Accomplishments: A summary from participants
Why People Value MISA
A Summary Based on Input from MISA Partners and Community Participants
STRUCTURED LINK
MISA is structured to enhance the link between the COAFES, farmers and community people and organizations. This structured link is the foundation of both the program activities of MISA and the formal structure of MISA.
MISA’s “open door” programs link community people and farmers to their University as they seek information or research assistance on food and agricultural issues. MISA helps helps them find information that is not generally available through traditional agricultural information sources. These people tend to be farmers, citizens and organizations who are developing new production practices and are committed to the environmental and social aspects of farming and food system work.
The result of MISA’s work is a very diverse set of links through which many hundreds of farmers, citizens and community organizations have found some constructive way become engaged in COAFES and the University. And MISA’s emphasis on sustainable agriculture has attracted many farmers and community organizations who would not have developed working relationships with the University without MISA’s link. For these farmers and community organizations, MISA is the Land Grant Mission in action. It allows them access to their University’ s resources.
DIALOGUE
An important guiding principle of MISA is to promote healthy dialogue and debate among the diverse interests in sustainable agriculture. MISA’s emphasis on dialogue in its programs creates a unique opportunity in which of ideas are exchanged among the practitioners and the scientists. It is a two-way form of communication allowing each to learn from others. Farmers, researchers, faculty and community groups regularly engage each other in the complex and evolving issues of agriculture, food systems and farm communities through MISA’s programs and activities.
This constructive dialogue among these diverse interests does not occur spontaneously. It requires the attention and structure that and institute like MISA provides. After almost a decade’s investment of work by MISA there is now sufficient trust among the farmers, community organizations and faculty/researchers to make this dialogue very fruitful for those participating.
PARTNERSHIPS
MISA is unique as an institute because it is functionally and structurally a partnership. MISA’s inception was, in fact, a result of community representatives negotiating with COAFES and the University to develop a vehicle by which farmers and community organizations could engage the College. This partnership concept is built into the formal governance of MISA and continues to be the foundation of all of its activities.
The Bylaws of MISA codifies this core partnership concept:
“MISA is a joint venture of the College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences (COAFES) and the Sustainers’ Coalition, which is comprised of these member organizations: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Land Stewardship Project, Organic Growers and Buyers Association, Minnesota Food Association and The Minnesota Project. The membership of the Sustainers Coalition and its responsibilities and authority within MISA shall be governed by these Bylaws.”
“MISA shall be comprised of a Board of Directors, a Joint Seminar and an operational base within the University of Minnesota's COAFES. The Joint Seminar is comprised of 40 members: 20 members appointed by COAFES and 20 appointed by the Sustainers Coalition. The Joint Seminar nominates MISA Board members for annual appointment and votes to accept the initial MISA Bylaws. The authority and responsibilities of the Joint Seminar shall be governed by these Bylaws.”
Community partnerships are a primary goal of the University as expressed by President Yudof , Provost Bruinninks , and Governor Ventura. The work of MISA is consistent with this direction and provides COAFES with a stellar demonstration from a decade’s commitment of COAFES, its faculty and its community partners.
RURAL PARTNERSHIPS
Over the last seven years MISA has taken the lead in designing the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships and in securing start-up and operating legislative funding for the five regions. These Partnerships are a prime opportunity to provide another connection for the University and COAFES to rural Minnesotans.
The Partnerships have two guiding principles similar to MISA’s. First, the Regional Partnerships are a “structured link” for farmers, citizens and community organizations with the University and COAFES. Each Regional Board is balanced in its governance and the activities of the Regions focus on building interaction and dialogue, and in engaging the University for research, education and outreach based on locally-identified needs.
Secondly, the Regional Partnerships are genuinely “partnerships”. The farmers and community organizations within these rural regions are in partnership with their University. They perceive the Regional Partnerships as a means to gain access to University resources and to shape the education, research and outreach activities to be relevant for them and their communities. And he University partners learn from their community partners and find new outlets for their Unvisersity-based information and expertise.
UNIQUE INFORMATION
MISA serves as an invaluable clearinghouse of information that may not always be available through traditional channels. Farmers who are trying sustainable practices tell us they do not find traditional information sources particularly helpful. Thus one of sustainable agriculture’s biggest limiting factor is accurate and timely information.. What information exists? Who has it? How do I get it? MISA’s Information Exchange and web site focus on providing this unique information to those interested in sustainable practices and food systems. The Information Exchange also helps identify research and educational material needs.
The demand for this information is growing exponentially. In the past year MISA’s www site was visited 625,000 times, the Information Exchange has answered X phone calls and has distributed Y publications.
REPUTATION
MISA has steadily built credibility with farmers, researchers and others involved with seeking out alternative forms of farm production, marketing and research. This has made the institution a nationally recognized leader in promoting inquiry that is of practical use to farmers, and yet satisfies the rigorous demands of empirical science.
SYSTEMS MODEL
MISA is an opportunity to experiment with and learn about the emerging “systems” model of agriculture. This systems approach assumes that agriculture is part of a complex, dynamic and interactive system in which food production, natural resource conservation, land stewardship, community building and economics are all intertwined. Operating within such a complex dynamic system requires different approaches to research and education to engage people within their communities. MISA is dedicated to experiment within this construct and to share its learning with COAFES and the University and with the many community partners of MISA.
RESOURCES
MISA and its work in Sustainable Agriculture has attracted both money and people to COAFES and the University. The Sustainable Agriculture Minor and the 40+ related graduate classes have helped to attract over 30 students to Minnesota. It is one of the disciplines for which COAFES and Minnesota is known.
In the past 8 years MISA has helped raise over $8M. Much of these funds were raised in collaboration with the Partners of MISA, with recipients ranging from COAFES and Extension to farmers and community organizations.
MISA also provides an arena for faculty to work across disciplines and to bring forth new ideas. This cross-fertilization and the resulting idea generation is a valuable resource for the University and COAFES, and has led to innumerable collaborative teaching, research and outreach efforts.