FAIRPLEX STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING AGRICULTURE AND FOOD 10:00 a.m., April 13, 2017

Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center Meeting Called By: Miguel Santana, President & CEO Facilitator: Robin Engel Attendees: Strategic Planning Steering Committee: Benny Ayala, Rep. Senator Connie Leyva Soraya Coley, President Cal Poly Robin Engel, Consultant Ronald Gonzales-Lawrence, Rep. Assembly Member Freddie Rodriguez Tom Hsieh, LACF Association Linda Lowry, Pomona City Manager Tina Loza, LACFA Board/Neighbor Norma Martinez, Rep. Hilda Solis, L.A. Board of Supervisors – District 4 Miguel Santana, President & CEO Robert Torres, Pomona Council Member – District 6 Committee/Staff: Thomas Canavan, Michelle DeMott, Dana Leuthauser, Juan Madrigal, Tammy Roush, Heather Tanji, David Teig Community: Jeff Allred, John Atwater, Paola Avendano, Angelica Baltazar, Heather Batcheller, Silvia Bishop, Jon Blickenstaff, Laura Bollinger, Linda Bosserman-Piatt, Beth Brooks, Mary Brooks, Bryan Brown, Cynthia Burch, Mary Castellanos, Natalie Chaidez, Nakita Chand, Inri Constancio, Richard Crean, Don DeLano, Reyna Del Haro, Christina Dempsey, Bree Deones Hsieh, Elin Dowd, Mike Driebe, John Echeveste, Chris Faull, Matt Fong, Karen Furlow, Heidi Gallegos, Alessa Galven, Barry Gillies, Doug Glaeser, Claudia Gutierrez, Coralea Harbushka, Pamela Heintz, Anne Henderson, Nena Hernandez, Renee Hernandez, Carol Hersch, Mark Hill, Danny Holznecht, Linda Keagle, Darren Krohn, Wing Lam, Lucie, Leung-Gurung, Martha Leyva, Karen Loehr, Art Ludwick, Norma Martinez, Laurie McCormick, Geneva Moody, Steve Morgan, Reggie Mundekis, Colene Nath, Erica Arias Nichols, Blake Noriega, Danny Oaxaca, Demetreanna Ofurie, Larry Ortega, Andrew Quinones, Dr. Holly Reynolds, Dwight Richards, Andrea Rico, Julia Rivas, Christina Romero, Megan Samaniego, Martin Sancho-Madriz, Mike Seder, Martha Sheedy, Jil Stark, Syd & Lynn Swearingen, Ed Tessier, Barbara Tuyen, Ron Vander Molen, Isidro Villanueva, Kathy Wadham, Craig Walters, Ken Weekes, Alison White, Michael Woo. Mr. Santana welcomed everyone to the Agriculture Food Strategic Planning Meeting. Mr. Santana explained the importance of this being a collaborative community process and thanked the many attendees for their time and interest. He stated that there was a larger response to this process than anticipated, employees, partners, association members, community, council members, senate and assembly members are represented, specific industry leaders, and our neighbors that experience some of the impacts from activities at Fairplex. He encouraged everyone to join in discussion after the presentation and emphasized that what you say matters and that it is important to this strategic process.

FAIRPLEX STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING Agriculture and Food April 13, 2017 Page 2 Mr. Santana referred to one of the resources provided prior to the meeting, “What is Placemaking”. He stated that Placemaking can define a venue or place. A venue is like a box filled with activities and experiences defined by the facility. A place can still have four walls but has meaning and purpose, it has a value and a mission. Fairplex has different activities from childcare to drag racing, communities come together, they overlap and they connect. Placemaking can inspire people to reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of a community. Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share. It’s a collaborative process in which we can maximize a shared value. Mr. Santana reviewed the 2017 Strategic Planning process stating that the Fair’s origin has been a mission centered on the region’s agriculture and commerce. He stated that through this process we will discuss why, and what that is currently, and what will it look like in the next 100 years and we will do that in a collaborative fashion with you, our stakeholders.

Mr. Santana introduced the Strategic Topics and timeline of forthcoming sessions and

encouraged attendees to invite those who may be important to these discussions:

Thursday, May 11, 2017 - Conference Center Entertainment and Lifestyle Interest, 10 a.m. to noon Dana Leuthauser, Creative Supervisor, leuthauser@fairplex.com, (909) 865-4506

Healthy Living and Sports, noon to 2 p.m. Michelle DeMott, Vice President, demott@fairplex.com, (909) 865-4215

Thursday, June 15, 2017 – Sheraton Hotel Governance and Transparency 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Miguel A. Santana, President & CEO, ceo@fairplex.com, (909) 865-4201 Neighborhood, Housing, and Transportation, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tammy Roush, Community Advancement Manager, roush@fairplex.com, (909) 865-4265 Thursday, September 14, 2017 – Sheraton Hotel Fair, noon to 2 p.m. Heather Tanji, Social Media Coordinator, tanji@fairplex.com,

