Perspectives on good food and farming by Elbert van Donkersgoed

May 17, 2010

Durham Tourism to host photo shoot and networking event for farmers and chefs

Durham Tourism is hosting a photo shoot and networking event for local farmers and chefs on Monday, May 17. The purpose of the industry event is to pair farmers with chefs to create unique dishes made with Durham Farm Fresh products. Durham Tourism is encouraging registered farmer and chef duos to come up with their most exciting Durham Region-sourced recipes, for a chance to be voted on best appetizer, entrée and dessert.  Members of the media are invited to attend the event at 11:30 a.m. for a luncheon, dish sampling and voting on the local dishes. Monday, May 17 at 11:30 a.m. – Ocala Winery, 971 High Point Rd. Port Perry. Media inquiries: Jennifer Santos – Communications Co-ordinator, Economic Development and Tourism 905-668-7711 ext. 2607 or jennifer.santos@durham.ca.

Michael Pollan Makes TIME 100 List, Alice Waters Says She Was ‘Pollanized’

TIME released their annual TIME 100 issue last week, naming the people who have most influenced our world, and author/journalist/food activist Michael Pollan made the cut under the ‘Thinkers’ section for invigorating the conversation on the ethics of eating. Alice Waters, co-owner of Chez Panisse and local-food champion, wrote a profile on Pollan for TIME, dubbing his fast-spreading food credo a process of “Pollanization.” Huffington Post story.

Chesterhill Produce Auction, A Rural Appalachia Case Story

“Chesterhill Produce Auction, A Rural Appalachia Case Story,” has been completed by the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University. Based on extensive interviews with a cross section of stakeholders, this document takes a clear eyed, well documented look at the first six years of the CPA with the social and economic contexts of the project well highlighted. Anyone with an interest in local food systems or rural development will find this document useful in revealing the confluence of events necessary to start and hold a project of this nature together. Ohio Food Shed blog.

Michigan Good Food

Michigan Good Food is an initiative to develop a policy agenda that supports Good Food in Michigan – food that is healthy, green, fair and affordable – and to inform the 2010 state and local elections. Since September 2009, summit work groups have been examining our current situation and developing future opportunities to advance Good Food in Michigan in five arenas: a) Youth Engagement in Community Food, b) Healthy Food Access for Families & Communities, c) Institutional Food Purchasing, d) Farmer Viability & Development and e) Food System Infrastructure. The Michigan Good Food Charter was rolled out at a Statewide summit on February 25, 2010, which was attended by about 400 people from State agencies, grass root organizations, legislators, farmers, and everyone in between. Website.

Let’s hear it for urban agriculture

How one NGO in the heart of sprawling Sao Paulo has taken it upon itself to feed the masses. Growing food in cities isn’t a new concept for the poor. Rural farmers forced to migrate to urban areas in the developing world in search of work have long turned to their agricultural skills as a way of feeding themselves and their families when all else fails. It is only recently that urban agriculture has garnered attention in the first world, something many attribute to the growing popularity and romanticizing of small-scale organic farming. But in the pockets of poverty in the first world and developing cities alike, urban agriculture has more to do with public health and economic development than it does with environmental trendiness. Global Post story.

Lunch Debate Moves from Cafeterias to Congress

Cheetos and ginger ale were not what Colorado schoolteacher Mendy Heaps thought her students should be eating for lunch, so she started selling fresh fruit out of an overhead projector cart. Kids, parents and teachers loved it, but the principal put a stop to it. Principal Robert McMullen told Heaps that her fruit cart had become disruptive to the operations of the school’s food services and asked her to stop the fruit cart and focus her energy on teaching language arts.  While Heaps ended the fruit cart operation, she hasn’t dropped the cause. Farm to Fork story.

USDA Foods Help Schools, Farmers

Catfish, strawberries, garbanzo beans, flour and walnuts: what do they all have in common?  These foods are just some of the nearly 200 USDA foods school food services have to choose from. USDA foods, commonly called commodities, are foods purchased by the United States Department of Agriculture to be used for the National School Lunch Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program.  The USDA’s goal is to provide nutritious foods in schools while also supporting American farmers through the purchase of their goods.  An estimated 1.09 billion pounds of USDA foods at a value of $844 million have been distributed this school year, according to a USDA fact sheet. Farm to Fork story.

A Day in the Life of an Elementary School Cafeteria

At 5:30 in the morning she’s waiting for the milkman. At 7:30 she gets the daily hug from Brandon.  When 8:30 comes, she’s tallying lunch counts.  It’s time to serve the main meal at 11 a.m.  At 2 p.m. she leaves, coming back to repeat the process the next day. Karen Huffman is the cafeteria manager at Dishman-McGinnis Elementary School in Bowling Green.  Huffman prepares roughly 290 lunches and 225 breakfasts for students each day with the help of Mary Cox Anthony, Melinda Shoemake, Sharon Childers and Mary Steele. Farm to Fork story.

