Kane County Agriculture Committee met April 19.

By Kristine Gonzales-Abella

Jun 10, 2018

Here is the minutes provided by the Committee:

1. Call to Order

Chairman Smith called the meeting to order at 10:00 AM.

Attendee Name Title Status Arrived

Margaret Auger Board Member Present

Theresa Barreiro Board Member Present

Don Ishmael Board Member Absent

Michael Kenyon Vice Chair Present

Myrna Molina Board Member Present

Jarett Sanchez Board Member Present

Thomas Smith Chairman Present

Also present: Co. Bd. staff Duffy & Nagel; Development Dir. VanKerkhoff & staff Hill, Tansley; ITD staff Peters; Finance staff Dobersztyn; Deputy Auditor Oscarson; and members of the press and public including Steve Arnold with the Kane County Farm Bureau and Teresa Schryver of NIFB.

2. Approval of Minutes: March 22, 2018

Result: Approved With Voice Vote [Unanimous]

Mover: Margaret Auger, Board Member

Seconder: Michael Kenyon, Vice Chair

Ayes: Margaret Auger, Theresa Barreiro, Michael Kenyon, Myrna Molina, Jarett Sanchez, Thomas Smith

Absent: Don Ishmael

3. Public Comment

None

4. Partners

A. Kane County Farm Bureau Updates - Steve Arnold, Manager

Mr. Arnold provided an update on the annual Touch-A-Tractor event held on April 6-8. They had about 2,100 attendees and awarded $27,000 in scholarships. The event raised $8,378 from Pillow Pet sales. All of the proceeds went to the victims of farm related accidents. Arnold provided information on upcoming events including The Farm Tour in May and The Farm Bureau's Annual meeting in December. This will be a ticketed event and held at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago.

B. Northern Illinois Food Bank Updates - Theresa Schryver, Communications Specialist

Ms. Schryver announced they have a new Food Bank location in Joliet. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on May 4. The new location will handle 50% of retail recovery and allow them to source a million+ meals. Schryver discussed their new partnership with Starbucks. NIFB has hired drivers to pick up the prepacked meals each night from 70 different stand-alone stores. The meals will then be distributed to soup kitchens and shelters. Schryver reported they are 1.5 mil pounds below last year because of retail partners closing. Chair Smith asked about other retail options. Schryver explained the challenges with finding retail partners.

C. Fox Valley Food for Health - Susan Leigh, Co-Founder & Executive Director

Referencing a presentation not included in the agenda packet, Ms. Leigh provided an overview of Fox Valley Food for Health program, which started five years ago. The program teaches teens the value of cooking and eating healthy. They help prepare and deliver food to families with serious illnesses and chronic diseases. So far, they have delivered 42,000 meals. The program is run out of a building at the Kane County Fair Grounds. In response to a question about funding, Leigh explained the program is funded through events and small grants.

5. Presentations/Announcements

A. National Good Food Network Conference Recap - Matt Tansley, Land Use Planner & Janice Hill, Executive Planner

Referencing a presentation included in the agenda packet, staff Tansley discussed a conference he attended with Hill in March. At the event, they learned about the Agri-cultura Network, which is a cooperative comprised of nine farms. The network has a partnership with the South Valley Economic Development Center. Tansley and Hill visited the center and said it operates like a food hub. Agricultura Network's primary markets are high-end restaurants and schools. Their CSA program provides subsidies for lower income families. (Auger leaves at 11:00 a.m.)

B. Farm to School Opportunities - Janice Hill, Executive Planner

Referencing a presentation included in the agenda packet, staff Hill shared three areas of opportunities for future growth. She discussed the challenges in promoting local produce to institutions and colleges. Food hubs have a gap that has caused a need for working capital funds. There has also been a funding challenge for providing farmers with training on safety compliance and certification. Hill promoted the Farm to Cafeteria Event on May 15. Various Institutions will demonstrate cooking from scratch and provide a chef inspired meal. The 2018 Frontera Farmer Foundation grant winners were Rustic Road Farm and Trogg's Hollow. Brief discussion followed.

6. New Business

None

7. Reports Placed On File

Result: Place Written Reports On File [Unanimous]

Mover: Michael Kenyon, Vice Chair

Seconder: Theresa Barreiro, Board Member

Ayes: Margaret Auger, Theresa Barreiro, Michael Kenyon, Myrna Molina, Jarett Sanchez, Thomas Smith

Absent: Don Ishmael

None

9. Adjournment

Result: Adjourned By Voice Vote [Unanimous]

Mover: Michael Kenyon, Vice Chair