Meeting & Agendas

Savannah Rugg – Dept Chair Sue Beckwith – Exec Dir of TCLF (Texas Local Food) Pati Jacobs – Owner of Bastrop Cattle Co Edwin Marty – Food Policy Manager – City of Austin Office of Sustainability Matthew Olson – ACC Ag Science Dept Farm Manager Rob Cunningham – Coyote Creek Farm Nicole Wagner – Texas State University, Agriculture Dept Finnegan Ferreboeuf – Steelbow Farm Becky Hume – VRDNT Farm

• Savannah attended the city’s DEI meeting • Department Demographics • Students are more interested now in attending a university after the completion of this ACC program. • Updates on the current faculty/staff – workers • Trying to expand the adjunct pool and ready to move to more in-person • High tunnel is now completed since January 2023 • Farm to table entrepreneur degree that starts in the fall 2023 – culinary courses starts this fall in the kitchen on the Elgin campus. This brings a partnership with the culinary department. • Awarding scholarships – STARTREC scholarship creating a partnership for students who are interested in transferring. • Edwin – • Savannah – speaking of what is to come after they complete their courses and looking to find more internship opportunities and the pathway to UT • Four additional graduates this year bringing the total to 17 students-to-date. • High tunnel completed and is beautiful • Animal science – field trip (need to find an additional dairy to visit)

• Farm updates – worked with a local farm • Angelica – manage the sheep (helped to load and sell 8-hues) worked with Rob to refresh the herd. • Equipment is being replaced, upgraded, and purchased. • Adding the rotation of laying hens (permits to sell eggs) • Weekly markets have been very successful – 10K is what is being generated through the farm • Helps with keeping things in order with the farm crew, small scale farming, etc.… • Grateful for the culinary school for their support; culinary school has been extremely successful • Michael Mendez – beekeeper and he has re-queened the bees successfully. A nucleus colony has been added; will check to see if he is interested in moving forward with offering classes. • Pati - how many boxes are out there? • Matt - There are 3 total boxes • Pati - How is the heat affecting the bees? • Matt – the heat doesn’t impact them that great • Culinary wants to purchase honey and the farm stand will provide honey for sale. • Market gardens will continue to foster their presence • Potentially expand into the high tunnel and the back field • Please come out and tour the farm so that you can see what is happening on the farm. • Food distribution coordinator – Paula partnering to provide produce to students in need • Irrigation is going again and black plastic has been pulled up • Hunter is working on additional tables for the green house • Small scale farming – student run farm stand • Spring ’23 – farm to kids Texas – middle school students joined in on the field trip. • Tours have increased campus tours (TLED) two groups of 30 to 40 groups to host them in the fall on the farm. Agri-tourism will become more popular once the farm to table curriculum is in full effect. Having an “open gate” is what the farm is striving to have. • Sue – released new courses on Agri-tourism; they will do whatever they can to assist (safety; liability; national and statewide expert: TXFED.org; incorporate this into the program. • This is a “gravy” revenue stream; online sales; losing touch points. Get the kids involved earlier than later. • Savannah – want to do more farm to kids • Pati – is very impressed with what Matt has done in such a short time; you are making such a great progress.

• ACC AGSCI student farm • VRDNT Farm • Pati hired an intern • Greener pastures – hired an ACC intern • Native Roots farm • Dripping springs vineyard • Tri-Star farm • Stone hollow farmstead (Alabama) • Sandhills community college (N. Carolina) • Discuss potential internship opportunities Want to be sure that the host sites align with what the department is teaching. If there are any mentorship opportunities that the advisory board is aware of, please share their thoughts.

• What are the learning gaps between graduating from the program and opening a farm business? • What are the topics crucial for someone starting a small farm business? • Sue – self developing market; presented ideas on what they should expect. • What are the factors of what to consider? • Nicole – farmers not moving into a … the startup phase is grueling. They are starting with ??? land, they need irrigation; dealing with USDA loans; getting registering… It’s quite different on how to start from scratch. • What types of mentorships will be needed? • Partnerships? • Market Opportunities o ACC o Central Texas Farmers Co-op

To continue working closely with local farmers and farmers markets to ensure that they can meet the growing customer demand for local foods.

September 2023 in-person meeting on the Elgin campus Place holder for Friday, Sept 22nd and make it a lunch meeting 12-1pm

8. Meeting adjourned at 2:30pm