1. NOTES
Regional Networking Sessions
Thursday June 27, 2013 3:15-4:15pm
Co-Facilitated by Wisconsin Local Food Network Representatives and Transform WI Grantees
North and West Regions
Things region has worked on / accomplishments/ barriers they have overcome to accomplish
- Collaboration and sustained farm to school in La Crosse County
- Fifth Season- 89 local products in Reinhart
- FFVP and Garden at Shell Lake, Washburn
- Spooner- Changing perceptions, sustained gardens, Healthy vending options, Play 60
- Twi Statewide - connecting grantees with resources, work with state level partners to provide
TA
- Senator Shilling - meeting and learning from others
- Vernon County- Hillsboro Garden is going great, putting F2S pieces together and managing
volunteers
- La Crosse - Gardens, volunteers with gardens, sustaining efforts, building hoop house
- Craford County- PEP grant, and large school gardens (needs to be maintained)
- Menomonee- HOM calendar, education, - just getting off the ground
- UW-Extension- Getting extension folks together statewide, producer education
- No F2S staff person- need to identify who is out there
- Eau Claire- Local Potatoes and Apples thorugh Indianhead distributor, FFVP
- Have storage concerns, food safety concerns and how to use fresh local food
- Networking in Galesville- looking for more organizations
- School garden in tennis court in Galesville
- Garden club and $4000 grant
Things regions want to accomplish in the future
- Grade level specific curriculum (Use DPI nutritious delicious curriculum)
- Utilize master gardeners
- garden to cafeteria- move the food to the kids
- ways to market the foods
Central Region

2. NOTES
Goals/ and help needed to accomplish these F2S goals
-Producers and product to purchase (Easy to find potatoes and apples, but looking for more)
-would use regional food hubs but prefer local producers
- Hard to maintain garden in summer with not students
- Need to network with other teachers to get resources and connections, lessons, etc
- Need staff to support and staff communication about F2S programming
- Need info on getting school garden produce into school lunch
- Would like to work with Ag teacher to grow edibles for school
- Marathon CO- Start HOM and Harvest Dinner/Festival using garden produce
- Wood Co- Approach processors to see if they would work with F2S to help get more local food
in school lunch
- Schools could work together as a central region for orders adn processing
- F2S branding- T-shirts, posters, banners
- More in school promotion
Keep Networking?
- No more meetings!
- Wood and Marathon County will continue to support each other, helpful to meet at least a few
times per year
Top take-aways from Networking session
- There is help available, you just need to ask
- It takes time ot make F2S work (Won’t just happen in one year)
- Food service staff and teachers are key - keep them involved
South Region
Regional Successes
- Harvest of the Month
- School Audit

3. NOTES
- Training/TA, School Garden
- Meal Patterns
- Local food once a week
- Tasting events
- Classroom Educational Activities
- Snack Program
- Garden Bars
- Getting teachers on board
- Helping Grantees
-Food service directors on board
- web presence
- ease of processing
- knock out excuses and respond
- start with small timeframe
- PTO involvement
- freezing parties
- Local Initiative
- Menu local food and health planning
- Food Aggregation and distribution
- Start talking about F2S
Regional Needs
- More food and gardens in regular meals
- Connect F2S with community
- Work with administrators
- Create patience
- Better Policies
- Continued communication
- Connections- form relationships
- Policy- post grant sustainability
East Region
Regional Needs
- Understanding which farmers have insurance
- How to engage/speak to parents
- Involve other collaborators
- How to make connections, what is the first step?
- List of resources, Money, how state organizations can help

4. NOTES
- Having a dedicated F2S person
- Distributors marking local items
Regional opportunities
-Staff training that DPI and Monique are doing- more of these (invite one staff member per
district)
- Anyone can utilize TransformWi evaluation tools
- HOM is a great place to start
- AmeriCorps is great- dedicated F2S person
- Farm Fresh Atlas, Savor, SSfW, Local Harvest
Regional Goals
-Marketing tools- Kid friendly
-Understanding what effect local food has on environment
- Expand at least one new local item next year
- Centralized F2S website
- Unified food safety measures
- Open sharing of farm locations
Tools and Technology
- Equipment and training staff needed (list of grants appropriate for those)
- Knife skills, train the trainer, food waste information
- Models for evaluation (someone else compiling the information, surveys, etc)
Next steps
- Networking
- Statewide coordination
- Statewide listserve
- Strategic Plan for state
- Map of initiatives
South East Region
Opportunities/ Goals
- HOM - more education for teachers
- How does building local markets impact farmers?
- Ways to support farmers with interaction/ relationships with schools
- School Gardens
- Have wellness policies rewritten
- Increase engagement of parents in Nutrition
- Bigger Greenhouse
- Keeping and Establishing a Regional Group

5. NOTES
- WLFN as glue
- Maybe a regional listserve for questions and events
- Scheduling a Conference Call/ other meeting to stay in touch
Resources Needed/ Existing Technology that could be used
- Farm Logics
- Liability Insurance
- GAP certification
-Names and contacts for food service directors
Other opportunities or needs
- How can wellness policies fit in with CHIP?
- Regional CHIP meeting
- Fitting nutrition standards into DPI
- Planning and Nutrition in the curriculum

6. NOTES
- WLFN as glue
- Maybe a regional listserve for questions and events
- Scheduling a Conference Call/ other meeting to stay in touch
Resources Needed/ Existing Technology that could be used
- Farm Logics
- Liability Insurance
- GAP certification
-Names and contacts for food service directors
Other opportunities or needs
- How can wellness policies fit in with CHIP?
- Regional CHIP meeting
- Fitting nutrition standards into DPI
- Planning and Nutrition in the curriculum