Love Lunch Community: Berkeley School Lunch Reform Gets Its Close-Up

The film, tentatively called Open Mouths, Open Minds, looks at how a diverse community (where over 50 percent of the children qualify for federally-funded low-income school lunch assistance funds) has achieved the inconceivable. They stopped feeding students, from elementary school to high school, donuts for breakfast and frozen pizza or microwaveable chicken nuggets for lunch. Instead the students are served a hot entree cooked from scratch, a salad featuring locally grown greens and all the organic milk they can drink. The filmmakers hope to change deep-seated school institutional behaviors and develop a toolkit for use by other communities, no matter their budget or funding, so that American children can eat healthy, local and organic food, significantly opening up their quality of life, health and thinking. Huffington Post story.

Food Pyramid Gets Ethnic Flavor

The food pyramid has gone global. When the 2010 census is done, we’re expected to see just how much the country’s population has changed.  But it’s already clear in grocery stores and restaurants that Americans like a lot of ethnic food. And now the dietitian’s trusty tool has been reshaped for Asian, Latino and Mediterranean tastes.  A research group called Oldways Preservation Trust has even created food pyramids targeting children. NBC Chicago story.

AND if You Have Time

Food myths set to music.

Buy, Buy American Pie

Perspectives on good food and farming by Elbert van Donkersgoed
May 15, 2010

Garden Party & Flower Tasting, May 16

Experience the beautiful Victorian-era greenhouses and a new children’s garden at Allan Gardens Children Conservatory on Sunday May 16th from 1 to 4 pm, while supporting food growing and environmental education programs in 3 inner-city schools and 2 park sites at Green Thumbs Growing Kids’ Garden Party & Flower Fundraiser. Sample a fantastic menu (see below for sample menu items) prepared by chef Anne Sorrenti, inspired by and infused with local organic seasonal flowers and herbs, and sip an assortment of delicious sunteas & creative mocktails. Details on Facebook.

How to Sprout in 3 Easy Ways, May-June Series

You will learn proven, easy and effective ways to grow fresh, energy boosting and exceptional sprouts guaranteed. You will get personal training, special perks and your own starter kit. There is an informative 1.5 hour workshop taking place each day of Friday May 7, 14, 28 and Jun 11, 25 from 6:30-8 PM (each workshop is a repeat of the first one) at FoodCycles city farm.

Taking Root: 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, May 17 to 19, Detroit

Farm to Cafeteria programs are taking root in schools, hospitals, colleges, daycares, and other institutions. Come to Detroit for the 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference to learn how you can start and scale up a program in your community. Join us for trips to local farms, school lunchrooms and processing facilities; workshops on issues such as federal and state policy, experiential education, sustainability and economic development and sessions geared towards youth, producers and food service providers. Conferencewebsite.

***NEW***Food Taxes & Subsidies: Weighing the Options, May 20

Should we tax “junk food”? Can we promote health with a “soda tax”? Is obesity a taxing problem? Do subsidies affect our food choices? Register for the Nutrition Forum and join the debate! Date: Thursday, May 20, 2010. Time: 1:00 – 4:30 pm. Location: Villa Amato Ballroom, 88 East 1st Ave, Third Floor, Vancouver, BC. BC Dairy Foundation event.

***NEW***Chesterhill Produce Auction Opening Day, May 20

Rural Action Sustainable Agriculture Announces the 2010 opening day celebration of the  Chesterhill Produce Auction, Thursday May 20, 2010, festivities begin at 3:00pm, the Auction starts at 4:00pm. A produce auction is a form of agricultural market where produce is sold at auction in a variety of quantities, to a variety of buyers. Buyers and sellers are issued numbers, a clerk records the transactions, customers pay at the end of the auction, and growers are given weekly checks for what they sell. Produce is brought in by the farmers and laid out on pallets for customers to inspect. The Auction is located at 8380 Wagoner Road, 43728 , between Route 555 and Route 377, southwest of Chesterhill, Ohio in Morgan County. Auction prices and products are posted weekly here.

***NEW***Local Foods Documentary to be Screened on Capitol Hill, May 21

The National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association and FRESH are sponsoring a special screening of FRESH for our legislators. Has FRESH inspired you?  It will also inspire those who make our laws. The food safety bill is in front of the Senate right now.  FRESH will educate our legislators on the benefits of a local food system threatened by S 510. Let’s get our Senators and Representatives there so they can see and understand the unintended consequences S 510 would have on our small farms. Hartke is Online blog.

Foodlink Waterloo Launches Annual Buy Local! Buy Fresh! Campaign May 22

Foodlink invites members of the public to attend the launch of its 2010 Buy Local! Buy Fresh! map which will take place at the Kitchener Farmers’ Market on Saturday, May 22, 10am-noon.  There will be a table set up by the new demo kitchen (upper level) where the Farmhouse to Table series will be running. Free copies of the new map will be available from representatives of Foodlink throughout the morning.  Be among the first to get your copy, and pick up some great local food at the same time! Kitchener Farmers Marketwebsite. Online map.

