Mapping%20Community%20Assets%20for%20Food%20Entreprenuers

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Mapping Community Assets for Food Entreprenuers

• Carol Richardson Smith
• National Catholic Rural Life Conference

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MAPS

• Maps are models of the world they draw out and
  place on paper the images we have of place and
  mind

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MAPS..

• Sort, prioritize and focus information
• Present a picture of the environment which helps
  us to understand context
• Encourage us to reinhabit a place with new
  ideas and linkages by allowing us to see what if

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MAPS SHOW

• Key landmarks, assets, actors, processes
• Relational, position and placement information
• Routes, connections and linkages

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USE MAPS TO

• Picture what is known and reveal gaps
• Find patterns of information, strategy, linkages
  and connections
• Define and structure issues
• Discover new linkages, structures, processes

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BASIC STEPS

• 1. Choose a basic map
• 2. Assemble a mapping team
• 3. Put in key landmarks places, people, assets,
  processes
• 4. Add relationships positions, linkages and
  connections
• 5. Look for possibilities

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1. Choose a basic map.

• Geographic maps state, county, township, city
  maps, GPS maps, then and now maps
• Process or system maps process flow of a
  product or systems diagram as a skeleton,
  describe categories
• Issue maps select issue, put in center
  circle--put related ideas around outside on
  radiating lines, related information below the
  lines

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.Choose a basic map

• Brainstormed maps phrase a question, brainstorm
  the answers one concept per paper, post, sort
• Associational maps name organizations,
  businesses, or people, make shapes sized to
  perceived importance in environment, draw
  connections with size/color

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2. Assemble a mapping team

• This is a synthetic, participatory process
• Focus is on bringing perspectives together,
  finding common ground, tapping local knowledge
• Name the perspectives needed to make the map
  complete and find people who represent them
• Invite people personally, make sure they
  understand the importance of their knowledge to
  the map results

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3.Put in key landmarks

• Geographic locations, business locations
• Process steps or system parts
• People, organizations
• Important issue components
• Assets and resources

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4. Add relationships

• Positions use size to indicate importance
• Connections and linkages use thickness or color
  code to indicate strength
• Information flow indicate direction

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5. Look for possibilities

• Reinhabiting is looking at what is familiar,
  what is already there, with new eyes

• Resources and assets can fill gaps
• New positions may be needed
• New patterns, connections, linkages could be
  created
• Information flow can create new strategic
  outlooks
• Renewed structures and processes could result

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Analyzing local food systems for success

• The project
• Process/system map
• Food system skeleton
• Socio-technical
• Participation from all stakeholder groups
• Analyze what is, assets, gaps and resources,
  strongest and weakest linkages and connections
• Reinhabit look at how to add value and
  create opportunities with local food

• Sponsored by
• Leopold Center at ISU
• Iowa Network for Community Agriculture (INCA)
• NCRLC
• Local economic development and extension

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What we are learning.

• This is connecting the dots and public
  deliberation that is in itself an asset..the
  conversation is very, very important!
• Farmers who are diversifying are entreprenuers,
  their enterprises and connections are important
  to local economies
• Biggest system gaps that might be opportunities
  for other food entreprenuers are probably in
  processing and strategic brokering

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..What we are learning

• More assets than we think!
• There are markets People who want fresh,
  natural food in their daily diet, tourists
  visitors interested in the country and food
• There is labor Underemployed people looking
  for livelihood, work near home
• There is a base to work from Lots of small
  enterprises,reservoirs of information growing,
  cooking, preserving food
• There are facilities and outlets Commercial
  kitchens, farmers markets, convenience stores
• People and relationships add value Pioneers
  that are connected, passion for the work can
  build communities of practice

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To summarize

• All maps draw out and picture on paper what is in
  the minds of the mappers
• A mapping exercise is synthetic, it brings
  together many perspectives.
• The conversation connects the dots and becomes a
  public deliberation
• Focus on assets or what adds value to be of most
  help to entreprenuers
• Use those assets to reinhabit

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Thank you!

• For more information about NCRLC and DIRECTIONS
  of the Ligutti Rural Community Support Program
• www.ncrlc.com/directions.html