(909) 865-4263

FAIRPLEX STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING Agriculture and Food April 13, 2017 Page 3 Mr. Santana stated that after the meetings are completed we will convene to review a draft of the Plan. He introduced Robin Engel, Consultant and facilitator of today’s meeting. Robin Engel stated that David Teig, Managing Director of Agriculture and Hospitality at Fairplex will make a presentation starting from our “roots”, to current activities, what is possible, and what can we do at Fairplex. We also have speakers from the industry to share their experiences with us. He stated that we have provided blank cards to get your feedback. We would like you to write down every idea you like…, love that…, glad Fairplex does that, hate that, want less of that, etc. Your notes will be collected at the end of the meeting and are attached (Attachment I) as part of the minutes of this meeting. You have also been given a Post Meeting Evaluation Form to be turned in after the meeting, and David’s business card has been provided as well so you can contact him directly. You also have the option to give your feedback online at our website: www.fairplex.com/ceo. This will enable anyone unable to attend the meetings, or anyone interested in following the strategic process to remain informed. All materials, briefings, research, notes and minutes will be posted as well. He noted to feel free to forward this information to anyone interested. David Teig presented Fairplex’ foundation of agriculture stating that the Fair started out as a beet and barley field, a half-mile racetrack and a grandstand. From the beginning we have celebrated agriculture and culturally diverse foods. The original farm was 1/3 acre and was expanded, due to a special block grant, to five acres and is now operating year-round. We have two experiential community events showcasing agriculture, a permanent farm animal exhibit, a farm field trip program serving over 2,000 students annually, and during the Fair features over 750 animals. He presented a power-point presentation which can be reviewed by clicking this link. David Teig introduced the panel of speakers emphasizing their importance in helping participants understand trends and learn about relevant programs in order to inspire discussion about potential future projects and initiatives at Fairplex. Speaker: Craig Walters, AGRIscapes Director, Cal Poly Pomona who will tie into the education component. Mr. Walters stated that he is a La Verne resident and grew up going to the Fair and had worked in different areas of the Fair. He stated that it is heartening that emphasis is coming back in agriculture and noted that it will be beneficial to Fairplex and the surrounding community. He stated that we used to be surrounded by farm land, in the 50’s, 30% of people lived on farms and there are only 2% today. He stated that L.A. County is the single largest producer of food. He stated AGRIscapes was created in 2001 as an Educational Outreach branch of the College of Agriculture at Cal Poly. It occupies 20 acres of farmland and facilities, has a Visitor Center, The Farm Store at Kellogg Ranch, which sells produce grown on campus along with other foods items, and a large greenhouse complex used for production and research. AGRIscapes hosts thousands of school field trips to our Children’s Garden and Petting Farm. The Children’s Garden teaches about healthy, tasty foods that can be grown at home is an influential part of nutrition education. It is designed as

FAIRPLEX STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING Agriculture and Food April 13, 2017 Page 4 a “Learn by Doing” environment through sponsored student enterprise projects. Using the latest in technology, students have the opportunity to learn everything about food production from start to finish. This year they are launching an expanded program of field trips themed Spring on the Farm. Thousands of adults and children come to the Fall Pumpkin Patch field trips which offer over 50,000 pumpkins. He stated that virtual reality is no reality and people need to see results of hard work as well as the nutritional component. Agriculture is a desirable field to go into with many opportunities. It is important to expose children to gardening and animals, at a young age, there are so many ways to participate in Agriculture. Speaker: Wing Lam, co-founder of Wahoo’s Fish Tacos. Lam stated that he was born in a farm town in Brazil. He started the business in 1988 with his brothers. He stated that their menu was the first to provide calorie, protein, carbs, and fat content that now is mandated. He stated that their fish tacos were derived from deep fried version in Mexico but offered a healthful grilled fish rather than deep fried, reflecting their upbringing in Southern California and Brazilian background. He stated that in recent years consumers have opted for more healthful foods and are prepared with fresh ingredients. Speaker: Ken Weekes, General Manager, L.A. Kitchen. The L.A. Kitchen works directly with local farmers and wholesale companies to reclaim fruits and vegetables that would otherwise be discarded, leading the charge against food waste. Training men and women who are unemployed for jobs, and providing healthy meals to fellow citizens. These programs are Impact L.A., Empower L.A. and Strong Food Impact L.A. cultivates, recruits, and engages volunteers from diverse age groups, cultural communities, diverse backgrounds and life experiences to help transform raw fruits and vegetables into fresh, nutritious, meals and snacks. Empower L.A. is a culinary 14-week job training program that provides opportunities for employment in the foodservice industry. Intergenerational engagement is a core component of the Volunteer Program where older adults and young people work side-by- side connecting through meaningful dialogue with trainees and graduates of L.A. Kitchen’s Empower program. Strong Food – L.A. Kitchen’s social enterprise, contracts with non-profit social service agencies, City and County government, universities and other institutions to provide high-quality meals, snacks and food products. Facilitator Robin Engel thanks the speakers and opened discussion stating that we are interested in hearing from you. Your reaction to the presentations, how Fairplex can promote growth in the area of Agriculture and Food, current trends and practices, new innovations to share, how to connect things, and what resonated with you.

