Can we get some guidance and overview on issue 2 from those in the know on this site? Here are some recent articles.

I am going to try to do blog posts here and at other sites where we are part of an on-line community around regional food security and business. Here's a start.

Since we returned from a Permaculture Certification course on August 31, we've been busy getting ready for harvest and the opening of Shagbark Seed & Mill Co. We've been pushing to get our seed cleaner and mill in place in early October and equipment in place to harvest crops in the coming weeks.

check out this article on work among coops in new england.

I'd be interested in how this may run parellel with what is going on in rural areas. I gew up in the inner city and find many of the same issues exist in rural communities, particularly here in Appalachia. I look foward to reading more about this project.

Michelle

This text came from a good firend, Bob Sheak  is a retired Sociology  professor and voracious reader. He is kind enough to send me his notes from anything to do with Ag from time to time.

Not sure how to attach a file here so I am pasting notes from the July 8 Athens Food Policy Council meeting-

Hi all, Brandon here,

Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative Meeting Notes
Monday May 18, 2009 5:30-7:30 PM @ ACEnet
NEXT MEETING THURSDAY, JULY 9 6:30-LOCATION TBA
These notes are posted on Ohio Food Shed. Please join!

Attending—
Michelle Ajamian
Sarah Conley, Athens Farmers Market Manager
Larry Burmeister, OU Global Leadership, Rural Sociologist
Ronda Clark, Director Community Food Initiatives
Robin Stewart, Voinovich School of Leadership

Project Updates
GRANTS updates-

We are looking for contacts, agencies and reguations that oversee the processing, milling, storage and sales of staple seed crops like flour, beans, oil seed, oil, etc. If anyone can point us to the right people so we can start accumlating data and regs (i.e. weights and measures, state dept of ag, etc), please post a reply here.

Michelle & Brandon