Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Brief summary of minutes of annual meeting:

The Local and Regional Food Systems (SERA-47) Multi-State Initiative’s Annual Meeting took place virtually over Zoom on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm CT (11:00 am to 2:00 pm ET). SERA-47 and non-SERA-47 members were encouraged to attend the meeting. The meeting started with a 30-minute kickoff including Welcome, Introductions, Overview of the SERA-47 Multi-State Initiative by Chair, Russ Garner. He reviewed the history of SERA-47 and highlighted past accomplishments such as the online resource bank. He also touched on current objectives including to: 1) increase interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations and networking efforts among Extension and research food system professionals across our region and beyond; 2) identify current and emerging issues specific to food system development in the Southern region; and 3) assess local food system policy opportunities for expansion, environmental change, and economic development issues, make policy recommendations, and develop best practices for communities across the region. All attendees introduced themselves.

The Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) Updates were given by Dr. John J. Green. He included in his update an introduction to SRDC with an emphasis on core capacity building, specific work, and programs of the organization. This included its role with SERA-47 to facilitate work on the 5-year plan, support meetings, and monitor future opportunities for related issues.

A call for speakers had been sent out to the SERA-47 listserv to give 7-minute presentations on local food systems projects. Five speakers were selected to present during the Lightning Talks on Local and Regional Food System Issues. Presenters, organizations, and presentation titles are below:

Moderator – Dr. Kaylee South, Virginia Tech, SERA-47 Secretary

Timekeeper – Grace Langford, SRDC, SERA-47 Admin Support

Dr. James Barnes, Department of Agricultural Economics - Mississippi State University; Make Marketing Easier: An online course with everything you need to know to grow your local foods Extension program

Dr. Dawn Brewer, Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition - University of Kentucky; Developing Partnerships to Work Towards Meeting Objectives of the Waste Not, Want Not (WiN-WiN) Kentucky Feeding Network Program

Drs. Pratyoosh Kashyap and Kim Niewolny, Virginia Tech Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation; Increasing Access to Wholesale Markets: Meeting Technical Assistance Needs of Black, Hispanic, and Tribal Producers

Dr. Maria Bampasidou, Agricultural and Applied Economics - Louisiana State University; Lessons learned from Educational Initiatives for New and Beginning Horticulture Farmers

Eleanor Green, The Green Garden at Twin Gum; Navigating Small-Scale Livestock Production and Marketing: Snapshots from a Diversified Operation
Navigating Small-Scale Livestock Production and Marketing: Snapshots from a Diversified Operation

The presenters were asked questions from the other participants and shared contact information, active surveys, and other ways to engage with their programs. A discussion example: one presenter requested collaborators reach out to her to study social capital, specifically with new and beginning farmers.

After the lightening talks the SERA-47 Administrative Advisors Address was given by Dr. C. Dale Monks (North Carolina State University) and Dr. Scott Senseman (Oklahoma State University). Dr. Monks provided words of support to SERA-47 for what had been accomplished and the objectives of the group. He pointed out lessons learned from COVID-19. He discussed the lesson that local food systems in the NC area were not set up for harvest, storage, and marketing of affordable food. He also pointed out that it is not a “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to the many different areas of horticulture. He also touched on the impact of farmland from Hurricane Helene that hit NC, the issue of land loss due to urban expansion, and challenges of succession in its relation to local food systems. Dr. Senseman congratulated the group on their great work over the years and focused his address on administrative matters. He reminded the group to update the list of individuals who participate in SERA-47, encouraged increasing engagement across the U.S., and to reach out if assistance is needed to recruit members.

A special session was held with the title “1890 Land Grant Institution Feature and Centers of Excellence.” This session was moderated by Dr. Kenrett Jefferson-Moore (North Carolina A&T State University), Co-Chair of SERA-47. The speaker in this session was Dr. Cherese Winstead, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Science, and Technology at Delaware State University and Center Director for the 1890 Center of Excellence and gave a presentation entitled “Emerging 'Internet of Things' Technologies (E-IoT) for Smart Agriculture.” Her presentation sparked conversations around drone use, multidisciplinary experiential learning programs, and connecting farmers with the younger generation.

The last session of the annual meeting was “Call to Action/Adjourn.” The session included an address from the incoming Chair (Dr. Kenrett Jefferson-Moore). She pointed out we will soon be approaching the last year of the current strategic plan. Future goals for this year are to re-activate working groups around areas of interest such as topics brought up earlier in the annual conference and continuing the Tea and Coffee Hour Webinar which picks back up in March 2025. She reminded the group of the in-person meeting during the Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA)/Southern Association of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS) Conference in February and introduced the new leadership team: Chair Kenrett Jefferson-Moore, and Co-Chair Kaylee South. The call to action included announcing the open Secretary position on the leadership team, providing information on how to join SERA-47, and invitation to join the SERA-47 listserv. Participants also discussed the option to designate the in-person meeting during the SRSA to be the official meeting of SERA-47 to allow special designations within the system to support travel. The meeting was adjourned with another call to participate.

Accomplishments:

Activity 1: SERA 47: Tea and Coffee Hour Webinars

The SERA-47 Tea and Coffee Hour Webinars were re-established in 2024. These webinars are designed to have members and outside speakers present on outreach and research activities being done to support local food systems and provide discussion among webinar attendees and the speakers. The webinars are recorded and posted on the SERA-47 website and shared through the listserv. They are hosted once a quarter. Below are the two webinars that were hosted within the reporting period. A webinar was not held in Q4 due to the virtual annual meeting being held during this time. The outcome of these webinars included engaging the membership base of SERA-47, building connections with non-members, and developing content for the website.

June 13, 2024; Presenter: Brenda Williams, Healthy Foods Coordinator, Communities Unlimited (CU); Title: Communities Unlimited; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFKEBFH8FMo

12 webinar attendees and 14 views of the webinar recording.

September 12, 2024; Presenters: Amber Vallotton and Lenah Nguyen with Virginia Cooperative Extension; Title: Virginia Farm to School Program; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5CXgbwsWbM

6 webinar attendees and 10 views of the webinar recording.

Activity 2: Website Update

The SERA-47 website was updated during this reporting period to provide an informational and updated site for members and the public to easily access information about the group and resources that the group develops. Outdated resources and information were removed from the website to streamline the user experience. Additionally, two members of the leadership team (Administrative Support, Grace Langford, and Secretary, Kaylee South) were trained on how to update the Extension Foundation hosted website to keep materials current. The website hosts the current leadership team, annual meeting information, and webinars. The website link is here: https://sera-47.extension.org/

Activity 3: Hosted a Session at the Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA)/Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists Annual Meeting

The SERA-47 leadership team submitted a proposal to organize and host a panel session during the joint SRSA/SAAS Annual Meeting and was accepted.

Title: SERA-47 Multi-State Project on Local and Regional Food Systems Panel

Irving, TX; February 3, 2025

The panel included immediate past Chair Russ Garner, current Chair Kenrett Jefferson-Moore, and John J. Green. They provided an overview of SERA-47, plans for the future, how to join the group, and ways to get involved. There was time for Q&A, and then informal networking. Fifteen people attended the session, including 4 current members and 9 who were interested in joining.

SERA-47 was included in the publicly disseminated Annual Report of the Southern Rural Development Center entitled, “Connecting Communities Since 1974.”

https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2025-01/2024.annual.report.final_.comp_.pdf

SERA-47 leadership has discussed pursuing a local and regional food systems special issue of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences where John J. Green serves as Editor.