FAIRPLEX STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING Agriculture and Food April 13, 2017 Page 5 OPEN COMMENTS/ DISCUSSION The following reflects a summary of participant discussion:

Nice cross-section today, how it relates to Fairplex, what Fairplex can become. Build out. During the Fair how to integrate transition of healthy food to Fair, regional thing. Create crazy good, crazy fun food contest with cool ingredients like a “food show”. Bring to the

Fair make it fun. This is regional not just L.A. County, include San Bernardino County. Food recovering, look

toward L.A. Kitchen. Partner with Cal Poly. Develop a community garden that teaches adults and kids about Urban Ag Provide an area for residents to grow their own food where they may not be able to at

home. Glad that there is dialog to create opportunities to communicate healthy eating. Educate: unprocessed food, good carbs, quality protein, less sugar, trans fat. Teach people how to start a community garden in their neighborhood. Improve access to food: 1 in 10 American are diabetic, 11 out of 10 are pre-diabetic, 2/3 of

adults are overweight. Since 1980 childhood obesity rates have tripled. Poverty means low quality carbs, lack of fresh vegetables and protein.

There is a rapid growth in diabetes, breast cancer, etc., more education / awareness needed on how healthy foods improve outcomes in healthcare. We need to teach not only growing healthy food but how to prepare healthy foods.

Pleased with the direction, and the community garden aspect. Connect/collaborate with community gardens, Ex. Whittier Narrows and San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps.

Create a map of all community gardens, Fair as a hub for community gardens. Educate people in the community, make a documentary on YouTube.

Lifestyle coach. Eat healthy, how to make healthy meals, more fresh produce needed, bring diverse food programs and with the changing demographics consider providing bilingual programs.

Likes direction, dialog, and helpful feedback. Stewardship with experienced partner in agriculture. $40 million in food & beverage sales. Invest profits in agriculture and education programs. Community taking things out of moderation. L.A. Kitchen, fine line with homelessness, negative issues. See a lot of residents needing

help. One in five of our residents are living below poverty – we need to feed our own youth, this is an opportunity to help our own community.

Healthy ingredients are lacking in the Inland Empire to put healthy and organic food on the table. Collaborate with food distributors and food hubs. Possibly have Fairplex be the center hub for distribution. Locally produced.

Millenniums look at food as a moral issue. Fair and Fairplex not being seen as moral “toxic food” - not healthy. Need to eat in moderation, but to showcase good agriculture and to sell the worst–case of food is hard to handle. How to curb bad choices.

A key component is agriculture education before food goes on the plate. Important to educate people on benefits and negative impacts of trends like GMO, organic,

etc.

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Teach unbiased information on food products. Search beyond resources, show how food is produced. California has the safest food supply in the world due to higher regulations.

Fairplex is able, not reinvent the wheel. Systemic health impact for obesity, diabetes. Educate children, instill at all school levels, the importance of a healthy prospective.

Share through hospitals, schools, local growth products. Mt. SAC campus has a working farm. Reach out through teacher – back to the classroom.

Students bring projects, start to learn 3rd-4th grade about plants, water, food, nutrition. Students working with Fairplex is the best kept secret in the Valley.

Consider educating CTEC high school, college, after school. Offer free credits. $1 million in funding needed to keep going. Water technology.

Incongruity big problem, fried food challenging, $40 million cash cow. Consider cost of food vendor, not all manufacturers carry healthy products. The fair

industry is not there. Sysco is the supplier, have to pre-order by 4pm day before. People like new and exciting options. You can have new and different but keep some traditions.

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes a successful garden with hands on farming healthy food. Mobile program. With the abundance of lost produce, is there a role for Fairplex to utilize local fallen fruit.

Facilitator Robin Engel stated that there are a lot of voices to shape a vision here today. He asked that the cards and Post Meeting Evaluations be returned. The Education, Craftsmanship and The Arts session will follow with Thomas Canavan, Program Manager for The Learning Centers at Fairplex. Miguel Santana stated “What are the goals for a successful meeting?” Create a space where you can collaborate and imagine, be inspired by community leaders really successful meetings will unearth hidden challenges. Need to be honest, with no risk. You can say, “I like what you do, but here are my concerns.” He reviewed his notes with the audience and shared some of the concerns brought forward today:

- Concept of being year-round and Fair - Healthy outcomes, how we continue - Promote home gardens, include tool kit. - Diverse communication, not everyone speaks English - Respect environment - Respect way community is impacted by how we do things. - Unbiased resource - Going back to roots - Be mindful that volunteer hours contribute to the mission - Job readiness - Adaptive transition, trade off… corn dog to kale. - Being honest about sacred cow. - Stay true to tradition - Role in this day to day lives - How to minimize waste from neighborhood fruit trees

FAIRPLEX STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING Agriculture and Food

April 13, 2017

ATTACHMENT I PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK

Notecards were collected from participants at today’s meeting. The following includes all of the feedback provided on the notecards as well as Post Meeting Online Responses: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS

1. A hub for community gardens and healthy lifestyles – I really like the hub concept. 1. Love that focus is on:

- Healthy lifestyle and food choices, nutrition - Farmer’s market, food exchange - Catalyst for economic growth - L.A. Kitchen, “potential partner” - “Clearing House” for excess produce in the area, a place to donate and distribute

2. Don’t like: - Unhealthy food choice sold, so much “Toxic Food”

3. Reminder: Please include CTEC when talking about Fairplex programs related to agriculture, food, future…

- Hospitality Program - Horticulture Program - Culinary Program

1. Perhaps shaping the categories for entry, or demonstrations to have more emphasis on healthy things could be implemented. Also, development of recipes and entries to support a mission of health and nutrition!

