In epistemic closure, people in a closed environment get most of their new information only from one another. To put it another way, both individuals and groups sometimes get trapped in an information bubble filled with the stale air of the same old, limited information and/or misinformation.

Strong community coalitions can be a cure for this problem. Strong coalitions are composed of a diverse membership with a broad range of expertise, experience, perspectives, skills and talents, and function as the anecdote to epistemic closure by their very nature.

The chances of strengthening communities by collaborating to problem solve is good when a coalition has input from citizens of all ages, and from local, state, federal and tribal groups all contributing their unique knowledge to find solutions.

But all of this sounds rather dull in theory without concrete examples. Below are three examples from one regional community coalition, Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey, a nonprofit in rural northwestern Nevada powered primarily by volunteers and funded primarily through Federal, State, and foundation sources. The coalition exists in a region that has experienced between 14% and 20% official unemployment rate since 2008, yet this group is thriving and accomplishing more with less formal funding and fewer formal resources. Its secret is complex levels of collaboration and innovative strategies based on sharing information across all sectors and identifying and using resources effectively.

Connecting School Gardens, Farmers, School Curriculum, and Social Services: National Food Day organizers had this to say about this short film (link below) by the coalition, Here is one of our favorite videos from one of the most effective, inspiring community food initiatives in the country: Healthy Communities Coalition. The video highlights the groups and volunteers working together to create a vibrant, resilient food system in the Lyon and Storey region that benefits everyone.

http://youtu.be/yr-D7xRwSTs

The coalitions dozens of group partners and hundreds of community volunteers are working together to create a food sufficiency system in the region that includes organic community and school gardens and composts, a nonprofit food co-op, farmers markets that accept SNAP and charge no booth fees to local farmers, volunteer-powered food pantries, organic gardening and nutrition education, and teen agriculture internships. Working in partnership with schools, clubs, businesses, farmers, and volunteers of all ages, Healthy Communities Coalition and its nonprofit nursery Community Roots have supported 6 organic school gardens and hoop houses in Lyon County schools and are planning 6 more for next year. With funding from USDA and the Nevada State Health Division, the Coalition has also helped fund community gardens and hoop houses, and farmers markets throughout Lyon and Storey Counties. Healthy Communities also helps fund and organize volunteer-powered food pantries in Dayton and Silver Springs that include hundreds of community volunteers who contribute over 1,000 hours of volunteer labor each month. With produce from school and community gardens and farmers markets, nearly 7,000 pounds of produce was donated to the food pantries during the summer.

Increasing Access to Local Food Equals Healthier People AND Healthier Economies: The link below is to a video of USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan that includes Merrigan taking note of Healthy Communities Coalition's role in connecting multiple sectors for the goal of strengthening food systems in a two county region. Merrigan states in part, "[ The USDAs Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food] Compass map shows local food projects around the country supported by USDA over the last few years. The cluster of dots in your region really stood out. You are truly leading your state when it comes to these issues. What the map cant show, but what you well know, is that these dots are all connected through the work of the Healthy Communities Coalition and its partners. Youre putting the pieces together to build a strong regional food system, and I want you to know that USDA is your partner in this effort. Please see this link to the video:

http://youtu.be/5LE87gaNX1Q

Improving Access to Health Care for All: More than 242 people from as far as Las Vegas, Nevada donated their time to a medical, vision, and dental care event for uninsured people in the northern Nevada counties of Lyon, Storey and Mineral County in April 2012 called MORE (Medical Outreach Response Event). It has resulted in a number of improvements in access to health care as well as a number of other improvements that are likely over the next year. Please see this short film for more information about the event, which will take place again March 15-17, 2013:

http://youtu.be/yr-D7xRwSTs

Neutral Conveners Can Stop Epistemic Closure: Successful community coalitions are neutral conveners with no particular religious or political agenda. This allows for open dialog on a broad range of assets and challenges, and helps to keep communication open among many diverse groups. Such a coalition can also serve as a way to introduce new concepts into communities, and as a way to identify resources from every sector that can benefit communities. Simply put, with the strong facilitation skills of a coalition director, bringing together people from education, business, health care, drug use prevention groups, county government, law enforcement, teen leadership groups, social services, civic groups, veterans advocacy groups, arts councils, nonprofits, food systems, and economic development to discuss issues and collaborate on common goals WORKS.

Northwestern Rural Nevada -Understanding that residents are co-producers of healthy communities rather than simply consumers of programs and services is key to the work done through the Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey in rural Nevada. The Coalition works by enhancing connections with the communitys assets and by investing in and strengthening those assets. Part of that process is an ongoing discovery of the skills, abilities and experiences individuals possess that can be translated into hope and action. Working together, the Coalition membership provides more ways for people to become involved with their neighbors, to learn and use skills, and to take an active role in building their visions for their communities. Coalition work can be part of communities changing the course of their own development (adapted from Asset Based Community Development concepts by John McKnight in Building Communities From the Inside Out.) Below are a few examples of Coalition work over the last year that capitalized on community strengths:

Medical Outreach Response Event: this 2 day event involved volunteer work by over 200 people from throughout Nevada, and resulted in medical, dental, vision, and mental health services and referrals and health issues education for nearly 400 residents of Lyon, Storey and Mineral on April 13-14, 2012. An expanded event is being planned for March 2013. The event sparked new connections that will improve the health of local populations.

