Headwaters Communities in ActionHeadwaters Food Summit Follow-Up
May 6th & 7th Headwaters Food & Farming Alliance Workshop Highlights
Access the Workshop Presentation & Summary Report Here
We had a great turn-out at the May Workshops whose goals were to:
- Launch the Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance (HFFA)
- Present proposed HFFA structure & draft terms of reference
- Present re-organized HFFA Action Plans
- Collect individual commitments for HFFP actions
A Summary Report from these two identical Workshops is now available here. You can also download a copy of the Workshop Presentation here.
A next meeting of interested volunteers for any of the Working Groups that are now forming has been scheduled for:
DATE & TIME: June 25th, 2013 – 8:30 – 10:00 am
LOCATION: WDG Public Health – 71 Broadway, Orangeville
At this joint meeting of all Working Groups we will refine the Terms of Reference and Action Plans and set next meeting dates for each Working Group. Some people have volunteered to be part of more than one group and we would like to respect your time. However, we anticipate that after this meeting, each Working Group will prepare its own meeting schedule moving forward.
We are excited about the work we have been doing and we are excited to welcome you to our working groups. We look forward to having you join us to begin working on this initiative.
Please confirm your attendance by return email with: Theresa@dufferin.biz. Or, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at: action@headwaterscommunities.ca. We hope you can join us!
Proposed Headwaters Food & Farming Alliance Action Plans Now Available
A Simplifed Structure & Set of Action Plans Available for Discussion
At workshops hosted on May 6th & 7th the Planning Group who has been advancing the ideas from the 2012 Headwaters Food Summit formally launched themselves under a new name: The Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance (Headwaters F
AFA). The goals of this latest set of workshops are for the Headwaters FAFA to:
- Present a streamlined collaborative structure to support collaborative work around the priorities of the 2012 Headwaters Food Summit for discussion, questions & feedback
- Present a comprehensive set of Action Plans for these priorities for discussion and feedback; and,
- To engage and secure commitment from interested individuals based on their own interests
A comprehensive report synthesizing feedback from these workshops will be available shortly but, in the meantime, we promised to make the Action Plans that were presented for discussion immediately available.
Click on each title to download the relevant Action Plans:
- Action Plan for Food & Farming Awareness & Promotion
- Action Plan for Food Distribution
- Action Plan for Food Education, Literacy and Access
- Action Plan for the Headwaters Food & Farming Alliance Coordinating Hub
If you have feedback on any or all of these Action Plans, you can also share your comments and suggestions in the comments section at the bottom of this post. We want to hear from you and welcome your involvement!
Headwaters Food & Farming Alliance Workshop
May 6th & 7th, 2013
Since the 2012 Headwaters Food Summit, a dedicated group of volunteers and local organizations have been regularly meeting to:
- Develop Action Plans around the 5 Priority Areas identified at the 2012 Headwaters Food Summit; and,
- Confirm the best structures to implement action and ensure that our combined activities are resourced and coordinated to achieve collective impact.
The momentum that we have been building together is inspiring but would welcome – and need — your input on this thinking! Please plan to attend this upcoming ½ day Headwaters Food & Farming Alliance Workshop where we will:
- Present a proposed structure for the Headwaters Food & Farming Alliance;
- Confirm our Action Plan for the coming year; and,
- Engage and confirm the membership commitment to make it happen
We are deliberately hosting this next Workshop on two separate dates (and times). This will enable as many interested volunteers as possible to attend. Attendance is required at only ONE of the two options listed below:
WORKSHOP OPTION #1:
Date: Monday May 6th
When: 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Where: Town of Caledon, Palgrave Room (Lower Level
6311 Old Church Road, Caledon East, L7C 1J6
WORKSHOP OPTION #2:
Date: Tuesday May 7th
When: 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Where: WM Edelbrock Centre
30 Centre Street,
Orangeville, L9W 2X1
If you want to learn more, help refine our shared plan and contribute to this initiative to champion our region’s food & farming system should attend. All who are interested in getting involved are welcome and no previous participation in this initiative is required. Please click here to register.