City Farmer Book Launch, May 26

Please join author and gardening guru Lorraine Johnson at the launch of her new book, City Farmer: Adventures in Urban Food Growing.Passionate and humorous, City Farmer explores the innovative ways–from balcony gardens to raising backyard chickens–that urban dwellers are reimagining our cities as places of bountiful food production. Details

Canadian Association for Food Studies 2010 Conference, May 28 – 30, 2010

Opening Plenary:  “Rethinking what to put on our plates”
Food Studies: A (Scholarly) World of Translatable Concepts?
Marc Charron, School of Translation and Interpretation, University of Ottawa
Towards food sovereignty. Local food systems and public policies in Quebec and Ontario
Jean-Frédéric Lemay [ Équiterre] and Kausar Ashraf (Centre for Trade Policy and Law, Carleton University)
Le concept de l’assiette comestible: étude de la matière et de pratiques alimentaires durables
Diane Bisson, Professeure agrégée, École de design industriel, Université de Montréal
Concordia University, Montréal Program at a Glance

2010 National Summit on a People-Centred Economy, May 30 – June 1

From cooperatives that have existed for more than a century, to the latest innovative social enterprises, citizen-led efforts to build a people-centred economy are rich in their history and diversity. In the face of recent economic turmoil and growing ecological crises, these approaches are more relevant than ever. The 2010 National Summit on a People-Centred Economy will be an unprecedented gathering of leaders and representatives of the community economic development, cooperative and social economy sectors to build a common agenda and mobilize action for a secure, sustainable economy that puts people and the planet first. Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario. The Canadian CED Network conference website.

Feast & Famine: Shifting to a Sustainable, June 1

Featured Panelists:
Professor Harriet Friedmann, Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto
Rosemary McCarney, President & CEO, Plan Canada
Dr. Wayne Roberts, Toronto Food Policy Council
Margaret Webb, author of Apples to Oysters – A food lovers tour of Canadian farms

Canadian International Council, Toronto Branch event.

***NEW**Rural Ontario Institute Launch, June 1

It’s time to celebrate the new Rural Ontario Institute… and we’re having a party!  Please plan to join us on Tuesday, June 1st as we host an afternoon Open House to officially launch the Rural Ontario Institute. Website

Fred Eaglesmith at The New Farm: Benefit Concert and BBQ, June 5

Calling all Fredheads! The New Farm hosts acclaimed musician Fred Eaglesmith for a one-night-only show. The unforgettable evening will feature food, music and good times in the farm’s century-old barn, with all proceeds going to The Stop. The 100% local and organic meal, prepared by Stop chefs Scott MacNeil and Chris Brown, will feature slow-roasted pork, roots and salads from the New Farm, as well as Mapleton’s organic ice cream. Wine and Creemore Springs beer available at a cash bar. Details.

Stewardship Forum 2010: International Year of Biodiversity, June 8

The annual Stewardship Network Ontario Forum at Black Creek Pioneer Village is planned for June 8th, 2010. Dr. John Howard, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine in the Schulich School of Medicine and Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Association for Physicians for the Environment will explore how our care for the environment has been eclipsed by health care despite the fact that when the environment is ignored, the result is poorer human health. Details from Tiffany Roschkow.

Workshop on Economics of Local Food Markets, New Jersey, June 15 & 16

Local Food Markets is a high-visibility issue area distinguished by a number of economic and marketing questions that demand research-based answers. The goal of the workshop is to highlight current research and bring together researchers, extension educators, private sector participants, and policy makers to exchange ideas and develop a common set of priority research and education needs for local food systems. The synthesis of ideas that result from this workshop will be disseminated in a variety of relevant outlets to encourage collaboration on local foods research and extension. The format will include two thematic sessions emphasizing rural and urban local food issues. Each session will begin with a presentation by an invited speaker selected for expertise in practical or theoretical aspects of local food markets. About the workshop.

Growing Out of Hunger, July 13, BC

Find out how this former professional basketball player, corporate sales executive and urban farmer is feeding 10,000 people and starting a community food revolution out of his inner-city farms in Milwaukee and Chicago. Winner of the $500,000 MacArthur Genius Fellowship in 2008, Will Allen is transforming the cultivation, production, and delivery of healthy foods to underserved urban populations. Details Simon Fraser University website.

Growing Power’s National-International Urban & Small Farm Conference, September 10 to 12, Milwaukee

Come to Milwaukee and help grow the good food revolution. Hosted by Growing Power—a national organization headed by the sustainable urban farmer and MacArthur Fellow Will Allen—this international conference will teach the participant how to plan, develop and grow small farms in urban and rural areas. Learn how you can grow food year-round, no matter what the climate, and how you can build markets for small farms. See how you can play a part in creating a new food system that fosters better health and more closely-knit communities. Conference website.

Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival, September 25-26, Stratford

Renowned Canadian chefs, award-winning food writers, local farmers and artisans, exclusive Ontario VQA wines, craft brews and Stratford’s musical artists invite you to come join them to celebrate glorious food. Wander farmers markets in search of edible treasures, hands-on culinary demonstrations for adults and kids, outdoor musical concerts, street carnivals, theatre and an authentic Perth County BBQ. Continue with more concerts, street carnivals, culinary demonstrations and York Street Tasting with over 30 chefs paired with 30 local producers and VQA wines for an afternoon of sampling and imbibing in tents. It all happens in Stratford’s historic downtown shopping and garden district. Details on the Savour Stratford website.

2nd European Sustainable Food Planning Conference, October 29-30

Planning for sustainable food production and consumption is an increasingly important issue for policymakers, planners, designers, farmers, suppliers, activists, business and scientists alike. In the wider contexts of global climate change, a world population of 9 billion and growing, competing food production systems and diet‐related public health concerns, are there new paradigms for urban and rural planning capable of supporting sustainable and equitable food systems? University of Brighton (UK) website.

Faith and the Future of the Countryside 2010, November 3 to 5, Swanwick, Derbyshire, UK

A major ecumenical conference exploring the sustainability of rural communities and their churches, and making recommendations for their future. This event will also mark 20 years from the publication of Faith in the Countryside and the completion of the Archbishop’s Commission on Rural Areas. Four conference themes of rural communities, economy, environment and rural church reflect the breadth of issues covered in the original report. Church of England website.

Greenbelts: Local Solutions for Global Challenges, March 22 to 24, 2010

The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation is hosting an International Greenbelts Conference in Toronto, Canada, March 22nd – 24th, 2011. Through the sharing of diverse experience and perspectives, the Conference will spark new ideas about the possibilities that greenbelts offer, and generate new ways of tackling some of the complex challenges in near urban farming, rural vibrancy, and protecting our ecosystems and the numerous benefits they provide. Website.

Sustain Ontario Calendar of Events
FarmStart Current Events & Workshops
The Stop Community Food Centre Events Calendar

AND in case you have time

Catherine McEver’s Embroidered Wonder Bread

Artist Catherine McEver uses an unexpected medium for her embroidery projects: Wonder Bread. Working “very, very carefully,” she stitches the colorful floss into scenes from nature (chicken, fish, flowers), and an homage to Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” If you’re thinking these pieces are some sort of commentary on temporality, think again: says McEver, “I have a couple of slices that are over four years old that look just like new.” Pictures.

Perspectives on good food and farming by Elbert van Donkersgoed
May 10, 2010

Distributors Slow To Embrace Local Food Movement

Local produce and meat are projected to be the two most popular items on restaurant menus this year, according to the National Restaurant Association. But as more institutions like schools and hospitals look to “buy local,” they’re finding themselves in a bind — large food distributors may not carry items those customers are looking for. And fragmented networks of local farms don’t know how to distribute the food efficiently. National Public Radio story.

Local food council develops big plans

The Knox County Board has officially established a local food council that will work to strengthen and develop local food networks. The 15-member council will become a non-profit foundation and will work with local growers to help them reach markets for their products and add value to them. County officials hope that over time growth in local food production could create hundreds of sustainable jobs. A new state law will require state-funded institutions to obtain part of their food supply from Illinois growers. The local food council hopes to exploit the opportunity the legislation creates. Most fruit and vegetables consumed in Illinois come from outside the state but the Illinois Local Food, Farms and Jobs Public Act is aimed at reversing that trend. The Galesburg (Illinois) Register-Mail story.

Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition

The Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition is an alliance of individuals, organizations, businesses and government representatives representing all critical components of our local food system, including health care, agriculture, education, social services, food distribution, government, private business, nonprofit agencies and others. But most importantly, we are consumers. We want the food eaten by our families, our children and our neighbors to be the best for our bodies, our environment and our local community. Website.

Cleveland adopts local food incentives

Today’s Cleveland-Cuyahoga Food Policy Coalition meeting shed light on Cleveland’s new policy to attract and create local, sustainable business. New legislation allows the city to offer a 5% discount to local food businesses bidding for city contracts. Since most bids are decided by 5% or less, a discount for being a certified Local Sustainable Business—a process that will be determined by the Cleveland Office of Sustainability—will offer a ‘huge’ advantage. Sustainable Cities Collective story.

Nutritional Information on the Front of Packages

The FDA wants to develop a front-of-pack nutrition label that consumers will notice and that is driven by sound nutrition criteria, consumer research and eye-catching design, said FDA spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey. The labels will enhance nutritional awareness but will not replace the nutritional facts panel already on products. Market Watch story.

