This project will support efforts to ensure long-term regional food security. The Chequamegon Bay and Northwoods region is home to a robust local food movement. However, our communities lack a cohesive network within which to share goals, knowledge, and solutions toward long-term food security in northwestern WI. The establishment of a regional Food Coalition will enhance our collective capacity to overcome threats to our local food system by promoting connection and collaboration amongst various stakeholders.

 

Long-term food security – Develop a regional coalition among community members to ensure a strong local food economy that provides long-term food security encompassing areas within Ashland, Bayfield, and northern Sawyer counties. 

Objectives:

1. Recruit a coalition of community collaborators – Invite local food growers, producers, sellers, community organizers, nonprofits with food-centered missions, educational institutions, and governmental agencies to participate in development of a community coalition with a commitment to supporting our local food economy.
2. Host educational workshops – Offer a series of educational programs to the community on topics relating to our local food system and long-term food security based upon input from the coalition.
3. Develop a digital resource hub – Create a digital tool or website that will serve as a regional resource hub for food system related maps, directories, and other data.
4. Provide essential resources for growers – Offer opportunities for access to land and tools, education, and other necessities to aspiring and existing farmers/growers to support initiating new food projects.

The initial phase for the project is March 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 (15 months). Efforts initiated during this project phase will take years to fully implement. 

 

 

This project is led by representatives from the Cable Natural History Museum and the Cable Community Farm. Both organizations have committed to directing efforts and resources toward development of the coalition. Our role as project leaders will always be to support the community in determining its goals and leveraging its collective knowledge towards a shared solution to food insecurity. Connect with any member of our team for more information or to get involved!

 

Project Manager

Mollie Kreb-Mertig

Curator/Naturalist, Cable Natural History Museum

Board of Directors, Cable Community Farm

mollie@cablemuseum.org

715-798-3890

 

Project Coordinators

Rich Jaworski

Museum Director, Cable Natural History Museum

rich@cablemuseum.org

715-798-3890

 

Cheyanne Reeves

Executive Director, Cable Community Farm

cablecommunityfarmwi@gmail.com

715-539-6287

 

Le Sedlacek

Board of Directors – Secretary, Cable Community Farm

lesedlacek@yahoo.com

 

 

Are you interested in long-term food security in northwestern WI? Contact project team members or visit this page for updates on upcoming events. 

 

Ways to Engage

Skill Sharing 

Whether you are an expert with reading soil health, food preservation, website design, or anything in between, sharing your knowledge within our community is a valuable asset to building a strong local food system. Share your skills & interests with our team and we will make sure to engage you with upcoming opportunities to connect with others.

 

Leadership Council

Do your skills lend well to leading food security efforts? We are eager to help build a food coalition of community leaders with the skills and energy to push this project past its foundation. Read more here. Reach out today to share your interest!

 

Attend Events

Wanting to build your skillsets or meet local experts? Reach out to get on our event email list so that you’re in the know as local events are scheduled. 

 

Join Our Contacts List

Not sure where to start, but want to be part of the solution? We recommend joining our project contacts list to start and continuing from there. 

 

CONTACT US

Mollie Kreb-Mertig

Curator/Naturalist, Cable Natural History Museum

Board of Directors, Cable Community Farm

mollie@cablemuseum.org

715-798-3890

 

 

Our project approach is based on community science principles: utilizing open dialogue to promote community-driven, participatory research as a mechanism for collective action and solutions. Project implementation is responsive to community needs as they become more defined over time. Community collaborators are centered within this approach. To learn more about our community science framework, visit the Association of Science and Technology Centers – Community Science Initiative webpage here.

 

 

Funding for this period has been awarded in the amount of $38,000 through the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) through the Cultivating Community Science Stipend program. ASTC is an international network of over 600 organizations. This program is a new and competitive funding opportunity, with funds distributed to only four total projects this cycle.

Other recipient teams in this inaugural funding cycle include:

• Museum of Life and Science & partner Working Landscapes
• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County & partner Anawakalmekak
• Science Museum of Minnesota & partner Racial Justice STEAM Collective