Local Food Systems is a project of the Agroecosystems Management Program of The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and many collaborators in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Site development has been supported by a USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative Regional Partnerships for Innovation Grant (posted here) as well as a structural change grant from the Fund for Our Economic Future in Northeast Ohio (information here). Local Food Systems strives to promote strong local and regional economies by offering tools that help entrepreneurs build business ecosystems rooted in agriculture. Entrepreneurs can use the tools on the Local Food Systems website to connect their business idea into a supply chain network of locally owned businesses, existing and planned, and together with other entrepreneurs and locally owned businesses find the capital needed to launch their businesses. Food is of particular interest both to entrepreneurs and consumers, hence the name localfoodsystems.org, but other basic needs like energy, equipment, services and materials that are part of agriculture…
VIBRANTNEO BLOG
The Drive to 500! 2013 promises to be an amazing time for the Vibrant NEO effort and Northeast Ohio. In getting ready for the coming year, we are making an end of year Drive to 500 Facebook Likes. (I actually think we can get quite a bit more!) Share it with your friends throughout the region. You can like us here… Vibrant NEO on Facebook Our social media footprint includes the following different channels to keep up with our work Pinterest – our developing pins of great images and assets throughout the region Linked In – our growing business network featuring Vibrant NEO 2040 news as well as items submitted by members. Twitter – our daily outreach through events, partners and dig-neo facts Facebook – our community and organization outreach and photos You Tube – our board and engagement video library What Can I Do Today? Act: Participate in the…
“iNaturalist is a place where you can record what you see in nature, meet other nature lovers, and learn about the natural world.” iNaturalist (http://www.inaturalist.org/) is a smartphone and web-based data gathering program designed to provide an ecological learning and teaching platform for amateur and professional naturalists alike. The world is full of naturalists and many hikers, hunters, birders, and beachcombers record their observations of the environment around them. If the record of observations is comprehensive enough, it may be possible for scientists and land managers to monitor changes in biodiversity, and allow anyone to use the comprehensive record of life to learn more about nature. A comprehensive record of nature is the primary purpose of iNaturalist. According to its website, iNaturalist began as the Master’s final project of Nate Agrin, Jessica Kline, and Ken-ichi Ueda at the University of California-Berkeley’s School of Information in 2008. Nate and Ken-ichi continued…
If you live in the Greater Akron and are interested in joining a growing sustainability network, you might want to check out the upcoming Greater Akron Innovation Network for Sustainability (GAINS) meeting. GAINS was launched over the last year. The first meeting was inspired by a handful of people who are active and passionate local business owners and community members that knew each other through an organization called Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S). From the organization’s Facebook page, membership is for… Anyone who wants to be part of a growing network of people who care about what happens in regards to our environment and healthy community living. We want to help our Greater Akron area grow sustainably and to make smart decisions moving into the future. We are people who want to contribute, lend a hand, offer experienced insight, and have a good time while we do it. To find out more about this growing sustainability network attend its upcoming meeting…
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC) recently released its 2012 Accomplishments Report, Helping Communities Realize a More Prosperous Future, (pdf download) which highlights how grantees of the 2010 and 2011 HUD Sustainability Grants are working to support locally led collaborative efforts that are building stronger regional economies. Among the most significant findings of the report is the almost 100 percent leveraging of federal funds. In 2010 and 2011 OSHC awarded 152 grants in 48 states, totaling $240 million. This in turn has generated almost $253 million in private investments and commitments from local partners. The report further highlights that HUD’s Sustainable Communities grantees have brought significant local, state and private resources to the table. HUD’s investment of $95.8 million in 2011 generated $115 million in matching and in-kind contributions – which is more than 120% of the Federal investment – from…
The City of Cleveland has been identified as a pilot of the STAR Community Rating System. In November 2012, STAR Communities launched the STAR Community Pilot Program, which taps nearly thirty leadership cities and counties in a year-long testing evaluation of the STAR Community Rating System. Local community leaders will use the STAR Community Rating System to assess how sustainable they already are, set goals for moving ahead and measure progress along the way. STAR Pilot Communities will be the first to receive a rating based on their responses using the Technical Guide, Online Reporting Tool, and associated products and services that are designed to help local communities establish and measure their own sustainability. From the STAR website… Every local place has a unique vision for a healthy environment, a strong economy and the well-being of the people living in that community. Individual governments and leaders will always address their…
Hello and Welcome to the November issue of Vibrant NEO! Thanks for your continued interest in NEOSCC and the Vibrant NEO 2040 Initiative. As we near the end of 2012, there is plenty Vibrant NEO 2040 activity around Northeast Ohio. We are in process of finalizing the selection of a planning firm to assist with development of the Vibrant NEO 2040 vision and framework. A few facts about the planning process: Who will be involved in the planning process? We will be engaging stakeholders throughout the region through different ways and methods. How will the planning process be conducted? We will be conducting regional engagement using a scenario planning process that creates a shared vision. What is our objective? We are focused on developing a framework to create a more vibrant, resilient and sustainable Northeast Ohio. NEOSCC has also launched its regional analysis of impediments to fair housing choice study. In our engagement efforts we…
As part of the Vibrant NEO 2040 planning process, NEOSCC is conducting a regional analysis of impediments to fair housing choice (often called a Regional AI). Western Economic Services – is helping us craft a useful Regional AI for all of the communities in our 12-county region. Working with Western Economic Services, we have created two surveys to help gauge the status of fair housing in our communities. If you are involved in the housing industry please take some time to complete the survey. Links to the two surveys, one for government officials and one for housing stakeholders can be found below. Our definition of “housing stakeholders” are people like an advocate/ service provider, banking/ finance, construction/ development, condo or homeowner association leader, insurance, law/ legal services, property management, real estate, or resident advisory council leader. Government Officials Survey Housing Stakeholders Survey Please fill out the most appropriate survey and…
NEOSCC counts numerous Public Housing Authorities among its membership. Shawna Daugherty of Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority prepared a NEO 101 Series presentation on “What is a Public Housing Authority?” to educate our board on the different aspects of PHA’s. Here are a few facts: Public Housing Authorities (PHA)provide housing and rental assistance to low-income families through two programs: Public Housing With this method, the PHA owns and manages properties. Approximately 1.2 million families reside in public housing around the country. Properties range from single family homes to high-rise apartments. Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) This method allows families to use a voucher anywhere a landlord is willing to accept it. The housing authority will subsidize the rent and utilities. Voucher programs serve about 3 million families nationwide. Beyond these core services, PHA’s offer a variety of ancillary community services in support of their housing developments. There are a number of community partners…
Eastgate Council of Regional Governments, a NEOSCC Board Member, and the Western Reserve Independent Living Center (WRILC) are working together to help improve the delivery of transportation services and options for older adults, and persons with disabilities. The WRILC is a non-profit community based non-residential center dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities. The two surveys below will help with the four-county coordinated transportation network. Download the surveys for a chance to win a drawing that is sponsored by the WRILC. To take the transportation provider survey, please click here. To take the transportation services survey, please click here. Interested in more information on Eastgate, access their newsletter here. What Can I do Today? Learn: Discover our Digi-NEO Gallery of Facts about NEO Act: Become a member of the Conditions and Trends Platform and let us know what you think about our findings Act: Attend our Board Meeting in Summit County