Keep Farming Agricultural Forum 9_22_2010
What is Keep Farming? A step–by–step method to empower communities to build knowledge, understanding and strong community support for local agriculture.
phase CAP Membership should include: • Farmers • Representatives agricultural organizations • Elected and appointed officials • Business leaders • Local environmentalists • Community
residents Organizing for Success
Role of the CAP • Provide Leadership • Establish Goals for the Program • Appoint CAP Coordinator • Promote Program in the Community • Support Assessment Teams • Attend Community Meetings
• Prepare Final Recommendations • Lead Implementation of Action Plan
Role of the Coordinator • Coordinate day-to-day activities of Keep Farming • Facilitate flow of information between CAP and Teams • Keep Teams on task • Serve as liaison to Glynwood
staff
Analyzing Local Agriculture phase Primary Goals: • Enhancing Community Understanding • Building Community Consensus
Steps • Glynwood Trains Assessment Teams • Teams use the Assessment Tools to Quantify and Document State of Ag • Economic Team Convenes “Farmers’ Forum” • CAP hosts “State of Agriculture
in (your) Community” meeting
phase Prepare Keep Farming Action Plan Primary Goals: • Enhance Understanding of Tools & Strategies • Propose Recommendations at the “Keep Farming Strategic Action Forum”
Steps • Glynwood Training • CAP Considers Options for Action & Formulates Recommendations • CAP Hosts Community-wide “Keep Farming Strategic Action Forum” meeting • CAP Creates Implementation
Plan
Responsibilities of Your Keep Farming Community • Convene an Active Community Agriculture Partnership (CAP) • Document & Quantify State of Ag • Host Community-wide Meetings • Commit
to Creation & Implementation of Strategic Action Plan • Work with Glynwood to Evaluate Program
Responsibilities of • Staff to Train and Guide Volunteers • Resource Materials including our Keep Farming Workbook • Access to our network of colleagues • Software to launch a custom
Keep Farming website
• Broad participation by major stakeholders and community residents • Strong and committed leadership • Adequate Resources – Human & Time • Commitment to Long-Term Action Keys to Success
• Community consensus to support local agriculture • Sustained commitment to implementation of Keep Farming Action Plan • Thriving Ag Sector that supports a healthy regional food system
What Success Looks Like