New Social Networking Site Established For Gardeners — Digthedirt.Com

Cliff Sharples, founder of Shop.org and Garden.com has announced a new site, DigtheDirt.com, a social networking site optimized for people who love gardening. Just in time for Spring, the site includes an easy-to-use plant database with thousands of the most popular plants for home gardens, plus the ability to filter and search for plants based on over 100 attributes. Home gardeners can also easily find suppliers for the plants they wish to purchase. Website

Locavorism Grows Up

At ABC Kitchen, Jean-Georges takes local-and-seasonal dining to a higher plane. ABC Kitchen—which opened more or less simultaneously last month with the Mark, Jean-Georges’s more-classic uptown venture—is the chef’s most overtly gimmicky undertaking yet. As you may have heard, it’s located at the ABC Carpet & Home department store, on lower Broadway, which means you can browse for Scandinavian chandeliers and trendy Ganesh statuettes before repairing to the bar for a drink. The stated theme is locavore “sustainability”: Most things on the menu, “whenever possible,” come from local suppliers. The menus are made from recycled paper and affixed to pieces of cardboard righteously repurposed from ABC’s delivery boxes. The dun- colored place mats are compostable, and after closing time, all the leftovers are sent off to the compost heap too. The waiters wear casual “Converse-style” sneakers; the clay dishware has been fired by a local artisan in Connecticut (it’s available for purchase at ABC Home, of course); and the tables are set with wildflowers, plucked, presumably, in the hollows and dells of suburban New Jersey. New York Magazine story.

For backyard-farmer companies, business is bountiful

Lininger calls himself a farmer, though he doesn’t ride a John Deere and never sees a sun set over the fields. Instead, he tends a succession of peewee suburban plots as if they were the sprawling ranches of the Central Valley. “The sign of success used to be who had the best lawn,” said Lininger, 41, as he pinched the dead leaves off the plot’s lone beet. “Now, it’s all about how much food you can grow.” Los Angeles Times story.

My Empire of Dirt: How One Man Turned His Big-City Backyard into a Farm

For seven months, Manny Howard—a lifelong urbanite—woke up every morning and ventured into his eight-hundred-square-foot backyard to maintain the first farm in Flatbush, Brooklyn, in generations. His goal was simple: to subsist on what he could produce on this farm, and only this farm, for at least a month. The project came at a time in Manny’s life when he most needed it—even if his family, and especially his wife, seemingly did not. But a farmer’s life, he discovered—after a string of catastrophes, including a tornado, countless animal deaths (natural, accidental, and inflicted), and even a severed finger—is not an easy one. And it can be just as hard on those he shares it with. Manny’s James Beard Foundation Award–winning New York magazine cover story—the impetus for this project—began as an assessment of the locavore movement. Barbecue Loverblog.

Attention Whole Foods Shoppers

From Whole Foods recyclable cloth bags to Michelle Obama’s organic White House garden, modern eco-foodies are full of good intentions. We want to save the planet. Help local farmers. Fight climate change — and childhood obesity, too. But though it’s certainly a good thing to be thinking about global welfare while chopping our certified organic onions, the hope that we can help others by changing our shopping and eating habits is being wildly oversold to Western consumers. Food has become an elite preoccupation in the West, ironically, just as the most effective ways to address hunger in poor countries have fallen out of fashion. Robert Paarlberg article in Foreign Policy

AND if You Have Time

There are bloggers taking pictures at that table, be careful of them

On a typically high-powered night at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s new restaurant, the Mark, Martha Stewart sat at a prime table with a couple of friends. While the conversation stalled, she methodically photographed her food and tweeted about what she ate. New York Magazine story.

Perspectives on good food and farming by Elbert van Donkersgoed
May 7, 2010

Sustain Ontario Calendar of Events

FarmStart Current Events & Workshops

The Stop Community Food Centre Events Calendar

Garden Party & Flower Tasting, May 16

Experience the beautiful Victorian-era greenhouses and a new children’s garden at Allan Gardens Children Conservatory on Sunday May 16th from 1 to 4 pm, while supporting food growing and environmental education programs in 3 inner-city schools and 2 park sites at Green Thumbs Growing Kids’ Garden Party & Flower Fundraiser. Sample a fantastic menu (see below for sample menu items) prepared by chef Anne Sorrenti, inspired by and infused with local organic seasonal flowers and herbs, and sip an assortment of delicious sunteas & creative mocktails. Details on Facebook.

***NEW***How to Sprout in 3 Easy Ways, May-June Series

You will learn proven, easy and effective ways to grow fresh, energy boosting and exceptional sprouts guaranteed. You will get personal training, special perks and your own starter kit. There is an informative 1.5 hour workshop taking place each day of Friday May 7, 14, 28 and Jun 11, 25 from 6:30-8 PM (each workshop is a repeat of the first one) at FoodCycles city farm.

