Your note of thanks is most appreciated, Gary.
From my point of view, I'd also want to thank Joni for her pivotal role in the early days. She brought a new dimension to what Jonathon and I had begun discussing, and it was her who proposed the name we have used since: North American Millets Alliance.
And of course we're glad to have you aboard with your considerable knowledge and experience as we chart out 2025 and beyond. Some further thoughts, if I may: This is a long game in several respects. Millets are not widely known in North America, and even those that are part of our agriculture and food are not known that well beyond some uses. So part of our role is "educational," spreading the word, and creating interest. That said, I believe it is true as you, Gary, have suggested that there is probably more experience than we reading here are aware of, particularly among farmers, agronomists, processors, nutritionists, and culinary specialists. And we also learn from time to time about enterprises and research initiatives that we hadn't been aware of previously. So part of our role is "networking," and linking people across geography and sectors. Millets - each of them - have a value and potential both in ag and as food. As a group they are a significant group among the many "minor" crops that we must look to in order to diversify our agriculture in a time of climate change. So part of our role is advocacy. With regard to which millets, if we were to prioritize, we need to start where we are, with crops and varieties that are established (for food, that currently means sorghum, proso, and teff). But "where we are" is changing, and given research and even commercial interest, it may evolve fairly quickly (who would have imagined, 50 years ago, the current roles of teff as grain and forage in the US?). In the meantime, a number of millets are available as food only as imports (that may change for some but not all). So part of our role is promoting conversations about the future. As for the practical side of how we - NAMA - operate, that has been fairly informal. As a volunteer initiative, without external funding, there have been time and financial limits to what we can do. So part of our role, especially now, is to connect with funders and determine how to develop revenue with which to facilitate upping our game. Anyway, along the way, we appreciate the support all of you reading this have shown us, and invite your feedback and ideas as we start 2025 (in effect our 4th year, believe it or not). All the best, Don DO, EL, MI, US NAMA On Wed, Jan 1, 2025 at 2:45 PM Gary Wietgrefe via Collab < collab@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:
On behalf of all readers of this Collaboration email, I want to take this opportunity to thank Jonathon Landeck, Don Osborn, and Joni Kindwall-Moore for developing North America Millets Alliance and serving on the board for the past couple years. All three did a fantastic job of presenting all millets grown in North America and exposing potential for others. Jonathon, and his millet experience, will be missed on the North American Millet Alliance board, but I wish him the best in his transition to more family-oriented activities.
There is so much millet experience, mostly hidden, in North America. It is my wish for 2025 and beyond that those with millet talent and knowledge feel free to pass it on through NAMA's collaboration emails, webinars, and other ways that will open through our website in 2025 and beyond....Gary Wietgrefe (NAMA board member)
On Wed, Jan 1, 2025 at 5:01 AM <collab-request@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:
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Today's Topics:
1. A deep thank you to Jonathon Landeck (Don Osborn) 2. "Andropogon(eae) millets"? (Don Osborn)
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Message: 1 Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2024 22:30:56 -0500 From: Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org> To: collab@lists.millets2023.space Subject: [Collab] A deep thank you to Jonathon Landeck Message-ID: <CA+RHibU= X8ar_pmDNpxbR3NHwQ9dKEUACL8ssLrvZARHCnAsVA@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Dear all,
This is a note of gratitude to Jonathon Landeck, who is retiring from the North American Millets Alliance as of today, the end of 2024. His work and ideas over the last three plus years has been essential in developing NAMA, and he will be missed.
Jonathon and I are old friends, having both done graduate work at Michigan State University (although overlapping only briefly) and having been colleagues in Peace Corps staff. In late 2021 - the year when the UN General Assembly set 2023 as the International Year of Millets - I contacted Jonathon to ask if he'd be interested in doing something to mark that Year and promote millets in the US. That was the earliest beginning of what later became NAMA.
We met Joni Kindwall-Moore (virtually) in early 2022, and shortly after that, together founded NAMA.
Many of you will recall his role in emceeing many of the Millets Webinars we did in collaboration with the University of Missouri in 2023. However much of his role with NAMA was behind the scenes, in regular meetings, discussions, and external contacts.
While we wish Jonathon and his family well, in his next chapter, we would like to assure you that NAMA is still very active, We welcomed a new member of our leadership group, Gary Wietgrefe not long ago, and although we are now back to three members, we are continuing our work and also developing new plans.
Anyway, thank you again, Jonathon! Happy New Year to you and yours and to all our friends, colleagues, and supporters!
Don
Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance