ECD

Indiana Flavor: Growing Community Food Networks Across Indiana

In many Indiana communities there is a rapidly growing interest in local foods. Some of the factors driving this interest include (1) increased numbers of producers growing specialty crops, (2) an increased demand from consumers for local food products, (3) increased opportunities for the procurement of local foods from institutions such as school corporations, universities, and hospitals, and (4) a surge of entrepreneurs engaging in new food-related ventures.

When local foods initiatives get underway, they often stall out or are less effective than they could be. This can be attributed to a variety of reasons that usually relate to one or both of the following root causes: (1) inadequate early involvement from the right regional stakeholders or (2) jumping to a solution (i.e., distribution center, shared-use kitchen, etc.) before having fully developed a holistic, asset-based, information-driven, implementable action plan.

Purdue Extension, in partnership with the Purdue Center for Regional Development and with funding support from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, has developed Indiana Flavor to help local and regional communities build community food networks. Several communities in Indiana are now using Indiana Flavor tools and resources, including those below, to launch their projects.

Presentation Materials
The presentation materials entitled, Indiana Flavor: Creating Community-Based Food Networks, provides resources for those interested in facilitating the development of local foods networks in their own community. The materials can help in: (1) Making the case local/regional food systems, (2) Helping others understand how the local food economy works, (3) Understanding how to effectively link and leverage assets to create a local/regional food network, (4) Using open innovation to identify food network projects, and (5) Using strategic doing to quickly implement projects. The presentation materials are available here.

Understanding the Local Food Economy
The concept of a "local" food economy may not be immediately understood by everyone. This simple graphic, adapted from the work of Ed Morrison and David Morganthaler, describes the three different types of money that flows into, out of, and within a community. This graphic is available here.   

Stakeholder Matrix
This is a useful tool to help identify the various interests that need to be represented in a community-based local foods project. This tool is available here.  

Sample Survey Questions
Here are survey questions for several audiences. Even informal, non-scientific surveys can be helpful in gathering information and prioritizing local foods-related projects. Survey questions are available for five groups: (1) farmers and growers, (2) restaurants, (3) retailers, (4) institutions, and (5) consumers. Survey questions are available here.

Examples of Community-Based Food Network Projects
This is an inventory of seven different best practices from both Indiana and elsewhere in the U.S. These examples are helpful in getting local groups to see the possibilities of what can be done in their own communities. These examples can be found here.

Effectiveness vs. Complexity Matrix
This is a tool to help groups determine both how effective and complex a proposed local foods project might be. Eight different types of projects are plotted on the matrix including (1) policy mandates, (2) joint marketing initiatives, (3) the creation of food directories, (4) food festivals, (5) farmers' markets, (6) educational projects, (7) branding initiatives, and (8) new infrastructure. This tool is adapted from the Local Foodcheck Handbook, Action for Market Towns, Suffolk, England. The matrix is available here. 

If you have questions about these materials or would like to talk with someone about how we can help you develop local food networks in your community, please call us by phone (765-494-7273) or email.

Recession, Recovery, & Indiana Government Budgets: Video Now Available for Viewing Online

The December 16, 2009 On Local Government program with Larry DeBoer is now available for viewing online. It can be found here.

Supporting Materials for December 16, 2009 On Local Government Program

UPDATE: This program is now available for viewing online here.

The following are materials to support the On Local Government program with Larry DeBoerscheduled for 2-4:30 pm (EST) on Wednesday, December 16, 2009. Included below is the PowerPoint presentation Larry will use during his talk, a handout, discussion questions, and an evaluation form.

Along with the multiple viewing stations across the state, the program can also be viewed online via live video streaming. To access the online version, click here at 2 pm EST. Enter as a "Guest." There is a Chat feature on the streaming video site that will allow you to ask questions. Larry will get to as many questions as possible. The program will also be archived for online viewing later. That URL will be provided when it is available. Below are the supporting documents. In the past we've provided a copy of all the PowerPoint slides but the handout contains all the same information as the slides.

