Carissa Dillion, Ramsey County Food Security Coordinator shares information regarding food insecurity
10/15/2024
The October monthly meeting was held via Zoom from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Watching the recording of this meeting can be counted as 2 hours of Continuing Education. (Find the recording in the Archives of the Monthly Meeting page.)
THANK YOU!
Many thanks to the RCMG volunteers involved with the October Meeting:
Education Committee: Simba Blood & Gene Ranieri
Presenter: Carissa Dillon, Ramsey County Food Security Manager
Set-Up: Clare Holte
Coffee Courier: Keni Vargas
Greeters: Bev Paulus & Laurie Holmberg
AV Team: Christopher Skelly, Keni Vargas & Steve Senty
Zoom Aide: Keni Vargas
Clean Up: Clare Holte
RCMG Board Announcements
Give to the Max Day
We are participating in Give to the Max Day (givemn.org) again this year, which is on Thursday, November 21st. This money from this fundraiser helps us supplement our general fund. Small donations can make a big impact, so please consider donating as you plan your year-end donations.
Member Pre Sale (Plants Sale)
The plant sale committee has an immediate need for one or two volunteers to lead the member pre-sale. It’s a good way to get more involved with the plant sale management while providing a service to our members. Please contact Cheryl Brady (cbrady@umn.edu) or Molly O’Rourke (mollyfo.rourke@outlook.com) if you’re interested.
Strategic planning updates
At the October 8th meeting, the Board of Directors approved the actions as they relate to each of the three goals for our strategic plan. At the November monthly meeting, there will be a brief presentation about the plan, then volunteers will have two weeks to review the plan. Volunteers will be able to read a blog post regarding the process, plus have a form to submit comments and suggestions.
2025-2026 Board of Directors elections
Link to Slide Deck for 2025-26 BOD Candidates & Election Overview: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1beQQJlG3j6tANa-Le_Mh3DWtyjuqBYTzhq3sLrL9b0w/edit#slide=id.g1fd7c12369d_4_38
There is a slate of candidates running for open positions for the 2025-2026 Board of Directors. In the morning of October 16th, those eligible to vote will receive an electronic ballot via email. Voting will be open from October 16th through the 30th. You cannot vote on Halloween! Please take a minute to cast your vote. We need a quorum of 30% of eligible membership for this election to be certified. The election results will be announced at the November monthly meeting.
Darren Lochner's Coordinator Updates
Program News
Reminder to all master gardeners to put in your hours into the state database as soon as you can – this is what is used to represent all the amazing work we are doing.
Regional Gatherings are being held this year – registration for the Central Region is now closed as it is at capacity.
RCMG News
A Volunteer Satisfaction survey was sent. As of October 15th about 25% of volunteers had responded. This is an important mechanism to help guide and improve the Program; please fill out the survey if you have not.
The Program is accepting nominations for our annual awards. Three new award categories have been added this year. Nominate folks for these awards: (link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-yVvnO0SuTxWFdKCFjGaT9b-SthTxX7d3WJGXsnl19BycXA/viewform)
Outstanding Teamwork Award
Leonard Gloeb Outstanding Service Award
Unsung Hero Award
Ralph Thrane Extraordinary Partnership Award
Friend of the Master Gardener Volunteer Program Award
Incoming intern informational interviews are taking place October 15-22. There are a few slots open – please sign up if you can.
Project Updates
Youth Programs - Ed Shinbach
School is in session and volunteers are needed to assist with two types of projects. The Tulip Test Gardens, locally coordinated by Katie Swanson, plant and monitor tulip bloom times. This program is carried out in schools across the county, and allows students to track changes in phenology across growing zones and assess the impact of changing climate.
Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District Education Coordinator Sage Passi will have outdoor experiences with students coming in the next week; details will posted in the SUG.
Guest Lecture - Ramsey County Food Insecurity
Guest Speaker: Carissa Dillion, Ramsey County Food Security Coordinator
Carissa is the Ramsey County Food Security Coordinator, and the first Food Security Coordinator in the state. She works closely with Cameron Bailey, the Ramsey County Urban Agriculture Coordinator.
The presentation began with a definition of and examples of food insecurity, followed by a discussion of historical contributors to and recent trends in insecurity within the County. Carissa discussed the strategic priorities and adopted plans to address food security, then focused on the Food Security Strategic Plan 2024/2025.
Priories of this plan include:*Supporting the food safety system (e.g. food shelf/food donation programs)*Increasing access to public benefits programs (e.g. SNAP & WIC)*Increasing and expanding urban agriculture and food rescue efforts.
Resources to interact with the County’s food security system include a food security LISTSERV, the Ramsey County Food Security website (link: https://www.ramseycounty.us/food-security) and the Food Resources webpage (link: https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/assistance-support/assistance/food-resources).
The final element of the presentation was an invitation to discuss how this program intersects with ours.
The initial suggestion from RCMGs was a mention of the Speaker’s Bureau, as current presentations include an introduction to vegetable growing. Other presentations could be created or adapted and brought to folks in conjunction with Food Security and Urban Agriculture events.
A question regarding the cost effectiveness of community gardening versus cash donations sparked a lively discussion of the many benefits of community gardens beyond addressing lack of food.
Possible inclusion of urban agriculture in high school curriculum was brought forth.
A concern about the future of public food support at the federal level was raised, including an inquiry into any contingency plans being made at the county level to mitigate potential loss of federal funding.
The evening concluded with an agreement to continue to connect regarding opportunities to collaborate, especially following the upcoming Urban Agriculture Summit.
Recap provided by Mindy Johnson
RCMG Volunteer