Taking Root: 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, May 17 to 19, Detroit

Farm to Cafeteria programs are taking root in schools, hospitals, colleges, daycares, and other institutions. Come to Detroit for the 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference to learn how you can start and scale up a program in your community. Join us for trips to local farms, school lunchrooms and processing facilities; workshops on issues such as federal and state policy, experiential education, sustainability and economic development and sessions geared towards youth, producers and food service providers. Conference website.

***NEW***City Farmer Book Launch, May 26

Please join author and gardening guru Lorraine Johnson at the launch of her new book, City Farmer: Adventures in Urban Food Growing. Passionate and humorous, City Farmer explores the innovative ways–from balcony gardens to raising backyard chickens–that urban dwellers are reimagining our cities as places of bountiful food production. Details

Canadian Association for Food Studies 2010 Conference, May 28 – 30, 2010

Opening Plenary:  “Rethinking what to put on our plates”
Food Studies: A (Scholarly) World of Translatable Concepts?
Marc Charron, School of Translation and Interpretation, University of Ottawa
Towards food sovereignty. Local food systems and public policies in Quebec and Ontario
Jean-Frédéric Lemay [Équiterre]  and Kausar Ashraf (Centre for Trade Policy and Law, Carleton University)
Le concept de l’assiette comestible: étude de la matière et de pratiques alimentaires durables
Diane Bisson, Professeure agrégée, École de design industriel, Université de Montréal
Concordia University, Montréal Program at a Glance

Rural Ontario Institute Launch, June 1

It’s time to celebrate the new Rural Ontario Institute… and we’re having a party!  Please plan to join us on Tuesday, June 1st as we host an afternoon Open House to officially launch the Rural Ontario Institute.

2010 National Summit on a People-Centred Economy, May 30 – June 1

From cooperatives that have existed for more than a century, to the latest innovative social enterprises, citizen-led efforts to build a people-centred economy are rich in their history and diversity. In the face of recent economic turmoil and growing ecological crises, these approaches are more relevant than ever. The 2010 National Summit on a People-Centred Economy will be an unprecedented gathering of leaders and representatives of the community economic development, cooperative and social economy sectors to build a common agenda and mobilize action for a secure, sustainable economy that puts people and the planet first. Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario. The Canadian CED Network conference website.

***NEW***Feast & Famine: Shifting to a Sustainable, June 1

Featured Panelists:
Professor Harriet Friedmann, Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto
Rosemary McCarney, President & CEO, Plan Canada
Dr. Wayne Roberts, Toronto Food Policy Council
Margaret Webb, author of Apples to Oysters – A food lovers tour of Canadian farms
Canadian International Council, Toronto Branch event.

***NEW***Fred Eaglesmith at The New Farm: Benefit Concert and BBQ, June 5

Calling all Fredheads! The New Farm hosts acclaimed musician Fred Eaglesmith for a one-night-only show. The unforgettable evening will feature food, music and good times in the farm’s century-old barn, with all proceeds going to The Stop. The 100% local and organic meal, prepared by Stop chefs Scott MacNeil and Chris Brown, will feature slow-roasted pork, roots and salads from the New Farm, as well as Mapleton’s organic ice cream. Wine and Creemore Springs beer available at a cash bar. Details.

Stewardship Forum 2010: International Year of Biodiversity, June 8

The annual Stewardship Network Ontario Forum at Black Creek Pioneer Village is planned for June 8th, 2010. Dr. John Howard, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine in the Schulich School of Medicine and Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Association for Physicians for the Environment will explore how our care for the environment has been eclipsed by health care despite the fact that when the environment is ignored, the result is poorer human health. Details from Tiffany Roschkow.

Workshop on Economics of Local Food Markets, New Jersey, June 15 & 16

Local Food Markets is a high-visibility issue area distinguished by a number of economic and marketing questions that demand research-based answers. The goal of the workshop is to highlight current research and bring together researchers, extension educators, private sector participants, and policy makers to exchange ideas and develop a common set of priority research and education needs for local food systems. The synthesis of ideas that result from this workshop will be disseminated in a variety of relevant outlets to encourage collaboration on local foods research and extension. The format will include two thematic sessions emphasizing rural and urban local food issues. Each session will begin with a presentation by an invited speaker selected for expertise in practical or theoretical aspects of local food markets. About the workshop.

Growing Out of Hunger, July 13, BC

Find out how this former professional basketball player, corporate sales executive and urban farmer is feeding 10,000 people and starting a community food revolution out of his inner-city farms in Milwaukee and Chicago. Winner of the $500,000 MacArthur Genius Fellowship in 2008, Will Allen is transforming the cultivation, production, and delivery of healthy foods to underserved urban populations. Details Simon Fraser University website.

