Mcknight Foundation

THE POWER OF MINNESOTA STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT WAS CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THREE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS: SEICHE (COMMUNICATIONS FIRM), CREDO NONFICTION (VIDEOGRAPHER), AND THE CLEAN ENERGY RESOURCE TEAMS (NONPROFIT GRANTEE). AN ONGOING PROJECT, THE POWER OF MINNESOTA WILL DISTRIBUTE THROUGHOUT THE STATE SHORT VIDEOS OF LOCAL SOLAR AND WIND PROJECTS AND FEATURE THE VOICES OF FARMERS/LANDOWNERS, SOLAR AND WIND DEVELOPERS AND INSTALLERS, CITY AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS, UTILITIES, AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IN ADDITION TO THE SHORT DIGITALLY DISTRIBUTED VIDEOS AND AN 18-MINUTE DOCUMENTARY, WHICH AIRED ON PIONEER PUBLIC TELEVISION, THE PROJECT INCLUDES IN-DEPTH CONVERSATIONS ORGANIZED IN SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES IN GREATER MINNESOTA THAT WILL USE THE SHORT VIDEOS AS A WAY TO SPARK DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF CLEAN ENERGY FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

2019 ANDES COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE (COP) ANNUAL CONVENING: NEARLY 70 PARTICIPANTS OF THE 15TH ANNUAL COP MEETING GATHERED JULY 8-12, 2019 IN PUEMBO, ECUADOR. AS A CELEBRATION OF THE COP'S FIFTEEN ANNIVERSARY, THE OVERALL AIM OF THE MEETING WAS TO GENERATE AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE AMONG THE GROUP RELATED TO THEIR SPECIFIC WORK, THEIR COLLABORATIONS, AND THE BROADER SYSTEM OF AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE ANDES REGION. THE GROUP ALSO EMBARKED ON AN IMMERSIVE FIELD VISIT, AND THEY ENGAGED IN COP PLANNING FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.

2019 EAST & SOUTHERN AFRICA COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE ANNUAL CONVENING: THIS YEAR MARKED THE FIRST COMBINE GRANTEE CONVENING OF THE FORMER EAST & HORN OF AFRICA AS WELL AS THE FORMER SOUTHERN AFRICA COPS. THE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE MEETING TOOK PLACE IN SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 3 IN LILONGWE, MALAWI, WITH MORE THAN 70 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE CONVENING WERE TO HELP BUILD THE MERGED COP, TO IDENTIFY COMMON INTERESTS AND PRACTICES, TO ADVANCE THINKING AND ACTION ON AGROECOLOGICAL INTENSIFICATION, AND TO ADVANCE THINKING AND ACTION ON FRNS AND INVOLVEMENT OF FARMERS. PARTICIPANTS PREPARED 27 PRESENTATIONS COVERING THEMATIC AREAS OF FRN PROCESSES AND CROP IMPROVEMENT, PESTS AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT, AND SOIL HEALTH AND SYSTEMS DIVERSIFICATION. THE MEMBERS OF THE COP ALSO ENGAGED IN PLANNING FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, INCLUDING HOW TO INCORPORATE FAO AGROECOLOGY ELEMENTS INTO THEIR WORK.

2019 WEST AFRICA COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE ANNUAL CONVENING: THE OVERALL GOAL OF THE ANNUAL WEST AFRICA COP CONVENING WAS TO LEVERAGE SYNERGY OPPORTUNITIES AMONG PROJECTS, AND STRENGTHEN THE LEARNING, NETWORK BUILDING, COLLECTIVE ACTION, AND COHERENCE OF THE COP. HELD IN BAMAKO, MALI ON FEBRUARY 25-28, 2019, THE MEETING ENGAGED NEARLY 60 CCRP GRANTEES, PARTNERS, RESOURCE TEAMS, AND STUDENTS. PARTICIPANTS EMBARKED ON DISCUSSIONS TO GAIN CLARITY ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGROECOLOGICAL INTENSIFICATION (AEI) AND FARMER RESEARCH NETWORKS. THEY ALSO INVITED STUDENTS TO PRESENT DURING SCIENTIFIC SEMINARS, AND THEY SHARED HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE VARIOUS GRANT PROJECTS, INCLUDING FARMER-FRIENDLY DATA VISUALIZATION AND COMMUNICATION OF RESULTS.