Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, September 7, 2010,
Item 23
23 is to consider and take appropriate action on presentation and update from the sustainable food policy board on progress made on the seven charges to the board.
Commissioner Eckhardt?
>> I just ask the sustainable food policy board to come back and give us an update.
I'm excited by their work and wanted to provide this opportunity and hopefully schedule it on a greater frequently.
>> I want to thank the judge and the county court Commissioners for allowing us to come and make a presentation.
it's an annual report that we've put together for our first year of the sustainable food policy board.
we have a little slide show that will help give you an idea of our organization for this presentation.
basically I've been the chair for this past year.
paula mcdermott is the incoming chair of the sustainable food policy board.
>> good morning.
>> we'll be taking turns going through the presentation for you this morning.
I also want to thank other members of the board for coming, randy clark.
burton.
I'm sorry.
dick pierce and katy petry.
david davenport is unfortunately not able to be here today due to health concerns.
he was going to join us, but he's unable to.
>> we'll be talking briefly about how we got established, what our organization and scope is, a rundown of what our accomplishments have been this first year, describing work in progress and then we'll -- a few minutes of appreciation for a wonderful staff and support of stakeholders and talking a little bit about future involvement.
so to start with just just an overview.
we established the sustainable food policy board, the ordinance was passed in November, November 20th of 2008.
and a group of concerned community members, including myself, randy clark, burton, and -- he was clark at the time.
rhonda rutledge from staintable food center, they have a food policy taskforce.
and we got together many times to discuss the need and the community support for a food policy board in our area, both the city and the county.
we took a lot of direction from a gentleman named mark winnie who has established food policy boards throughout the country including in the state of pennsylvania.
he recently about the same time that we were getting ourselves organized here, he established a food policy council for santa fe, new mexico and it was also a city and county board.
so we wrote an ordinance and it was passed unanimously by the city of Austin and with full support from the county Commissioners court, which we very, very much appreciate.
the-- one of the first things we did before we formed officially as a board is we thought it was extremely important to involve community input, given that there was so much interest in this area for this.
so we invited mark whin any to come to Austin and put on a full-day workshop, which he did.
and we had about 80 people attend that workshop.
it was sort after work session, brainstorming, our very first organizational efforts at a community level before board membership was even determined.
that happened in December of 2008.
out of that we had over 80 applications for board membership, which I think is very impressive for citizens board before it even gets going to have that much interest in it.
out of those 80 applications and other people who contacted the councilmembers and county Commissioners, 13 member board was appointed.
and our first meeting happened I believe in March.
>> March 30th.
>> and then we immediately followed that in June with a community meeting at carver library.
we really feel strongly that it's important to continually be out in the public, invite the public for input.
as a way of informing us and also to give us direction for our work.
so we had a meeting at the carver library, which was well attended.
we had a retreat initially to lay out sort of the scope of what we wanted to accomplish.
and basically came up with two standing committees.
and that is the food production and business committee to deal with a large range of issues concerning providing and strengthening our local food systems here, our local food economy.
and then also the -- so actually, I'm going to turn this over to paula.
>> sorry, I got carried away.
why don't you talk about the charges.
>> I'm going to talk a little bit about the organization and the scope of our board, which is very far reaching and includes -- as you know from the ordinance, it includes quite a lot of responsibility.
but basically it can sort of be broken down into two different arms. One of that is to really support the local food systems. So that includes strengthening locally based self-reliant food councilmember alvarez and the food economy in general.
and to ibt grate food production, processing, distribution, consumption and even back to waste management.
so it completes that whole cycle of trying to keep as much organic material out of the waste system and go back into the earth.
so that's the whole local food systems and it's -- the idea is to enhance the economic, environmental and overall health of Austin and Travis County.
and then the second piece is just to make sure that I really like in our creating ordinance that it's really clear that good food is a basic human right and access to that food, access to good and affordable food.
and so that is the other really important pieces, that there be good food attainable by all that live in our county and our city.
and so the second standing committee, as marla was talking about, is the food access and wellness.
so that is no small task and it includes many layers, our charges do.
so we have gotten going by having a work retreat, trying to look at the -- what we know, what we don't know, and really made a priority to try to find out as much as we can to do an assessment or get an assessment going.
so we don't -- because we don't have any funds for that, that's part of the issue.
we've been really trying to collaborate with people who are working and organizations who are already working on collecting data and finding out what exists and what is needed.
and so marla will talk a little bit more about the accomplishments.
but in addition to our two standing committees, the food production and business and the food access and wellness, we also have an executive committee and then we have a couple of working groups.
the communications and strategic alliance working group is one that we also feel is really important because like marla said, there is a huge need for community input into all the aspects that have to do with the local food systems and access to food, and so we are really trying to communicate more with our stakeholder base and try to figure out how to do that while being transparent and participating within the open meetings act and all of that.
so we are -- that's sort of the organization and the scope.
to get going.
okay.
>> so far we've been very pleased with some of the resolutions we've been able to support and write for the city and the county.
on October 15th, 2009 the city of Austin -- the city of Austin city council passed a resolution that resulted in the idea of affordable access to water for responsible farming, orange and sustainable farming within our city and county.
this included things like reviewing the possibilities for new meter rates for water use to separate those charges from wastewater charges so that water -- access to water during drought would be more affordable.
and also included a meter fee favor process.
we've been seeing some very steady work accomplishing these different aspects for the resolution over the past year.
along with that was a resolution for support for sustainable and organic farms and community gardens.
this has been quite a wonderful interdepartmental effort that the city has put forth and they have identified over 100 potential city-owned sites for community gardens and urban farms. We're in the process now of looking for a single point of contact for that, both from the community guard nenning process and the urban gardening process.
so we're looking for potentially an f.t.e.
for helping to coordinate those efforts.
we have been looking at other places around the country that have farming on public land to see -- to get some guidance from them.
specifically philadelphia and salt lake city have been doing this successfully.
so we're working on a bid process that would allow people to use public lands for food production.
>>
>> [inaudible - no mic].
...
especially on the possibility of public input, participation, I guess, as far as dealing with community farms, the model that you suggested from philadelphia.
is there any way possible you can share that with us?
>> absolutely.
>> I would like to see if if that would be a possibility?
>> we would be happy to share that.
this is a process that we really want a lot of community involvement, both letting people know that this is available and to understand how the bid processing will work.
we'll get that to you.
another significant role we've played is to support local food economy via support for farmers market.
farmers markets are one of the most important direct sales opportunity for local farmers and food producers, so we have been working both with the city health department and the city council -- one of the things we had was the city council passed an ordinance giving vendors at farmers markets the rights to sample their food and have that be acceptable to the city health.
it's sort of a new food handlers permit that allows this to happen.
it's a big boost towards helping sales improve at the farmers market.
and we're trying to find a solution for the ability for farmers markets to allow hot food preparation at the markets, another wonderful way for people to participate in all aspects of local foods, celebrating how it's cooked, being able to buy the ingredients for things there at the market.
and really giving a lot of fun and flare to their shopping experience at a farmers market.
so we're currently working with city staff to see if we can find a way to have a temperature permit for this -- a term permit for this until the rules have an opportunity to be amended next year.
there's a state taskforce that we have had also input into that is examining these rules.
basically the farmers markets have grown around the country to a point where they need to be recognized as a unique entity.
and currently they really don't fit into any of the temporary health permits categories very easily.
so we're running into a lot of roadblocks there.
one of our rules as a board is to help remove barriers and roadblocks to the local food economy.
we're working on that.
we are -- we put a proposal together for a 69,000-dollar proposal to be able to work with the city of Austin, a bc prevention grant.
it was for a university assisted help with doing a food assessment.
one of our goals is to get a food assessment done in our city and county area and we've been partnering with a number of people to try to accomplish that.
and at every opportunity we're trying to seek funding as well.
let's see.
we've had input to solid waste services master plan in our advocacy for composting as a solution and part of the recycling and reuseability of our resources.
composting and soil health is critical to the local food economy.
we have helped the rooster boosters in their advocacy for the ability of backyard rooster ownership in Austin.
and we are successful with that.
and basically that's sort of an overview of what we've done this first year.
I'm going to turn this over to paula to talk about some of the work in progress we have.