Growing Power’s National-International Urban & Small Farm Conference, September 10 to 12, Milwaukee

Come to Milwaukee and help grow the good food revolution. Hosted by Growing Power—a national organization headed by the sustainable urban farmer and MacArthur Fellow Will Allen—this international conference will teach the participant how to plan, develop and grow small farms in urban and rural areas. Learn how you can grow food year-round, no matter what the climate, and how you can build markets for small farms. See how you can play a part in creating a new food system that fosters better health and more closely-knit communities. Conference website.

Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival, September 25-26, Stratford

Renowned Canadian chefs, award-winning food writers, local farmers and artisans, exclusive Ontario VQA wines, craft brews and Stratford’s musical artists invite you to come join them to celebrate glorious food. Wander farmers markets in search of edible treasures, hands-on culinary demonstrations for adults and kids, outdoor musical concerts, street carnivals, theatre and an authentic Perth County BBQ. Continue with more concerts, street carnivals, culinary demonstrations and York Street Tasting with over 30 chefs paired with 30 local producers and VQA wines for an afternoon of sampling and imbibing in tents. It all happens in Stratford’s historic downtown shopping and garden district. Details on the Savour Stratford website.

2nd European Sustainable Food Planning Conference, October 29-30

Planning for sustainable food production and consumption is an increasingly important issue for policymakers, planners, designers, farmers, suppliers, activists, business and scientists alike. In the wider contexts of global climate change, a world population of 9 billion and growing, competing food production systems and diet‐related public health concerns, are there new paradigms for urban and rural planning capable of supporting sustainable and equitable food systems? University of Brighton (UK) website.

Faith and the Future of the Countryside 2010, November 3 to 5, Swanwick, Derbyshire, UK

A major ecumenical conference exploring the sustainability of rural communities and their churches, and making recommendations for their future. This event will also mark 20 years from the publication of Faith in the Countryside and the completion of the Archbishop’s Commission on Rural Areas. Four conference themes of rural communities, economy, environment and rural church reflect the breadth of issues covered in the original report.Church of England website.

Greenbelts: Local Solutions for Global Challenges, March 22 to 24, 2010

The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation is hosting an International Greenbelts Conference in Toronto, Canada, March 22nd – 24th, 2011. Through the sharing of diverse experience and perspectives, the Conference will spark new ideas about the possibilities that greenbelts offer, and generate new ways of tackling some of the complex challenges in near urban farming, rural vibrancy, and protecting our ecosystems and the numerous benefits they provide. Website.

AND in case you have time

World Pizza Championship Dough Throwing

A week ago, the annual World Pizza Championships were held in Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy. Along with taste tests, speed trials and an event called “The Longest Dough Stretch,” there are freestyle pizza throwing competitions. Italy’s Lanza Luca took top honors, a repeat win from last year. Videos.

Perspectives on good food and farming by Elbert van Donkersgoed
May 6, 2010

Is staying small a niche market luxury?

Some abattoirs need to be able to stay small, so they can continue to meet the needs of farmers who provide meat to the growing numbers of eaters committed to local food across the province. Farmers interact with small abattoir owners on a daily basis and know they are committed to safe food, and are hardworking, honest and trustworthy. They also know many small plants are working at, or at close to, full capacity and each time one small plant closes, our options as farmers to increase the amount of meat we sell to local markets decreases. Ann Slater writing in the Oxford Sentinel Review.

Buy to Vote!

We don’t have to solve all the world’s problems at once. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. But by shifting just $10 a week to local sustainable food, you can make a real difference by voting with your dollars for fare that fair, healthier communities and good food for tomorrow. By shifting $10 per week, you can have direct, measurable environmental and economic impact. So take the pledge to shift $10 of your weekly food spending to Certified Local Sustainable food. For healthier communities, and good food for tomorrow, vote with your dollars! Local Food Plus project.

Ensuring the Economic Viability of Farming in Markham’s Whitebelt

The town of Markham holds some of the best agricultural land in all of Canada. Unfortunately it has lost most of its farmland and much more is threatened by potential house construction at the expense of support for an emerging creative agri-food sector The Academic Alliance for Agriculture is a group of academics from a number of disciplines who have joined together to consider examples of successful near urban agriculture and propose smart and sustainable options for preserving and bolstering Markham’s agricultural community. The Academic Alliance for Agriculture proposes that the Town of Markham considers strong protection of Markham’s’ dwindling farmland as part of its larger vision of smart economic development. Academic Alliance for Agriculture report.

City committee to run poultry proposal past public

The backyard chickens may yet come home to roost in Kingston. This week, the city’s arts, recreation and community policies committee met to consider whether to allow citizens to have backyard chickens, how many and under what conditions. Rather than just refer the matter to council with a set of recommendations, members of the committee decided to hold two public meetings, either this month or next, to give residents a say on the issue of whether they thought the idea was fair or fowl. Kingston Whig Standard story.