• Handout (PDF Version)
• Handout (MS Word Version)
• Evaluation

If you are viewing from your own computer rather than one of our viewing locations across the state, please take about 60 seconds and respond to the online evaluation survey available here. Your valuable feedback helps us make sure this program is meeting your needs.  
 

UPDATE: This program is now available for viewing online here.

The following are materials to support the On Local Government program with Larry DeBoerscheduled for 2-4:30 pm (EST) on Wednesday, December 16, 2009. Included below is the PowerPoint presentation Larry will use during his talk, a handout, discussion questions, and an evaluation form.

Along with the multiple viewing stations across the state, the program can also be viewed online via live video streaming. To access the online version, click here at 2 pm EST. Enter as a "Guest." There is a Chat feature on the streaming video site that will allow you to ask questions. Larry will get to as many questions as possible. The program will also be archived for online viewing later. That URL will be provided when it is available. Below are the supporting documents. In the past we've provided a copy of all the PowerPoint slides but the handout contains all the same information as the slides.

• Handout (PDF Version)
• Handout (MS Word Version)
• Evaluation

If you are viewing from your own computer rather than one of our viewing locations across the state, please take about 60 seconds and respond to the online evaluation survey available here. Your valuable feedback helps us make sure this program is meeting your needs.  
 

Marshall Plan for the Midwest?

Richard Longworth laments the Midwest's inability to work together on a regional basis and suggests the incentive for doing so may be a Midwest Marshall Plan  http://www.stlbeacon.org/in_the_news/modern_marshall_plan_for_midwest

Recession Aftershocks: Local Government Finance Update

Update: An archived recording of this program may be viewed here.

The next ECD On Local Government program is scheduled for September 3, 2009 Extension Educators can download a customizable flyer here. If you plan on hosting this event, please let Jenna Wargo know

Instructor: Professor Larry DeBoer, Purdue University, Agricultural Economics
 
When: Thursday, September 3, 2009 from 2:00 to 4:30 EDST
 
Where: This program will be delivered via video streaming and can be viewed from multiple locations across the state. The location closest to you is XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. It can also be viewed live online via a desktop computer at https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/locgovfin/.
 
Who Should Attend: All individuals involved in county and local government budgeting (county councils and commissioners, mayors and city councils, town boards, school boards, library boards, townships, etc.)
 
Cost and Registration: The workshop is free.    
 
Why: The recession may be ending, but challenges for Indiana state and local governments are likely to intensify. The recession will continue to hold down revenue growth for the state, and for counties, cities, school corporations and other local governments in Indiana. The property tax caps tighten again in 2010.  Difficult budget decisions lie ahead. Meanwhile, this year, some taxpayers have seen further property tax cuts—but some have seen substantial increases.  

Professor Larry DeBoer will try to answer these questions and talk about the new state budget, and consider the implications of the budget and the economy for the next biennium (2011-13). He will present information about the effect of the recession on local governments.  Tax bills have now been issued in most counties, and DeBoer will explain why some taxpayers saw big tax bill increases in 2009. The new tax caps tighten again in 2010, with immediate and long term effects on taxpayers and local budgets. DeBoer will look at the implications of the tighter tax caps.

 

The following are some supporting information for the upcoming session:

• PowerPoint

• Handout

• Discussion Questions

Indiana Leadership Association Conference

Connect and learn with Indiana leadership development program directors, trainers, educators, consultants and community organizers at the August 27-28 leadership colloquium in Indianapolis.

