Minutes Full Committee- May 2007

May 24th 2007
Full Committee
Announcements (3 min) - None
Approval of minutes - Yeah

Discussion about COSA plans for our incoming Chair -
Please contact Kim (kimleval@qwest.com) if you are interested in being chair.

Status of Farm Bill
Please see COSA Policy and Outreach Subcommittee Minutes

Announcements for events
- None

Status of Speakers for Roundtable
Please contact the speaker that you previously contacted.
Invited Speakers:
Confirmed to attend:

• Duane Hovorka, National Wildlife Federation;
• Jason Hill, U of MN – with Tilman group;
• Susan Andrews (already going to the meeting), NRCS/Soil quality;
• Jerry Glover (already going to be at meeting), Greenlands/Bluewaters/Land Institute;
• Rob Mitchell (already going to be at meetings), USDA/ARS/Switchgrass in Midwest/10 different plots of switchgrass/agronomist;
• Kelly King, Pacific Biodiesel, Inc/Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance

Review of Roundtable
a. Questions for speakers – what do we have so far?
3 Questions so far - Caron will send out an email inquiring about additional questions
Patrick Carr of A-8 may have some suggestions
b. Breakout format review

Fundraising update for Roundtable Speaker Travel
5. Sponsorship of A-8 – Pat Carr would like to know what would we like A-8 to do in their co-sponsorship of our biofuels roundtable?

Sub-Committee reports (5-10 min)
Outreach Chair - Caron Gala
Systems Research & Participatory research Combined - Michelle Wander and Stefan Seiter
Plant and animal breeding - Julie Dawson and Kim Leval

New website, blog and other improvements in outreach and communication
- See the letter to the editor in Crops and Soils Magazine!

Discuss Tri-Societies Structure and COSA
How would Division status combined with Committee status?

• It would be useful for COSA to keep Committee status so that non-members can be part of COSA
• Tri-societies platforms are not reflecting COSA interests. Sustainable and Organic Agriculture need more exposure to leadership in the Tri-Society Structure.
• Alex Avery Piece pointed out the information gap, along with some provisions of the farm bill priority platforms.
• Do we have access to the minutes from the Executive committees and the Society Presidents?
• Some influencial supporters of COSA (Tom Sims, John Duran, Jim Coors, etc.)
• What is COSA's strenghts in the Tri-Society Structure?

Action Items!!!
Review of decisionmakers and how decisions are made within the Tri Societies
· Executive Committee (all presidents)
· Society Presidents
· Society Boards
- Caron email questions to COSA, poster, talk to Ian.

- Kim resend invite letter to everyone.

- Everyone! Use fundraising letter to contact at least 2 people!

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