Workshop Session II: Thursday, May 10, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development

In 2010, the City of St. Paul and Ramsey County created a Food & Nutrition Commission after the work of an earlier working group was shelved. The commission in 2010 consisted of community gardeners, a representative from labor, food industry experts, and local food movement people and involved urban farmers, community organizers, and a couple of chefs. This group worked to create a green food system, along with a delivery system, that could be used nationally. This group also worked to review, examine, and create policies to address food equity, food access, food literacy, and job creation along with with economic opportunities in food processing.

The following questions will be addressed: What is needed to fill the need for grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods? What tools are already available from city, county, and state governmental bodies? How can we grow retail, processing, and distribution systems in challenging economic times while ensuring the jobs created are good and green? This workshop will also examine proposals from the Food & Nutrition Commission, and several private/public partnerships for emerging food processing initiatives will be presented.

Presenters:
Rick Blocker, Secretary-Treasurer, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 876 (Invited)
Bernie Hesse, Director of Special Projects, UFCW Local 1189