April local food event - planning discussion here

[Ann]

Let's start planning for the April local food event. 

Potential cooperation and coordination with:
Local Food Forum/Sustainable Community Connections
Idaho's Bounty
Capitol City Market vendors (market opens mid-April)

Venue -
Outdoor/Indoor
Farm?

Events -
Speaker.  Live music.  Prizes/raffle.

Sponsors?

My work with Idaho's Bounty and with SCC will help me with potential coordination with those groups.  So I'll go ahead and take that piece.  From the meeting it seemed other people had an interest in picking up other pieces.  Please step up and make that explicit here. 

[justin]

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As far as location goes (given our budget) I think we should discuss at out next meeting which local park shelter we should reserve for this event. The city charges a small fee to reserve a park shelter that would provide an ideal combination indoor/outdoor space where we could hold our April meeting as a community event and invite the public to learn about the new BSLC, Idaho's Bounty, and possibly Think Boise First. Here is a link that includes information about the various sites available and the fees required to reserve them (I was thinking 12-4pm slot would be good): 
http://www.cityofboise.org/Departments/Parks/Reservations/index.aspx

I had imagined a table set up under or near the park shelter with information about BSLC, Idaho's Bounty, and possibly Think Boise First, perhaps a kids workshop where kids could plant sprouted organic food seeds into a small starter pot with potting soil, a spread of hors d'Å“uvres made from Idaho's Bounty produce showcasing unique items such as Heath farm's purple potatoes, and several large signs and banners to help people find the event. The key to attracting new members to the event would be to get media coverage mostly through community event sections in the newspaper, online, and perhaps television. The theme of the event could revolve around core principles of the two or three organizations involved: Supporting local food and community through uplifting positive actions, not to mention the launch of the 'new' BSLC, which I think would attract a variety of new people to the event and we could show people how easy it is to grow food at home and even hand out seeds.

I am willing to help coordinate the event with Ann by reserving the site online once a consensus is reached regarding location, helping make signs and promotions (including BSLC business cards which are in the final stages of development), and preparing food for the event. I think that ideally the event will be very flexible in terms of being able to handle both a large crowd yet not seem excessive if only a few new people show up...