>> yeah.
and I did want to point out we also within our standing committees have been looking at access quite a bit as well.
and making sure -- right now we're still sort of in the informative pieces of that, but making sure that there is transportation relative to the emergency food resources.
looking at trying to get more local food into the emergency food resources that exist in Travis County and in the city.
and just still trying to get the landscape about what exists and what the needs are and what are the gaps.
that's one of our main works in progress is the total access to good food.
and we're also very interested in what's happening with the schools and we've had -- as y'all know we are an advisory board and so we advised this court and the city council.
and so because school districts are a separate governing body we're trying to figure out what our piece can be in supporting more farm to school projects and also more education for young children and the whole school system.
and we've had presentations from sustainable food center on their farm to school initiatives and pilots as well as from urban roots, which works a lot with older school age children as interns.
and on owe I should say young adults.
and who work on all aspects of food production and marketing and all of that.
so we are working on that and we are very much looking at what is happening around the country.
and in terms of what other municipalities and counties have done, and I would say that in our research on best practices and benchmarks that it is -- the idea of having a city-council sustainable food policy board is really cutting edge and the places that have done that have been really successful in helping to affect the school system and -- the food system and the way the food gets there.
so I do really thank you all and think that this has been really a nice first year in terms of working together with county and city appointees on this.
and I'm trying to figure out and negotiate the different systems. So we've also -- so the one thing that we mentioned is as part of the resolutions that the city has been working on in terms of accessing public lands and making them available for farming and for community gardens and that we've also looked at that in terms of the county, but that there really needs to be somebody that people can go to.
that's been a real problem in terms of being able to create these food production arenas.
and so one thing that the city suggested is having a full-time equivalent and they're working on that and we're hoping that that becomes a reality because that would be a place for food to really happen.
and then we're also looking at working to identify the stakeholders and within the transparency governmental situation to be able to get out as much information as we can and also get input in about food and food production and the whole systems. We are also looking at local food procurement policies.
that is something that has happened both at city and county levels that a certain amount of food that the city or county purchases comes from their local food system.
so that's something we're -- that's in process.
then as marla talked brks it's really critical that more food is being able to be produced and sold at the farmers markets so that that really -- the data we have is when hot food is prepared and sold there that it increases sales for the whole group.
and then we have had really good luck on working with the city on one of the main issues as you know here in central Texas is about water.
and if you want to produce food, then you definitely need good consistent sources of water.
the city has been really great at working with us because of owning the utilities, so we really feel like a big issue is supporting the farmers in the county as well and making sure that they have access to their basic needs, including water.
so that's something we're hope to go continue working with y'all on especially.
and then also working on the school food and education, and that food assessment that marla talked about to really understand what's needed.
so we're having an annual retreat coming up to where we're going to set our work plan and that's going to be hopefully well advertised and open to the public.
>> okay.
and we couldn't have done what we've done this year without support from the city and county staff.
I'd like to just take a moment and thank -- they've become not only co-workers, but friends throughout -- during the year.
vince (indiscernible) from the city.
juan neat that jackson -- juanita jackson who is here.
and edna (indiscernible).
and stephanie canal and linda terry were also very supportive and gave us a lot of guidance and held our hands when we needed that.
and then I'm going to talk about our county next.
and under the county, sherri fleming, who is also here today.
and we have support from david salazar who is here.
and anna (indiscernible) was wonderful and continues to sit in on meetings with us.
sheryl sandling as well.
we've been very fortunate in having engaged and supportive staff information.
we've also had numerous presentations from various departments throughout the year helping to educate us on open meetings act and everything that a board needs to get going in its first year, legal matters, the budget, how that works, trying to educate us has been an ongoing task this year.
so we are very appreciative of that.
we've had numerous citizens communications that have also been very informative.
we want to again in our mission to include as much community input as possible, we want to encourage more citizen communication opportunities because through them we have learned about immigrant farming program that we would not have known about.
we're learning all kinds of things from our citizen input and ways that we can engage more citizen involvement.
>> a complete list of everyone who gave presentations over the last year is coming from edna.
>> we'll have that available.
that in itself is a good read, I think.
and I also want to thank our communications working group, which brandy is a member of, for putting this presentation together and this report for us.
it was a lot to pull together actually.
we've had wonderful presentations also from aaron flynn from green gate farm, who was a food policy council from atlanta and she was very helpful for giving us input into food policy, effective strategies for food policy councils.
we have had meetings with doug matthews on the website, online tools.
we've had all kinds of input from other people working on things.
part of what our goal is to really integrate sustainable nutrition -- nutritious food and as a system with all of the departments at the city.
food affects everything, so it -- it's part of every department in some way or another.
so again, trying to pull all the departments together for some of our initiatives has been a very interesting experience for everyone and I think it's a great model for how we can continue to work that way.