Headwaters Food System:
Action Planning the Summit’s 5 Priorities
Read the Jan 2013 Working Group Kick-Off Meetings Summary
In January 2013 a series of meeting were held to kick-off the formation of Working Groups for each of the five priorities identified at the 2012 Headwaters Food Summit.
Since then, volunteers with each of these Working Groups have continued to meet with a focus on developing an Action Plan for the five priorities identified at the 2012 Headwaters Food Summit.
OUR VISION
We envision a food system in the Headwaters that is productive, sustainable, transparent, and fair; supports the health and well-being of our residents and food providers; and contributes to a prosperous and equitable economy.
OUR OBJECTIVES
- All Headwaters residents have access to—and can afford to eat—safe, nutritious and culturally acceptable food
- All Headwaters residents have the skills and knowledge to support healthy eating and make healthy food choices
- There is a diverse and sustainable food and farming system in Headwaters. The foundations of this system, including a skilled work force, informed residents, and protected land base, are maintained
- Agriculture and food businesses are connected to each other and to the community in order to contribute to job creation and a prosperous economy
- Headwaters residents, politicians, and leaders are actively engaged in making and implementing decisions to positively impact our food and farming system
WE VALUE
A healthy, inclusive community where:
- Ecosystems provide us with healthy food
- Residents are well nourished
- Successful food and agriculture businesses contribute to economic prosperity
Next meetings are planned for each group and each will focus on:
- Discussing and hopefully finalizing the Group’s Terms of Reference
- Confirming the Group’s Actions & Next Steps
Anyone interested in attending is welcome. Please contact the group lead to RSVP.
What’s Next?
Creating the Headwaters Food System Roundtable
Launching Working Groups to take action on each of the 5 priority areas of the 2012 Headwaters Food Summit is important but alone will not generate the kind of impact needed to move together towards realizing the shared vision for our region’s food system.
It is equally important that each of the Working Groups is effectively supported and that the work of the Working Groups is coordinated. This is the role of the proposed Headwaters Food System Roundtable. The Roundtable will help to ensure that the Working Groups’ efforts achieve collective impact.
A workshop will be held by the end of April 2013 that will focus on clarifying the role, mandate and composition of the Headwaters Food System Roundtable. If you’d like to learn more, contact Sylvia Cheuy at action@headwaterscommunities.ca or by phone at (519) 940-3118.
Headwaters Food Summit First Follow-Up Workshop – October 2012
Read the Oct 12 Where Do We Start? Report
The first Follow-Up Workshop — held at two different time slots — in October 2012 focused on refining the five priorities that emerged from the April Summit. Click the link to access the Follow-Up Workshop Summary Report from these 1st Foll0w-up Workshops.
The next step toward action is to create Working Groups for each priority area. These 2nd Workshops will be held in January 2013. Our hope is that anyone who is interested will attend the Working Group Meeting(s) they are most interested in so that they can be part of determining the work that needs to happen within that Working Group and help get things underway.
These initial Working Group meetings will be held in early January 2013 in Orangeville (locating to be determined). If you would like to be involved, please click here to learn more.
We hope you’ll get involved in the areas you are most interested in!
Are you curious about where your next meal is coming from?
Join us to put the ideas of the Headwaters Food Summit into action
The 2012 Headwaters Food Summit & Local Food Trade Fair brought together people from a variety of sectors across the region who shared a common interest in developing a local food and farming strategy for Headwaters.
Recently, the organizations who worked together to make it happen have received funding for a series of workshops to further refine and prioritize the ideas of the Headwaters 2012 Food Summit.
The Summit’s five priority areas are:
- Grow Awareness – Educate and engage people about food and farming system issues and opportunities
- Expand School Programs – Educate and engage our youth through school-based food and farming programs
- Improve Policy – Work together to create supportive food system policies
- Facilitate Distribution – Enhance links between food producers and consumers to strengthen our food economy and food access
- Support Culinary Tourism – promote and enhance culinary and agricultural tourism
To learn more click here to access the 2012 Headwaters Food Summit Summary Webpage or download the 2012 Headwaters Food Summit Summary Flyer.
