Meeting minutes for the Hancock Harvest Council regular meeting held November 5, 2012 at the Extension Office.

Attendance: Tracy Kemerly, Jonathan Lawler, Amanda Lawler, Rick Cole, Glen Reynolds, Roy Ballard, Barb Smith, Earl Smith, Rex Zenor, Debi Hill, Edna Yeager.

The meeting was called to order at 7:05pm by Earl Smith.

The October minutes were approved as presented.

The October treasurer's report was approved as presented.

Barb presented the current treasurer's report as follows:

Income                                            Budget                   As of 11/5/12 

• Membership Fees          approx             $3,000.00             $3,365.00
• Market Income                                                                  $2,840.00                                                                                                                    
  • Winter Market                                  $490.00
  • Regular Market                               $3200.00
  • Merchandise                                     $250.00                $247.50

Total Income                                                $7140.00               $6452.50

Expenses

FoodRoutes - Buy Fresh Buy Local license fee   $ 500.00                 $  500.00

Constant Contact - Newsletters                       $  384.00                $   336.00

BFBL Directory                                                $1,500.00                $  959.00

Web Site Fees     (site hosting and updates)      $  300.00               $   284.88

Insurance                                                         $  160.00               $  157.00

Bank Fees                                                        $    40.00                $    2.08

Chamber Membership                                       $    85.00                $   85.00

My Local Indiana Dues                                                                     $  200.00

Market Master Fees                                          $1,440.00              $1,520.00

Market - Donation to Ag Association                   $ 500.00               $  500.00

Advertising & Promotion                                 $2200.00                 $ 1,437.91

            Markets, Farm Tours, Booth expenses

Total Expense                                                $7,109.00                $5,981.87

Current balance 11/5/12            $ 2856.78

Edna presented the committee report as follows:

Committee Meeting Notes from October 11, 2012

Committee members in attendance: Bryan Easley, Barb Smith, Edna Yeager, RC McDanel

We discussed that the directory ads have to be in my March and will be printed at the end of April. We will have our usual producer ads, restaurant ads, and will seek new advertisers.

The name change will have to be made before the directory can be printed. Some names that are under consideration:

Hoosier Harvest Council

Heartland Harvest Council

Harvest Council of East Central Indiana

Harvest Council of Central Indiana

Hoosier Farmer Council

We are asking for any other names the members would like to be considered. We ask that you submit this at our next meeting or contact Edna Yeager with the information.

We have been approached about having ads in the directory for educational classes. We came up with a definition of what would be allowed to advertise. It is:

"Promoting educational opportunities related to the practices, skills and tools for local farms' sustainability."

We decided that a charge of $25 would be appropriate. We will have to decide how to list these. The consensus was to list the opportunity with contact information but not try to list dates of events as they would either be outdated or not yet scheduled at the time of printing.

We would like to gain additional advertisers from local businesses and sponsors. Their name, logo, address and phone number would be listed. We would like to have different levels, as: gold sponsor, sliver sponsor, bronze sponsor at fees of $250, $100, and $50 accordingly. We will have to decide what would differentiate the levels in the ads.

For the $250 level we want to approach the Hancock Regional Hospital, and also the Hospitals in Henry County, Shelby County, Rush County and perhaps others. They would want their logo on their ads.

We will bring these ideas before the members at the next meeting of the Hancock Harvest Council.

Submitted by:

Edna Yeager

Committee Member

317-339-9788

ednayeager49@yahoo.com

Discussion on this report as follows:

We feel that the name change is important to better represent the surrounding areas. We feel we should continue to represent the counties now involved and not add too much more area as it is hard to represent and watch counties further away. The Indianapolis area is our bread and butter area. HHC won't run the proposed food hub but we will be involved and our name should fit the area. There will be some cost involved changing graphics, web site, etc. The name Harvest Council of East Central Indiana shows the area covered and was approved of by those at the meeting. More Henry County producers and Hamilton County producers would be interested in joining us if the name is changed to better include them. The name change will be voted on at the same time as the new officers.

The idea of obtaining more sponsors was an idea well received. We need to expand our directory with more ideas and more advertising and sponsors. We could print a tri-fold or other form to incorporate these ideas. More discussion will be needed.

My Local Indiana was again discussed. Do we want to be part of that this year? They are doing their best with the money they have, they operate state wide, they have divided the state into six regions but they have not been very effective. We shouldn't pay too much attention to what My Local Indiana does and do our own thing.

Elections are approaching. Names for nomination must be submitted at our next meeting on December 3, 2012. Please let Edna know if you want your name to be submitted or if you want to nominate someone else.

Our annual meeting on January 21 cannot be held at the extension office because it is not available. Edna will contact the Greenfield Library about using their meeting room. Barb will contact Nine Star to see if their new meeting room will be available.

Roy Ballard reported on the food hub.   The new grant for $30,000 has been approved. It will be used to establish an on-line food hub, a part time employee, boxes, on-line platform. The plan is to begin for the 2013 growing season, hope to have 15-16 farmers involved and 100 consumers, the business plan is being written now. There will be a call out to farmers meeting on December 13 at 7:00pm at the Greenfield Library meeting room. A January meeting is being planned to invite potential consumers - perhaps farmers' market, restaurants, small grocery stores, chefs, collaboration, talking on-line is the first step in a bigger food hub with a physical facility, need to decide on a name to represent the food hub, a survey will be sent out, the next meeting will be Friday, November 16 at noon at the extension office. The last meeting had a conference call with a lady from Charlottesville, Virginia that is doing wholesale distribution to Cisco, etc. It was started in 2008. They are moving to a million dollar gross and feel they need to hit two million dollars gross to be profitable. They are non-profit and mostly operate on donations. The 501-3C not for profit has advantages. They provide part time marketing, general customer service and the farmer keeps product up to date on the web site.

Upcoming programs through the extension office are Market Ready on November 27, GAPs program at the Farm Bureau Building on January 16. A letter will be sent out today listing programs.

Earl reported that the signage at the farmers market should be OK if put up behind the sidewalk.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:49pm.