>> we appreciate y'all and all that you do for us.
>> well, thanks.
>> questions or comments from the court?
>> I was curious.
I know that the board has also been up and fully populated for a little over a year.
but I am interested in finding out from the board over time specifically as it relates to the seven charges what findings have been made and what requests are being suggested for the county specifically?
and I know that it's too early to tell at this point, but that is what I'm hoping for in the coming year, particularly with regard to food availability and cost for those of our most vulnerable Travis County residents.
>> and that's part of what a food assessment will give us.
one thing we've already identified is the need for water resources for our farmers in county.
-% that's a very important thing for us to work together on.
and it's one of our charges to improve the food economy, and the food shed extends beyond Travis County, but what we can have an effect on is Travis County farms. So it's important to us.
>> and one thing we've discovered through our own experience and through our presentation, the community gardens, although adopted by the county, are really not a need.
people who live in the county have the room and space to garden if they desire.
it's more important that the county be focused on protecting the farmers --
>> [ inaudible ].
>> and the availability of land to farm is another big issue.
>> ms. Graham, this fits in with purchasing, doesn't it?
>> I wanted to basically introduce myself to the board.
I'm cyd grimes, purchasing agent for the county.
I was invited to speak on one of their meetings, but it was a Tuesday.
I haven't been able to speak to them.
but we've done a lot of research in how we can procure and we've had certain laws that we have to comply with.
I look forward to being at y'all's next.
I have a presentation to make.
I've been working, my staff, real closely with the sheriff's office because that's basically the bulk of the food that we buy is for the prison, both juvenile and adult.
so I have some statistics on that.
and the number of local buyers, we are buying some things locally.
of course a lot of the produce that we buy is in bulk that we can't buy it here and things like oranges and stuff like that.
so I have more data for you.
but I wanted to introduce myself because I haven't had a chance to meet with y'all.
>> we're looking forward to your presentation.
>> thank y'all.
>> I just have a couple of questions.
that is, the relationship that you may have with Texas ag life, skip richter and that bunch.
and if there is a relationship -- thank you, judge.
if there is a relationship with Texas ag life, I think skip richter and those folks do a good job in that, and I know that there are several inroads that may not have been investigated.
I don't really know.
I'm just throwing it out there.
along with the possibility that, I guess, Texas a&m looking at the possibility of soil testing to make sure that the results of that test would actually reveal the significant type of crops that it can support and maybe a higher yield if the soil is the type of soil to produce such a crop.
you may be doings it already, I don't know, but it's just another way of looking at the soil because every -- all soil is different.
>> those are a few things that I want to throw out.
the sheriff has a very successful program out at del valle currently.
and of course, where the inmates are raising their own produce to sustain themselves and stuff like that.
it's also good I think strategy and therapeutic for those particular persons who seem to be excited about actually dealing with the gardening aspect of these things.
so that's out at del valle correctional facility.
I think it's a lot of possibilities, but again I just wanted to throw those things out along with the report that's coming in from philadelphia, especially if the county -- if the county may pay a future role as far as public land is concerned.
I don't really know.
I would like to see something out there that's up and running and going to make a judgment at that time.
so again, those are just a few points that I just brought up that maybe you can consider.
>> thank you so much for those recommendations.
we have worked with skip quite a bit in the beginning especially this year on what agrilife can do with us and they gave really great presentations on what they have as far as resources for us.
so we have made that connection.
and as far as the soil goes, we do very much want to understand that and have gotten all kinds of great presentations and the idea that the soil vitality is incredibly important to our local food system and that has to be a natural system with microbes and all kinds of wonderful natural inputs like that for organic farming.
that is a huge component.
>> I know Commissioner Huber mentioned they were working at the state slave level.
I would like an update for that.
>> thank you again.
>> thank y'all.
>> thank you for your time.
and I just wanted to mention that one of our challenges has been parsing out what is city and what is county.
we really appreciate your request for the -- what is needed specific for the county.
and we'll be working toward that for sure?
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, September 7, 2010, 2010 6:54 PM
