Rules Committee in the Senate and is now being considered by the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources February 19. To show your support for this legislation, you can either call the Capital switchboard at 1-800-562-6000 or send your individual legislators an email. If you’re not sure who to talk to, you can find out which legislators serve your area by clicking here.

There were also a number of grant opportunities mentioned whose submission deadlines are coming up in early March:

Wallace Center Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Grant - Letter of Intent due March 8.

WIC Fruit and Vegetable Community Partnership Grants – Grant Application due March 10.

EPA’s Community Action For A Renewed Environment (CARE) - Proposal due March 9.

Upcoming Network Meeting:

Date: Thursday, March 18, 4:30-6 pm
Where: Douglas Truth Library Branch (Central District)
2300 E. Yesler Way (corner of Yesler and 23rd Ave)
Bus lines: 48, 4, 27

Past Meeting Minutes:

October 23, 2009 Meeting Minutes

December 3, 2009 Meeting Minutes

January 21, 2010 Meeting Minutes

For more information about March’s meeting, please contact Kara E. Martin at 206.850.2877 or via email at kara@martinandsanders.com.

Related posts:

1. Seattle Good Food Network: March Meeting Highlights
2. Seattle Good Food Network: Meeting Highlights
3. Come Join Seattle Good Food Network’s February Meeting

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