Dane County  
Minutes - Final Unless Amended by  
Committee  
Food Council  
Consider:  
Who benefits? Who is burdened?  
Who does not have a voice at the table?  
How can policymakers mitigate unintended consequences?  
Wednesday, January 21, 2026  
6:00 PM  
Hybrid Meeting: Attend in person at the Lyman  
Anderson building 5201 Fen Oak Dr; Meeting  
Room Moraine (C); attend virtually via Zoom  
A. Call To Order  
Chair WARNER called the meeting to order at 6:03pm  
5 -  
Present  
CARL CHENOWETH, Chair BILL WARNER, Vice Chair SHIRLEY NENNIG, ERICA  
JANISCH, and ADDI FAERBER  
4 -  
Excused  
DANIEL CORNELIUS, SEBASTIAN HASSELL, KERRY MARREN, and RICHELLE  
ANDRAE  
Attended by Zoom: NENNIG, JANISCH, FAERBER, CORNELIUS, HASSELL  
Others Present: Diya Chilukuri, Jess Guffey Calkins  
B. Consideration of Minutes  
MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 03, 2025, FOOD COUNCIL MEETING  
2025  
MIN-507  
Attachments: 2025 MIN-507  
Motion by JANISCH, second by FAERBER, to approve minutes. All in favor,  
motion carries (5-0).  
C. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda  
None  
6:04 CORNELIUS joined  
6 -  
Present  
CARL CHENOWETH, Chair BILL WARNER, Vice Chair SHIRLEY NENNIG, ERICA  
JANISCH, DANIEL CORNELIUS, and ADDI FAERBER  
3 - SEBASTIAN HASSELL, KERRY MARREN, and RICHELLE ANDRAE  
Excused  
D. Action Item  
Consideration of DCFC funding for Food Action Plan Survey Analysis: DCFC discussed options  
for possible funding allocations to the Food Action Plan survey analysis and/or  
implementation phase. If an extra DCFC meeting is needed to take an action on this, 2.11.26 is  
a tentative date.  
6:12 HASSELL joined  
7 -  
Present  
Excused  
CARL CHENOWETH, Chair BILL WARNER, Vice Chair SHIRLEY NENNIG, ERICA  
JANISCH, DANIEL CORNELIUS, SEBASTIAN HASSELL, and ADDI FAERBER  
2 - KERRY MARREN, and RICHELLE ANDRAE  
E. Reports to Committee  
Regular Business Reports  
- Dane County Food Action Plan - WARNER, Guffey Calkins  
Project team is developing overall plan goals and specific recommendations under the goals.  
The team will set a time to share draft goals and recommendations with the food councils in  
the spring - likely at the March meeting.  
- Foodshed Partnership Project - FAERBER  
On February 4 there will be an Open House for potential partners, farmers, and institutional  
purchasers. A contractor has been secured for build-out work. Cornelius suggested looking  
into a fresh fruits and vegetable distributor out of DeForest that partners with the Tribal Elder  
food box program.  
- Wisconsin Food Systems, Inc (WFS) - CORNELIUS  
Annual board meeting was recently held. WFS is working on connecting more with the  
Foodshed Partnership Project; also working on grant applications.  
- Regional Agriculture & Food Sovereignty; Community Gardens - Nicholas Leete via Guffey  
Calkins  
The Community Garden Summit, an annual gathering of gardeners and organizers, will be  
hosted by Rooted and UW-Madison Extension Dane County at 517 E Badger Road, Madison,  
WI 53704 on Saturday, February 21 from 8:30am to 6:30pm. Registration is available at:  
https://rootedwi.wufoo.com/forms/z11avknj19opgi9/. More information is available here:  
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oujkbCYrTsBrVmYSFDAc8EVwRx2z2qjS/edit?  
usp=sharing&ouid=107988339666866627101&rtpof=true&sd=true.  
Most community gardens are also starting their 2026 registration now. Contact information  
for each garden to see if there are plots available can be found at  
http://www.danegardens.net.  
- Food Access; Double Dollars Program - Guffey Calkins  
No report  
- Public Health Madison & Dane County; City of Madison Business Development - George  
Reistad via Guffey Calkins  
2026 City of Madison SEED Grants opened Monday 1/19/26 (announced Tues 1/20); close Fri  
2/20/26.  
Madison Public Market announces first cohort of merchant leases signed:  
https://www.wkow.com/news/madison-public-market-announces-eight-vendors-ahead-of-ope  
ning/article_11ae9cfe-311d-4039-807d-9a41d417b8a0.html  
- Extension/Dane County - Guffey Calkins  
2026 Organic Vegetable Production Conference: January 22-23 (online) and January 30-31  
(Alliant Energy Center). Connect with experienced vegetable growers from throughout the  
Midwest and beyond at this producer-initiated event grounded in farmer-to-farmer skill  
sharing. Join your peers for online sessions, in-person sessions, or both! This conference  
serves advanced vegetable growers and content is tailored to this audience. More info and  
registration options are at https://dane.extension.wisc.edu/dane-county-agriculture/ovpc.  
The Organic Vegetable Production Conference is hosted by the University of  
Wisconsin-Madison Extension Dane County, in partnership with FairShare CSA Coalition,  
Iowa State University Extension & Outreach, and the Center for Integrated Agricultural  
Systems.  
Upcoming educational events are listed on the UW -Madison Extension Dane County website:  
https://dane.extension.wisc.edu/.  
Council Discussion  
- Potential policy recommendation regarding future county land acquisitions: Identify  
parcel sections with existing water infrastructure and designate them for food production.  
DCFC POLICY 2025 REVIEW MEMO  
2025  
RPT-654  
Attachments: 2025 RPT-654  
DCFC discussed ideas around increasing food production designations on county park land.  
DCFC Action Plan Reports  
- Policy - CHENOWETH  
This information was shared and discussed under Council Discussion.  
- Food Access and Equity (PI) - JANISCH, NENNIG  
The 2026 PI application has been updated and is live. The 2026 granting amount is $35,200  
(due to the 4% budget cut). The grant is now called Partners in Community Food Project Grants  
(or PI Community Food Project Grants). The Office of Equity and Inclusion is now the Dane  
County Civil Rights Department. Go to https://equity.danecounty.gov/grants/PIE-food for all  
the details; applications are due February 27, 2026.  
- Community Engagement - WARNER  
No report  
- Organizational Capacity  
No report  
- Food System Resource Recommendations  
No report  
F. Announcements  
FAERBER will be leaving REAP and starting at CAC as a full-time grant writer on February 2.  
G. Future Meeting Items and Dates  
February 25, 2025, 6pm  
H. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law  
None  
I. Adjourn  
A motion was made by NENNIG, seconded by CHENOWETH,to adjourn the  
meeting. All in favor, motion carries (7-0). The meeting adjourned at 7:11pm.  
Minutes respectfully submitted by Jess Guffey Calkins, pending council approval.