1. Food and Nutrition Education: - Unprocessed Food - Good Carbs - Quality Protein - Less Sugar - Trans Fat

2. Access to food - 1 in 10 Americans are diabetic, 11/10 are pre-diabetic, 2/3 of adults are

overweight - Since 1980 childhood obesity rates have tripled - Poverty means low quality carbs, lack of fresh vegetables and protein.

3. Could we develop a community garden that: - Teaches adults and kids about urban agriculture? - Allows area residents to grow their own food where they may not be able to at

home. - Teaches people how to start their own community garden in their neighborhood?

Their churches? - Provides quality food to those in need?

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1. I love: - Farm Store - Food Exchange - Involvement of 4H and FFA – return of livestock auction. - Engage local community – Community garden - Food business incubator - Infrastructure improvement to better host community learning about agricultural

production - “Table to Farm” experience for kids - Vertical gardening systems and vegetable landscaping – could this be a skill

taught and programming developed in local schools? - Respect for the Fair’s food traditions - Concern about food waste, especially the abundance of homeowners with fruit

trees 2. I hate:

- Worry about the homeless gaining access - Concern about “toxic” food at the Fair - Concern about $40 million in revenue from food and beverage business

1. Would like to see: - Engage people and Fairplex on Farm

Cooking healthy & lots of types of meals: practical, fresh, nutritious, all ages/ethnicities

- Farm App - Daily Recipes - Food Exchange - Involvement of 4H and FFA – return of livestock auction. - Farm dinners for all

Real food you would cook and serve and alcohol o Cost effective so can get families, friends, multiple generations to

farm (lunch, breakfast, dinner) - Cross generation and events for families to learn to have fun on farm - Garden Education

Various sizes

Instructions “how to” – Spring, Summer Winter, Fall. How to use and preserve/save.

Fruit trees, vegetables, fruits - Honest Broker on food education - Group food prep events for busy families to make fresh meals for the family for a

week or a few days. - Engage trained high school and college students to volunteer in teaching

Train the Trainer and use their growing knowledge to teach back

1. Minority communities are very likely not able to access healthy and organic food because of costs. The Ag & Food focus should also have a

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way to connect w/the Fairplex, get the educational benefits but mostly be able to access the produce.

1. Connect & collaborate w/community gardens. Showcase various community gardens throughout our region.

2. Showcase future/best practice for agrarian methods such as hydroponic growing w/fish (Aquaculture)

3. Demonstration kitchens – Farm 2 Table concept 4. Mural Art! Reflecting culture, food-family and fun. 5. Share stories w/ social media, Story Corps model 6. Connect community to regional leaders. Social media murals, maps, stories 7. Community mapping (Gardens, Farms, Farmer’s Markets) – Connect-Collaborate-Share-

Serve-Inspire 8. Emergency Disaster Readiness

- Food Mapping, Gardens, Farms, Households 9. How is food produced – Origins 10. Adaptive transformation 1. Good Start and lots of ideas to broaden in the future “Yes, many hidden issues…” 1. Nostalgic tinged tradition balanced with the new, exciting and innovative 2. Fairplex is a central hub and destination for entertainment and learning 1. Enjoyed guest speakers 2. Great idea of community garden exhibit and mapping out local community garden

locations 3. Educate community on better eating habits 4. Partnering up with local food agencies and collaborate in bringing programs to Fairplex.

Featuring those partners during Fairtime that will promote partnership, showcasing partners (i.e. LA Kitchen, Homebuy Industries) who produces and manufactures bread, tortilla chips, pastries

1. Use local or celebrity chefs to drive traffic to the Farm kitchen area during the Fair. 2. Pair local craft brewers to drive traffic to the Farm area. 3. Do food contests in the Farm area, where people eat something healthy instead of a pie

eating contest. 4. Healthy food demonstrations 1. Create a community mapping system to pin point land use areas for potential

community gardens – churches, organizations, etc. 2. Get households in that mapping system that have fruit trees that are willing to

participate donating the fruit to the Fairplex community 1. Love the idea about experiencing agriculture in an urban environment 2. My only concern is the type of food available at the Fair. How would you promote

healthy life styles (w/locally grown food), when you have a Fair that sells unhealthy food? 3. Ideas & Suggestions: Your goal is to provide a diverse foods, and that’s great. 4. The educational programs about food & nutrition provide a great balance to teach

people, but have you thought about bringing programs that are bilingual? Especially with the changing demographics in our area.

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1. From reading the community impact report, I see that many students are being education on agriculture through field trips and tours. That’s great! But is there any way the impact is being measured? Is there an indirect effect on kids’ attitudes & beliefs toward healthy foods? Of course, one can’t expect these education programs to have a direct impact on health behaviors, but are the education programs having any impact on kid’s attitudes toward healthy foods? If you have a technical reports, evaluation studies, or anything of the sort, I would love to learn more. Thank you!