Dayton Food Pantry: The pantry is volunteer-powered which means it attracts hundreds of volunteers who take great pride in providing reception, inventory, fundraising, etc. The pantry provides special outreach programs to senior citizens and students in need also. In July, 536 people came to the monthly distribution day, and volunteers donated over 600 hours of work to the pantry during July alone.

Silver Stage Food Pantry: The volunteer-powered Pantry has attracted over 100 loyal local volunteers who have helped install the Pantry in its new home on Ramsey Weeks Cut-off in Silver Springs. Due to a generous partnership with the Lyon School District, the pantry is now housed in a large building next near the schools along with the nonprofit group the Silver Stage Food Co-op Association. In just one week from July 23-27, 2012, this pantry served 1,036 local people! During the first 3 weeks in its new location, 1,743 individuals came for emergency food assistance. In July, volunteers donated nearly 1,000 hours of work to the pantry.

Dayton and Silver Springs Farmers Markets: these summer farmers markets take USDA Senior Coupons, FBNN kids coupons, and SNAP (food stamps) as well as cash, etc. This summer, both markets were also spots for FBNN staff to offer on-the-spot sign -ups for SNAP (food stamps). This allows more people to buy nutritious food, to buy local, and to buy from local farmers. This is a strategy that results in increased local economic activity and increased local economic stability.

Stand Tall Teams in Yerington, Hawthorne, Silver Springs, Fernley, Virginia City and Dayton: Together these groups reach most of the student populations in each of their towns, as well as many adults who they contact through community events like street festivals and sporting events. The groups are composed of teen leaders who bring fitness and nutrition information and alcohol, tobacco, prescription and other drug use prevention education to their communities and school systems. The groups also lead community service projects like coat and food drives, and raise funds for Stand Tall scholarships.

Dayton Resource Bank: Since 2008, this project of the Dayton Task Force has brought about $10,000 to assist local students with school related fees such as lab and equipment fees for science, band, math, art, school clubs, culinary arts and woodshop. Also included is coverage of costs for sports physicals, gym, team, and choir uniforms, and other items, such as shoes, undergarments, prom dresses, and tuxedo rentals. A key part of the concept of the bank involves reciprocity, allowing everyone to feel the joy of giving back. Students and their families are invited to return service to their community through volunteer work for nonprofits such as the local food bank, senior center, libraries, schools, etc. as a thank you. A similar resource bank began this year in Silver Springs, NV.

Silver Springs Lunch Socials with Veterans and Military Families: The Silver Stage Task Force works with the Silver Springs Senior Center to host these monthly socials with guest speakers from veterans and military family support groups. The work of the Task Force to support rural veterans has been noted nationally and regionally by groups like Veterans Health Administration Office of Rural Health.

Access to the Arts: Healthy Communities Coalition and its partner Community Roots are champion the regions young artists and musicians by providing opportunities for them to produce and actively participate in the Arts. During summer 2012, youth created 6 of their own art shows and performances, participated in field trips to Nevada Museum of Art. These emerging artists had opportunities to show their work and to perform in public spaces, to design art exhibits and organize opening receptions, to learn more about the business side of the Arts, to visit area museums and art installations, and to meet established professional artists and learn more about organizations like the Holland Project, Capital City Arts Initiative, St. Marys Art Center, NadaDada Motel, Raw Artists, Nevada Arts Council, and Reno Collective. The purpose of this project is to spark creative thinking and output theres a lot of creativity in our midst. But there needs to be a social infrastructure that supports and values this kind of creative capital. One of the goals of the Coalition is that people not only view and listen to the arts, but also have more opportunities to actively participate and produce their own art, music, theatre, and film. Theres a growing awareness in the world that arts and culture are not luxuries, but essential to fostering assets like intellectual, creative and community capital. The Coalition also secures funding for guest artists to teach at public spaces including area public schools , public parks, and summer programs.

School and Community Gardens and Community Food System Development: After 2 years of strategic work by hundreds of volunteers and dozens of federal, state and local group partners, theres now a quickly expanding regional healthy food hub in the Lyon, Storey, and Mineral region that is being recognized nationally. The food hub addresses hunger and access to healthy foods through food pantries, backpack programs, and farmers markets, boosts the local economy by increasing local farmers access to new consumers and expands opportunities for youth and adults to teach and learn sustainable agriculture and gardening skills through garden internships and access to school and community gardens. Community volunteers, farmers, schools, nonprofits like Silver Stage Food Co-Op, UNCE, 4-H, and FOCUS, businesses and the Coalitions garden center, Community Roots, have helped implement & maintain 8 organic school gardens, 6 community gardens and composts, 6 hoop houses, and 3 farmers markets that accept SNAP and USDA Senior Coupons as well as cash. The impact on reducing local hunger and increasing food security and self-reliance has been immediate and meaningful: during the summer of 2011, one of the community gardens produced nearly 7,000 pounds of produce that was donated to local food pantries. The USDAs new Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass features a photo of one of the 8 new school gardens. USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan called the efforts of Healthy Communities Coalition an example of entrepreneurial innovation at its best and noted that when communities make it possible for small farms to reach new markets, they create job-generating activity that bumps up the economic impact of local food systems.

What is Healthy Communities Coalition?

The Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey is a collaboration of over one-hundred local, state, federal and tribal groups and hundreds of community volunteers that agree to work together so that all members of our communities in Lyon, Storey and Mineral have opportunities to thrive. For more information, please see these websites:

https://www.facebook.com/HealthyCommunitiesCoalition

http://ruralwealth.org/profile/questlakes

http://connectedcommunities.ning.com/group/healthycommunitiescoalition