The conference will focus on effective ways to use social networks and other technologies to amplify the work of leaderdship in Indiana communities.  For more information and to register for the conference go to this link www.indianaleadership.com

2+2=<4: A Case for Extension "In-Reach" Efforts

Extension has always done a great job of outreach - building partnerships at the local, state, national, and even international levels. We need to be equally as successful in building partnerships within our own institutions. The land grant universities have a wealth of resources that can help communities yet most university schools, departments, and centers lack a distribution system for outreach and engagement. Some exciting win-wins can occur when we build relationships with some of these non-Extension institutional partners. Today I'm presenting at the annual NACDEP Conference and this is the focus of my talk. You can download a copy of my presentation here.  

Top 10 Social Networks for Entrepreneurs

In the "old days" what was important was one's resume and formal credentials. Valdis Krebbs who specializes in mapping social networks recently made the following observation: "Don't show me your degree, masthead, card, URL, etc. Show me thh network you are in embedded in." With that in mind, here are the top 10 social networks for entrepreneurs, according to Dan Schawbel.

Energy Efficiency for Local Government

Here is an example of linking and leveraging university assets to provide even greater value to the people of Indiana.

Purdue Technical Assistance Program (TAP) and Purdue Extension are teaming up with a local Indiana community to pilot a new program help local governments cut their energy-related expenses and reduce their energy consumption and environmental footprints. This a program TAP has done with industry for several years. This new partnership with Extension is helping transfer that expertise to the public sector. 

In these lean budget days, local officials are looking for opportunities to cut costs and to align local government’s programs and services with the increasing need for environmental sustainability. Energy efficiency is just one piece of sustainability leading to reduced costs, better work environments, and environmental stewardship. The challenge is that these changes must involve everyone (policy makers, management, operations employees, etc.) to be lasting.

In the program, local government staff learns the basics of energy efficiency and green/sustainable practices.  University staff works with staff from the city/county to perform opportunity assessments of the municipality’s main buildings.  The program finishes with a session at the water treatment facility where operators will learn how to reduce the energy consumption of energy-intensive systems. The opportunities identified are summarized in an action plan that the local community conducts with the university staff staying in touch for a year to collect impact data and help perform benefit analysis.

Here is the program agenda:

Day 1: Energy Efficiency Generalist Workshop– This one-day workshop covers the ABCs of sustainable business practices. Attendees learn by doing. Purdue has created an interactive simulation that involves everyone in the class. Attendees learn the common concepts of sustainability and participate in the discussion of what makes sense or doesn’t for their facilities.

Day 2: How to Incorporate Energy Efficiency into Financial Decision Making –This one-day workshop covers the why and how of incorporating life-cycle costs such as energy consumption and maintenance into a purchasing decisions.  Through participating in a simulation and working through real-world case studies, attendees gain the knowledge and skills to start considering energy in financial decisions.

Day 3: Opportunity Assessment–The Purdue team of specialists work with city/county operations personnel to go through the larger buildings and identify opportunities to save energy and reduce environmental footprints. Afterwards, opportunities are quantified and to determine feasibility.

Day 4: Waste Water Treatment Plant Survey & Workshop– as the most energy-intensive operations in the city/county, a  full day is at the plant looking at opportunities and performing business case analyses. We’ll start with a short workshop on motor-driven systems efficiency, follow with a discussion on projects other treatment plants have implemented, and then finish with an assessment of the facility and its opportunities.

The Purdue specialists then create a final document report listing all of the activities and participants. The report summarizes the ideas proposed, opportunities identified, solutions justified, and can be used as an action plan for the local community.

This program is currently being piloted in one community as we search for resources to expand statewide. If you are interested in more information about the program, contact me.

Meet George Okantey

George Okantey is an Extension Educator in the area of Economic and Community Development at the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service in Marion County. Prior to joining Extension in 1999, George worked in London, England as a Financial Planning Consultant where he consulted in the areas of life insurance, savings, investments, and estate planning. He moved to the US in 1992 and in 1993 founded the cultural organization, African Speakers Bureau, Inc in Indianapolis. He was the Executive Director until 2002. As director, he provided leadership, created organizational structure and directed school and community-based cultural networks in Indianapolis. Between 1995-97, he worked at IUPUI Neighborhood Resource Center where he coordinated business development activities of the Westside Business Alliance (WBA) through a Community Outreach Partnership Grant (COPC). As a Lila Wallace Museum Studies scholar, he worked with the Indianapolis Museum of Art and was instrumental in the creation of the first “Africa Fest” celebration in Indianapolis. He also provided leadership on the “Fabric of African Life,” an outreach, traveling exhibition.