1. Food competition 2. Corridor clean up 3. Crazy Healthy - Crazy Good! 4. Emphasis on Fun Foods 1. Book Recommendations:

- The Communication Scarcity in Agriculture, by Jessica Eise and Whitney Hodde - Local Food Systems, Concepts, Impacts, and Issues, USDA Publication

1. Love: - Farmer’s Market - Community Resource for community gardens - Variety of food choices at the Fair – healthy/fresh, (also culturally diverse) Fried,

junk and everything in between - Ag, Ed and Nutrition Source year-round

2. Dislike: - Biased education that favors organic and anti-animal AG. Tell the whole truth

1. One theme that I did not hear during the comment section was the concept of time. Education, health, and accessibility are all great ideas, but many of the families in this city and surrounding cities are working class families. Many parents and even adults w/o children are busy working. How can we reach that specific group and make these potential future programs worthwhile to them w/o taking too much time out of their day/week/month, etc?

1. Glad to hear that 4-H and FFA are a part of the discussion. It is time to bring them back to the Fair.

2. Idea for food at Fair – have each city come up with recipes that best represent their city – could be a food competition. Each entry would need to have a story about why it represents their city and celebrates their history.

1. Increasing awareness of Ag-careers during the Fair Kids, CTEC, or other opportunities. 2. Maybe create a Jr. Ag Board at Fairplex. 1. I Like:

- The food (produce) sharing venue idea. 1. I would like to see the Fair be more active in the Health Initiative which is part of

Pomona’s Promise Collective Impact. 2. Making healthy eating and food production be part of the Fair programming is a

fantastic vision with hundreds of opportunities. 1. I am in favor of maximizing year-round fairgrounds use. 2. Gardening & Food preparation are wonderful programs. 3. I really like the idea of having cooking show type events. 4. Being a regional educational resource about food is perfect.

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1. Rather than duplicating any educational programs act as a regional hub to bring those programs together and establish strategic partnerships with them. By regional I mean Inland Empire in addition to LA County.

1. Thanks for having L.A. Kitchen swing by! We’ve been following them. 2. Count team Pappas Artisanal in for helping spearhead similar efforts at the Fairplex

campus! 1. Love that:

- Nutritional classes for youth. - Agriculture education - Understanding food production industry. - How can we use urban fruit, nut, etc. produce from yards into use? - Network with home, community, school gardens.

2.. Hate That: - Too much deep fried, fried, food, or at least too much focus on that. - Perhaps too many alcohol outlets during the Fair!

1. Pomona is a HEAL city. Fairplex should be more included in that and Pomona’s Promise Health Initiative.

1. Suggestions/Looking forward to: - Incorporate more animal education/awareness programs - Give more discussions/teachings on organic vs. GMO - Educate more about humane treatment of animals ex. free range chicken and

non-antibiotic benefits - Please continue and rush plans for Farmers Market - During Fairtime off different variety of food ex. Fruit bowls, kale chips

2. Dislike: - During Fairtime – offer smaller portion food items - Don’t charge vendors so much so they can keep their prices down.

1. Lot of creative ways to make healthy foods fun and tasty – focus on that (year-round) (a Place!

2. Do not make food a moral stand!! Make it a teachable moment. 3. Fair Related – Food Competitions:

- Change up traditional competitions (Crazy Healthy-Crazy Good). Emphasis on really fun and unusual Fair foods that are crazy healthy as well.

- Introduction to new tastes and diverse foods. - Disagree with trying to make food a moral cause! Enough of that the rest of the

year with it making a stand at a Fair! Too many things being labeled “toxic”, unhealthy, (but not evil) fairs are supposed to be fun!

1. Grow pumpkins and sell in October 2. Feed seniors, the homeless, schools 3. Distribution center for region – produce information source for agriculture in general,

unbiased information on farming practices that are healthy. 4. Assist home-growers to put excess Ag crops to productive use. (Organize scout troops

to collect?)

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1. Hands on classes where kids (and adults) can make their own food (like pizza) and pick the veggies and herbs is an amazing idea! People need to understand where their food comes from!

2. Yes, the Fair needs some healthy options. I go to the Fair 90% of the days it is open, and it does get hard after the first week to continue to try different, healthy options. That being said, I have friends from Boston who have plans to visit every September to see what new crazy food options they can try. There needs to be a balance!

1. Perhaps of creating a “Hydroponic Garden: similar to one in Anaheim that sells at low cost to under-served populations in our area.

2. Expand the Farm at Fairplex year-round as a restaurant and as a farm fresh store. 3. Are we interfacing with the California Restaurant Association? 4. I see the Fairplex as a future leader in food production, distribution and preparation.

The Fairplex should be “the” go to resource for all things food related. 1. Healthy ingredients, classes in food preparation. 2. Year-round classes at the Farm and food growing. 3. How to start community garden. 1. Like/More of:

- Supporting local small business. - Supporting and developing local food entrepreneurs. - Working with youth and local education providers creating a pipeline around

agricultural and technology – job preparedness/readiness. 2. Ideas:

- Creating a social enterprise to support/create job/career opportunities. Ex. Farm Store, food exchange.

- Farmer’s Markets - Alessa Galvan, L.A. County Workforce Development Aging Community Services .

agalvan@wdacs.lacounty.gov. (213) 507-3444. 1. Obviously healthy food is needed at the Fair and other year-round events. I know it’s

been tried and I’ve heard “there is no demand”. But we need to let guests know where to find it. We miss the opportunity to educate guests about food if it’s an afterthought and hard to find.

