Passages Sustainable Food and Farming Systems - PASA

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Regional Marketing WESTERN REGION Localfoodsystems.org Website Provides Tools for Businesses to Plan, Collaborate, Find Capital New on-line tools and resources promote strong local economies by building business ecosystems rooted in agriculture The Ohio State University’s Agroecosystems Management Program has launched a newly improved website to provide entrepreneurs with the tools to explore business ideas and build business ecosystems rooted in agriculture. The site, www.localfoodsystems.org, provides tools for entrepreneurs to explore the regional resources available to support their ideas, map existing and potential supply chains, and collaborate with others to develop their business concepts into reality. The website was developed with support from a USDA Regional Partnership for Innovation grant, and encompasses a regional, multi-state scope including Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Project partners include Ohio State University’s Agroecosystems Management Program, the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Agriculture at Michigan State University, and PASA. Over three years in development, the site has grown to include over 60 collaborative discussion groups and over 1290 members. The newest features on the site focus and enhance tools and resources for local food system business planning and launch. Casey Hoy, Project Director and Kellogg Endowed Chair in Agricultural Ecosystem Management at Ohio State University, explains, “We have the people, land, and climate needed to produce fresh, affordable, and healthy food. Encouraging the development of a vibrant local and regional agricultural system has the potential to generate wealth in communities and for families and enhances the quality of life for all. The Local Food Systems website promotes strong local economies by building business ecosystems rooted in agriculture.” The Local Food Systems website champions the idea of local businesses functioning like a healthy ecosystem, an interdependent whole that ensures the sustainability of local and regional agricultural and food-based businesses. A business ecosystem is the network of businesses and supporting organizations, including producers, suppliers, distributors, customers, and service providers involved in the delivery of a specific product or service. To build a local food system, all of these businesses have to come together within a community or region. Each business in the ‘ecosystem” affects and is affected by the others, and cooperative relationships strengthen the success of all the businesses in the network. For example, the waste from one businesses can become the raw materials for the next (waste to compost or energy for example), or together many businesses can create a regional market or identity. In order to foster these collaborative business networks to strengthen opportunities for local food and agricultural entrepreneurs, the Local Food Systems website provides unique tools for entrepreneurs to explore their business ideas and place them on a map. The interactive map feature highlights collaborative opportunities by mapping potential connections among businesses along supply chains. By matching one entrepreneur’s planned outputs with others’ planned inputs, potential suppliers and customers can make valuable connections, at the planning stage. Once those connections are revealed, the website provides a platform for entrepreneurs and local business owners to join forces and collaborate on launching many businesses, as an ecosystem. The website offers entrepreneurs the forum to create private or public discussion groups to explore their ideas and collaborate with one another on finding the capitals that they all need. The ultimate vision is that as these collaborative networks develop into local and regional business ecosystems, business and community capital will grow. The business and entrepreneurial users of the site are diverse and growing. Business ideas range from producers of agricultural products, cafes and markets, cold storage rental, and website and software development. Shagbark Seed and Mill Company recently shared their business case on the site. The company is a prototype regional scale processing facility, launched by the Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative, that works with Ohio farmers and offers fieldto-table products made from organic and chemical free grains, beans, and seed crops. Entrepreneurs exploring the production of staple foods, or who require a staple food product as an input, could list their own business idea on the site and find a connection with and contact information for the Shagbark Seed and Mill Company, to help develop and support their business concept. The initial response to the website has been very strong. Both established businesses and entrepreneurs with new business concepts are interested in connecting and collaborating with one another to build a healthier local economy. The growing community of entrepreneurs, producers, and consumers can create a strong local economy by creating new locally-ownedbusinesses and jobs. The new Local Food Systems website www.localfoodsystems.org provides innovative tools and resources to help local food system entrepreneurs grow their businesses and connect and collaborate with others to strengthen business ecosystems. 28
Regional Marketing EASTERN REGION ■ Farm Lease Connection Lend a hand, lease some land! PASA’s land leasing program, Farm Lease Connection (FLC), blends web technology with personal communications to build successful farm enterprises between new or expanding farmers, and landowners of all kinds. Beginning farmers cite access to land as the number one barrier to farming. Increasingly, the next generation of farmers is coming from highly educated urban and suburban backgrounds. Unlike previous generations, they do not have access to farmland through inheritance or family connections. At the same time, conscientious landowners across Pennsylvania have protected thousands of acres of land through being good stewards of their property themselves, to making more formal arrangements through conservation and preservation easements. FLC’s goal is to unite these landowners with farmers through the creation of equitable land leasing to support sustainable farming statewide and beyond. Parcels of land from ¼ acre to hundreds of acres are all potentially eligible for inclusion. Watch for the FLC website launch and links to the free application process. For more information, contact Eastern Region Program Assistant Ann McGinnis at 610-458-5700 x 305 or ann@pasafarming.org. ■ SAVE THE DATE! Bike Fresh Bike Local — Chester County September 23 ■ SAVE THE DATE! The first ever Philly Farm & Food Fest opens at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Annex in Philadelphia on Sunday, April 1. A collaboration between Fair Food and PASA, Philly Farm & Food Fest ushers in the growing season for locally raised foods and offers eaters a timely way to connect with a supply of delicious, affordable and sustainable products as spring arrives. The event will feature about 80–95 farms and businesses, as well as offering interactive children’s activities along with cooking demonstrations and cookbook signings by local chefs and authors. Get your tickets and further details at phillyfarmfest.org REGIONAL CONTACTS & DISCUSSION GROUP ADDRESSES Discussion groups are open to PASA members only to join and discuss issues related to sustainable agriculture. To join the group in your region, send an email to the appropriate address provided. Western PASAWestern-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Leah Smith 412-365-2985 • leah@pasafarming.org Eastern PASAeastern-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Marilyn Anthony 610-458-5700 • marilyn@pasafarming.org South Central PASAsouthcentral-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Jenn Halpin 717-243-5996 • halpinj@dickinson.edu North Central PASAnorthcentral-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Leah Tewksbury 570-437-2620 • tewks1@aol.com Delmarva Region http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PASADelmarva Western North Central Southern Eastern Marcellus Shale Group http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/PASAMarcellus Out of State discussion group addresses: States North and East of Pennsylvania PASAOutofStateNortheastsubscribe@yahoogroups.com States South and West of Pennsylvania PASASouthandWest-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 29
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Page 7 and 8: PASA Board Perspective It Will Be L
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Page 25 and 26: and GMOs makes us idealists at best
Page 27: Education Opportunities WESTERN REG
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