George holds a Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indianapolis and a BA in Organizational Communication. He is a graduate of National Training Lab, Transforming Interpersonal Relations and Group Dynamics www.ntl.org and a certified Facilitation Application Specialization Training (FAST) instructor. He is a National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship certified Instructor (CET), and Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are high. George is a qualified instructor of Myers Briggs Type (MBTI) and Strength Finder instruments. He is committed to lifelong learning opportunities that enable individuals to better themselves and make informed choices. He is dedicated to facilitating best practices leadership development in Indiana communities.

George has a demonstrated record of leadership and expertise in asset-based human and community development. His competencies include coaching, strategic planning processes, building organizational networks, entrepreneurship, and leadership and civic engagement. He enjoys work that taps into his facilitation and project management skills and has a love for inspiring, leading and coaching people from diverse backgrounds and persuasions to experience excellence. His Extension work include collaboration with Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, The Simon Property Group, and Indiana Small Business Center to establish BizPrep Enterprise Academy http://www.ces.purdue.edu/Marion/lcd/lcd.htm a youth entrepreneurship academy in Indianapolis. He created and directed the Science Bound parents program with financial support from USA Funds Group to assist parents in supporting their children in the Purdue Science Bound program. Prior to Science Bound, George provided leadership to a similar program “High Hopes” a silver medalist of Epsilon Sigma Phi Extension Programs of Excellence in 2002.

George established a partnership with Marion County Jail II to teach positive parenting to pre-release non-custodial fathers. He also created and coordinated Youth Financial Literacy and Leadership Academy in three Indianapolis High Schools. He collaborated with the Indianapolis Chapter of Black MBA Association to establish the Leaders of Tomorrow program (LOT) to teach leadership skills to youth in Marion County. He represented the north central region on Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, National Diversity Task Force. George facilitated the National Extension Diversity Task Force to establish Pathways to Diversity Reaffirmed (2003), a systems document, focused on diversity and pluralism in the Land Grant University System http://pubwiki.extension.org/mediawiki/files/9/93/pathways.pdf.

George is a member of Purdue Intercultural Action Committee, an ECD innovator award winner, and currently serving on the board of directors of IEEA representing the central district. George serves on the boards of the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center www.inrc.org. He assisted in the creation of the Indianapolis Community Building Institute (ICBI)—a leadership development program for veteran and aspiring community leaders in Indianapolis. He is also vice president of the Indiana Leadership Association www.indianaleadership.com. George is a United Way of Central Indiana Agency Evaluator, a 2007 Leadership and Renewal Outfitters Executive Journey Fellow, http://renewal.typepad.com/fellows, volunteer coach at Beyond Your Best Coaching, www.beyondyourbest.com, and principal at MpactPlus Training and Consulting, LLC— www.mpactplus.com, a consulting company with a focus on building leadership capacity of non-governmental organizations in developing countries.

In February 2009, George provided Crucial Conversations training for 498 University of Wisconsin Extension educators and faculty in four districts. He has accepted an invitation to conduct a workshop at the 2009 Public Issues Leadership Development conference in April http://www.jcep.org/pild.htm. George is providing leadership on the Marion county Program of Excellence team that is working on helping the Southeast Neighborhood implement their Quality of Life plan. http://www.greatindyneighborhoods.org/. He enjoys working with people to solve their own problems. He feels present when facilitating people to think and explore different perspectives on issues. He is committed to making a difference in the lives of people every day. George can be reached at 317-275-9263 or e-mail: [email protected].