2. Education is central to Fairplex and traditionally competitions are a great tool for individuals to further their learning. The slide for Ag competitions is found on commercial enterprises. Need to work with Silvia Bishop & 44th DAA. To expand our Ag competitions at the Fair to individuals.

1. Like the idea of a Farmer’s Market or food exchange. 2. Think we could expand school field trips to the Farm. 3. Suggest that Spectra sell ice tea as an alternative to sugared drinks. (Very hard to find

during the Fair.) 4. The Fair has lost many of the “mom and pop” vendors. Could be a sign of the times but

could rates be restructured to attract a greater variety of smaller food vendors? 1. Nutritional options during the Fair is great, but we still need the “junk” food, as well as,

the return of the “mom and pop” food vendors.

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2. HOORAY! Expansion of the Farm Field Trips to include nutrition is vital. Too many kids have no concept of where food comes from, nor do they know what healthy food is.

1. Agriculture has to be the center focus. It must be promoted and marketed with integrity and respect so people who don’t understand it get to know it and to be able to embrace the benefits and give it the support it needs to continue to feed the world.

2. Agriculture is not cheap. To be able to provide ongoing programs, which are meaningful and sustainable, the funding must be there. I believe the time is right for Fairplex, in collaboration with local municipalities, to investigate the idea of a local Bond Measure.

1. Long Beach City College is an example of how a local bond measure can benefit this situation for the past six year, with the help of Cordoba Engineering Corp, have passed TWO $1.6 billion dollar bonds. The driver was the requirement for LBCC to meet the MS4 Storm Water permitting requirements. A state of the art water treatment facility was put into operation, underground on campus and in turn the college and community have received many benefits. Fairplex is the perfect entity to duplicate this effort. Cordoba Corp. designed and administered the project and bond and would be the go to resource Fairplex may establish a relationship.

1. The Farm at Fairplex would be an awesome place to start a beginning farmer’s program for urban enterprises. California Farm academy – Center for Land - based learning – great resource.

2. Shipping container operations. - Mushrooms and Lettuce/Greens

3. Do research symposiums for community to hear about recent research from grad students

4. Community Education – Partner with Rural Ag Programming (RFDTV). 5. Affordable Farm to Fork Dinners. 6. Premiere documentaries and movies related to agriculture and water and have

community conversations around the topic: - The Last Crop - Deeply Rooted: John Coykendall’s Journey To Save Our Seeds and Stories - Soil - Farmland - King Corn - California Water - Killing the Colorado

7. University of Georgia – Georgia Farm Bureau. Great model for incubator kitchen for value-added product development for small farms and Ag producers. Very beneficial to an up and coming Urban Ag community in L.A. County and surrounding counties.

8. Annual competitions for 4H and FFA groups and/or youth in Ag – outside of Fairtime. - Judging workshops for livestock. - Ag Days - Showmanship Workshops - Clinics from Professionals

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10. Fairtime: - Taste of the Farm Days by County, small farms or producers from Ex. San Diego,

LA, Inland Empire can show of the products they’ve developed from the products they’ve grown/produced.

11. Local Roots: - Awesome project growing greens and lettuce out of an aquaponic/hydroponic

system in a shipping container. Servicing local restaurants and retail establishments. Perfect set up for Fairplex.

- Provide farm safety, food safety, and business development education for Ag enterprises.

12. Annual Small Farms Conference 2018 – be the venue. 13. Cal Poly Pomona, College of Agriculture 14. Good resources:

- Dr. Aaron Fox; Dr. Eileen Cullen, Dr. Steve Archambault – Urban Ag Program, Agribusiness

- Dr. David Still, Still lab expert on breeding & genetics, GMO’s. 15. Water conferences. 16. Develop a relationship with organization in Ag:

- Trade Organizations - Commodity Groups - Small Farms Conference - Farm Bureaus - State and National Level Farm Bureaus - National Farmers Union - California Cattlemen’s and Cattlewomen’s Assn. - Ag in the Classroom - CDFA - USDA - CA Farmlink

17. Offer as venue to these groups for meetings, conference, forums, etc. 18. USDA Ag – Marketing Value-Added program. Offer workshops to local producers on

how to create value-added options and get funding. 19. California is the #1 producer in 10-commoditia. We are the #1 Dairy State in the

nation. We provide the nation over 75% of their fruits, vegetables and nuts. If you looked around L.A. or most of CA you’d never know it. Connecting the public to this information is vital when it comes to needing advocacy and support locally and legislatively. Fairplex would be a great center for promoting this.

1. Ag Education: 48th DAA, (909) 274-2433, Schools Ag & Nutrition Fair.

Fairplex Strategic Planning Meeting Agriculture and Food Attachment to the Minutes of April 13, 2017 Page 9 POST MEETING ONLINE RESPONSES: How do you see Fairplex contributing with agriculture programs in the future?

- I think Fairplex is moving in a good direction with Agriculture and getting back to its farm roots.

- By educating the public about agriculture, by incubating food producers, by showcasing food products.

