FROM DEVELOPMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY: BUILDING THE CAPACITY FOR COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

This workshop is about building the capacity to develop economic ventures from food security initiatives. The workshop will involve presentations, discussions and small group working sessions. The workshop starts with a general description of the processes of community economic development within the context of food security efforts. There will be a discussion and small group work on the steps to economic development capacity building, analysis of markets for change, and tools for forming entrepreneurial cooperatives and small businesses. The emphasis will be on practical methods for addressing the sustainability of community economic ventures. There will also be presentations from local food-related economic development project representatives. While this workshop builds on and extends the Food System Assessment workshop activities, it is not a requirement to have attended that workshop to fully participate in this event.

PRESENTER:
Keith Prior is a consultant and analyst with the University of California, Davis and the California Center for Community-School Partnerships. In the 1960’s he operated two small agricultural ventures in the San Joaquin Valley of California. He has been involved in economic development in California, Washington, and Illinois on and off since 1966. Through the 1980’s he assisted in the development of several urban economic development ventures and worked extensively in forming producer cooperatives and day care cooperatives.

A community food assessment (CFA) can be described as a community-based planning activity to identify resources, assess needs and develop responses around community food security/food system concerns. It is also a way to promote community participation in and control over food systems through collaboration. The workshop will target people with community food experience who are interested in strategic planning and food system assessment techniques.

This one-day workshop covers the nuts-and-bolts to conducting a community food assessment. Components will include: concept, purposes and benefits of food system assessments; planning and organizing the CFA, building community participation and input into the process; indicators; data collection; methodologies for collecting information; developing follow-up actions, including project development and policy councils; and resources for additional information.

PRESENTERS:
Hugh Joseph has been doing community food programs for over two decades. He is currently conducting a comprehensive community food assessment in Somerville, Mass, and preparing the CFSC Guide to Community Food Assessment, due out this summer.

Kami Pothukuchi is a faculty member of the urban planning program at Wayne State University. She has participated in or completed community food system assessments in Detroit and Madison. She is actively involved in food systems program development in Detroit, including a youth community garden which came about as a result of an in-depth community health assessment project in Southwest Detroit. She has also finished a national study of grocery supermarket development in inner-city neighborhoods, another study that emerged from the Detroit assessment that found very few full service supermarkets.

Andy Fisher, executive director of the Community Food Security Coalition. He was co-author of the seminal 1993 study of the Los Angeles food system, Seeds of Change, and is co-author of the upcoming CFSC guidebook on food system assessment.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
To ensure a quality experience for all participants, the Community Economic Development workshop is open only to practitioners with a minimum of one year experience engaged in a food-related economic development project. This advanced level workshop is not open to those persons without such experience.

The Food System Assessment workshop is open to all persons engaged in or considering undertaking a food assessment in their community. Policymakers/public sector representatives, students, activists, non-profit representatives, and teachers are welcome.

MORE DETAILS
All workshops will start at 9 am and end at 4 pm. There will be a field trip to a local community food project in the evening following the first workshop.

The Los Angeles workshop will take place at Johnson Student Center, Occidental College in the Eagle Rock neighborhood. Fly into Burbank airport. Shuttles to campus cost $26.

The Philadelphia workshop will be held at the offices of Philabundance at 3616 S Galloway Street.

The East Troy, WI workshop will be at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, W2493 County Rd., ES. Milwaukee airport is located 40 minutes away.

Maps and directions will be mailed out with registration confirmation.

Philadelphia - Please call our office for details or check our website.

Wisconsin - Alpine Valley Resort, County Highway D East Troy, 262-642-7374. $56 single/ $68 double. Weekend rates: $70/$82. Book rooms by August 21st to guarantee this rate.

Registration closes one week before each workshop. Space is limited, so please don’t delay.

REGISTRATION FEES
The one day registration fee for members is $65/ $115 for both days. Non-members’ pay $90 for one day/$150 for both days. The field trip is $10 extra. Fee waivers and reductions are available. Please contact our office as early as possible for more information.

WHAT IT INCLUDES
The registration fee includes a continental breakfast, lunch, refreshments, and all materials. Non-members receive a one year membership in the CFSC, which includes a discount on publications, workshops, and conferences, plus a subscription to our quarterly newsletter, CFS News.