- Year-round center for agricultural education. - Fairplex can become a hub for the eastern end of the San Gabriel Valley for community

agriculture, food programs, and teaching how to eat better. - By making “agriculture” the most important aspect of any program. There were a lot of

nutrition advocates who spoke which is a great thing, but without protecting and advocating for Ag, there is no nutrition or anything else. No farms , no food. I think as an educational venue or place, nutrition education, as well as other classes, will be great but I think to address nutritional concerns one needs to know how to grow or produce their own food first. The Farm at Fairplex is unique and well placed to teach people how to produce food in small places which serve the surrounding population well.

- The general population needs to be exposed to agriculture, the value of it, and to get educated. By 2050, we will need to produce the most food we ever have in 10,000 years. The way food is produced and transported is changing every day which removes the general public from the farming experience. The Farm offer that glimpse.

- Although, FFA and 4H competitions are no longer held at the Fair, Fairplex would be well served including this community in its strategic plan. There are a lot of support programs for these groups that they don’t always get access to because of where we are located. Things like judging and showmanship workshops, animal care and management, entrepreneurial project development, business development, funding workshops, etc.

- Livestock judging, showmanship would be great for kids. Professional showmanship clinics.

- A 4H hub for groups from the surrounding communities to help support the creation of groups, projects, and culmination.

- I see Fairplex providing an educational platform where community experts can share their knowledge. I believe the produce swap would be a wonderful opportunity for the community to engage with each other, create friendships, memories, etc.

- Becoming an active community partner in all things green/sustainable future. Training and educational workshops? Outreach and community programing?

- How can Fairplex serve community needs through programs and events related to food/eating/education in the future?

- Connecting with both Cal Poly and Mt. SAC is important. But also connecting with minority communities and using their historical and direct connections with agriculture is key to the growth and support of the local community.

- By promoting healthy foods, by promoting sustainable food, by improving access to diverse foods, by promoting innovative cuisine, and by showcasing new foods trends.

FAIRPLEX STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING Agriculture and Food April 13, 2017 Page 10

- By promoting healthy foods, by promoting sustainable food, by improving access to diverse foods, by promoting innovative cuisine, and by showcasing new foods trends.

- Reaching out to schools promoting farm tours, workshops. - Fairplex can have classes and resources which serve the needs of all economic classes.

There will always be the high end farm to table dinners, but there can be classes in growing food and healthy eating on a budget, even a low income budget.

- Beginning farmer (in an urban setting) programs, food safety, and preparation. Food waste challenge and the beef and pork industry are big supporters of the initiative. One of the biggest issues in small Ag today is food safety and helping cottage producers understand the requirements is a huge benefit for them.

- Small engine repair or tractor repair classes would be awesome. With such an elaborate automotive program on-site something like this would be a great offering to the public. Tractor driving. How to drive a tractor classes, backyard poultry classes.

- I am not an expert, I am unsure if the Farm can solve childhood hunger in the community but providing hands on experience and education seems reasonable. Providing the products from harvest to some local shelters may allow the programs to redirect some of the food budget into another need such as career development.

- Promote concepts and ideals at the annual Fair. Partner with local community gardens. Encourage food trucks and vendors to serve healthy and GMO free foods.

FAIRPLEX STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING Agriculture and Food

April 13, 2017

ATTACHMENT II LIST OF INVITEES

Fairplex Strategic Planning Meeting Agriculture and Food Attachment to the Minutes of April 13, 2017 Following is a list of all invitees to the Fairplex Strategic Planning meetings. Even if they are unable to attend, all invitees will receive meeting minutes, invitations to future meetings and all documentation to support meeting discussions. In addition, all invitees are encouraged to send a representative in their place if they are unable to attend and to forward the invitation to those they feel may be important to this process. If you have additional community members you would like invited to upcoming meetings, please email their contact information to Juan Madrigal at madrigal@fairplex.com. Strategic Planning Steering Committee:

Ayala Benny Rep. Senator Connie Leyva

Coley Soraya President, Cal Poly

Engel Robin Consultant

Gonzales-Lawrence Ronald Rep. for Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez

Hamai Sachi A. CEO, County of Los Angeles

Hamilton Gary Rep. Soraya Coley, President Cal Poly

Horning Russell Rep. Hilda Solis, L.A. Board of Supervisors - District 4

Hsieh Tom Splinter Rock

Leyva Connie State of California Senate

Lowry Linda Pomona City Manager

Martinez Norma Rep. Hilda Solis, L.A. Board of Supervisors - District 4

Pinedo Cid LACFA Board

Rodriguez Freddie State of California Assembly

Sandoval Tim Mayor of Pomona

Santana Miguel Fairplex President & CEO

Scott Zazette Rep. Senator Connie Leyva

Solis Hilda Supervisor, County of Los Angeles

Torres Norma U.S. Congress

Torres Robert Pomona Council Member - District 6

LACF Association Members:

Bernstein Bernie Bernstein & Rathman

Bingham Elizabeth Minister, Pilgrim Congregational Church

Blancarte James Court Commissioner

Blickenstaff Jon Retired Educator

Bolding Ron Inter Valley Health Plan

Bollinger Laura Community Volunteer

Bosserman-Piatt Linda City of Hope Medical Group

Burwell Bob Retired PVHMC Administrator

Bush Bob Retired Media Group

Cable Chuck TLC Board/Retired Senior Living Administrator

Clifford Peter National Hot Rod Association

Coley Soraya Cal Poly

Crean Richard California Financial Partners

Dilley Scott Sanders Towing

Driebe Mike Methodist Hospital Foundation

Dukes Robert Superior Court Judge

Eggert Robert Retired, So. California Gas Company

Espinoza Jimmy Inland Investment Partners

Fairley Jeff Body Center Physical Therapy

Felton John Retired Bank Manager

Fox Bill William Fox Group

Galleano Don Galleano Winery

Gallegos Heidi Brea Chamber of Commerce

Gamboa Juan Coldwell Banker

Gutierrrez Jimmy Chino City Attorney

Gutierrrez Phillip U.S. District Court Judge

Hanawalt Roger Dentist

Hanson Heidi Rain Bird International

Harris Jennetta Minister

Hsieh Tom Splinter Rock

Hyland Sue Claremont Club

Johnson Molly Retired Work Group Administrator

Keagle Linda C & C Organization

Kendrick Don Kendrick Real Estate

Kersting Chris Specialty Equipment Market Association

La Bounty Hugh Retired Educator

Landherr John A-Z Bus Sales, Inc.

Leier Patrick Educational Management Consultant

Lieberman Devorah University of La Verne

Loverso Felice Casa Colina

Loza Christina Loza & Loza

Ludwick Art TLC Board

Lyman Kevin 4-Fini

Manning Dan Coca Cola

Martinez Richad Pomona Unified School District

Melendez Thelma Los Angeles Unified School District

Mendez Robert Attorney & Adjunct Professor

Miller Karen Retired Athletic Director

Morris April Retired Architect

Nuss Tom Retired Superior Court Judge

Ortiz Michael Retired President, Cal Poly

Patronite Iris Consultant, The Organizational Network.

Paulson Jan Retired VP, Nursing Services, PVHMC

Piatt James Retired, Superior Court Judge

Pinedo Cid Hope Through Housing

Rinehart Larry Retired Bank President

Rodriguez Rodri Rodri Entertainment Group

Smith Michael Retired Attorney

Solomon John Liquorama Fine Wine

Stark Jil Retired College Educator

Stark Jeff Fukagawa, Stark & Associates

Stutzman Royce Vincente, Lloyd & Stutzman

Su Ben Prosperity Wealth Management Group Inc.

Terrell Emmett Pomona Unified School District

Tessier Ed JEVED Management

Thomas Gary Retired Facility Dir., HCC Industries

Todd John R. Todd Memorial Chapel

Todd John W. President, Todd Memorial Chapel

Vera Ron Vera & Barbosa

Warren Mark Warren Realty and Investments

Webb Kiana Webb Family Enterprises

Webb Reggie Webb Family Enterprises

Yochum Richard Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center

Community:

Allred Jeff San Gabriel Valley Partnership

Annett Curtis Inland News Group

Atwater John Senior Planner (Retired)

Ballantyne Michelle Chino Community Committee

Brooks Beth Fairplex Friends Community Group

Brooks Mary Fairplex Friends Community Group

Caceres Victor Boys & Girls Club

Campbell Stephanie Bright Prospect

Cortez Sally Fairplex Friends Community Group

Dale James Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center

Davis Karen Glendora Community Committee

Ebenkamp Lynne Rowland Heights Committee

Faull Chris Fairplex Friends Community Group

Frausto Erica Pomona Chamber of Commerce

Garcia Frank Past President, Pomona Chamber of Commerce

George Gary City of Chino

Haughey Karen Chino Community Committee

Heintz Pamela Fairplex Friends Community Group

Hemming Carolynn Downtown Pomona Owners Association

Henderson Anne Community

Keagle Linda Upland Community Committee

Keating Jeff Western University

Koach Diane San Dimas Community Committee

Krohn Darren Fairplex Friends Community Group

Larson Robbie Neighbor

Larson Jerry Neighbor

Lesser Pete Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center

Loehr Karen Fairplex Friends Community Group

McClung Valerie Chino Hills Community Committee

Mesa Fernando Pomona Unified School District

Neal Anne La Verne Community Committee

Neely Norma Jean Fairplex Friends Community Group

Newton Pat Fairplex Friends Community Group

Nichols Erica Elysian

Parnell Bill Neighbor

Perez David Valley Vista Services

Perlman Roberta Pomona School Board

Robinson Sid Upland Community Committee

Ruiz Juanita Fairplex Friends Community Group

Scroggins William Mt. San Antonio College

Session Katrina Fairplex Friends Community Group

Shannon Henry Chaffey College

Sparling Fred Glendora Community Committee

St. John Judith Neighbor

Stark Jeff Claremont Community Committee

Swearingen Syd Neighbor

Swearingen Lynn Neighbor

Tanaka Jack Diamond Bar Community Committee

Tharpe Sam Neighbor

Thomas Daniel Fairplex Friends Community Group

Unaka Oliver Pomona Unified School District

Vander Molen Ron Neighbor

Vaniman Jeff Pomona Community Committee

Willison Sharon Fairplex Friends Community Group

Neighbors: Over 400 neighbors were notified via letter Fairplex Staff: All Fairplex employees were invited. Website: www.fairplex.com/ceo. In addition the Strategic Planning Website includes an open invitation to all who want to attend.