Local food movement facing challenges

Even after reading Locavore, Sarah Elton’s heartfelt and useful new book, I still don’t entirely understand the recent rise of North American interest in local food. I think I know what it is, how it happened and a lot about who provided leadership here and elsewhere on the continent. That’s all reasonably well documented and a story I have personally embraced in this column and in my own kitchen. For me, it’s mainly about food quality. The fresher the food, the better it tastes. But there’s more to it than that. What puzzles me about local food are the whys of this social phenomenon. Why did it happen and, more particularly, why now and not 30 years ago when so many farmers wanted it to happen? Owen Sound sun Times story.

Farmers’ market aiming at young families

To market, to market… and that’s exactly what Brockville people did this past weekend. The sun shone brightly for the opening day of the Brockville Farmers’ Market on Saturday, and organizers are hoping it will continue to be blessed with good weather all summer long. “We’re off to a good start,” said market president Doug Avery of Avery’s Garden Market. He was busy selling his annual and perennial plants to a steady stream of customers Saturday morning at his Market Street West booth at the corner of King Street. Brockville Recorder and Times story.

Community gardens sprout

A community garden project that began small a year ago is sprouting several new plots this spring. Four users of Canadian Mental Health Association services tended a small vegetable patch last year at the United Way building, producing food to support the CMHA’s Unity Place drop-in facility’s brunch program. This year, with several additional community partners and an expected 15 CMHA gardeners earning minimum wage, CMHA will add four more garden spots in the city. Owen Sound sun Times story.

Greatness Is In Our Nature: Food

The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation works with dedicated people and organizations all over the province to make the Greenbelt bigger, better and permanent, so that it can continue to provide us with delicious, healthy, homegrown food. Greenbelt fact Sheet 3 – Food.

Green among the Grey: Fifth Anniversary Progress Report on Ontario’s Greenbelt

Ontario’s Greenbelt is now five years old. A new report by Ontario’s Greenbelt Alliance takes a look at Ontario’s 1.8 million acre Greenbelt – its successes and its challenges. Green Among The Grey: Fifth Anniversary Progress Report On Ontario’s Greenbelt.Greenbelt Alliance report (1.25MB PDF).

Durham’s planning war

Durham’s blinkered politicians have received a well-deserved slap from Queen’s Park in the form of an unequivocal rejection of the region’s sprawl-friendly growth plan. The province had little choice. Durham’s renegade plan – which is at odds with the province’s overall plan for the Greater Toronto Area – was perceived as a test case. Had the provincial planners allowed Durham to defy Ontario’s priorities for development across the GTA, the wrong signal would have been sent to other municipalities. Toronto Star story.

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

Breakfast and a haircut at London salon

It’s not uncommon for spas and salons to offer their clients beverages and even snacks during the course of a treatment or service. London’s Percy and Reed, however, is taking that a step further by letting clients preorder the breakfast items of their choice for enjoyment during a morning appointment. Springwise story.

Perspectives on good food and farming by Elbert van Donkersgoed
May 4, 2010

Product of Canada Online Consultation

The Government of Canada brought “Product of Canada” and “Made in Canada” guidelines into force on December 31, 2008, to provide families with the information they need to choose Canadian foods produced by our farmers and processors. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) would now like to consult Canadian consumers on proposed changes to these guidelines. Specifically, the CFIA would like to obtain views on a proposal to exempt specific ingredients which are difficult to find in Canada. CFIA consultationwebsite.

Liberals Release National Food Policy Plans

Reflecting these principles, a future Liberal government will implement a National Food Policy beginning with 5 core areas for action: healthy living, safe food, sustainable farm incomes, environmental farmland stewardship and international leadership. Liberal Party of Canada news release.

Good ideas, little sustenance, in Liberal food policy

The national food policy announced by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff last week contained the seeds of a sensible plan to link Canada’s struggling farmers to consumers who want healthy food. But it will take more work, more money and more boldness to turn his underdeveloped proposals into “Canada’s first comprehensive national food policy. ” Carol Goar writes in the Toronto Star.

Food security not possible without changing our attitudes

George Penfold, regional innovation chair at Selkirk College, doesn’t believe that we have a food security problem. What he does believe is that Canadians have an appetite problem instead. An appetite for inexpensive, convenient foods year round that is also reliant on using a great deal of agricultural land for one purpose – grain. If people are worried about the future of food, Penfold suggests that they start looking at how they eat. Penfold started his position with Selkirk three years ago with the purpose of providing information and research in support of community development issues in the West Kootenay / Boundary. Food has been a big part of conversations he’s been having as his work carries him around the region. Boundary Sentinel story.

2010 Urban Agriculture Apprenticeship – Vancouver, BC

My Urban Farm is a unique urban farm with a focus on organic vegetable and sunflower sprout production. Our sunflower sprouts have proven very popular at local markets and we will be doubling our production this season.  We grow our sprouts outdoors (covered) in soil and transport them to market by bicycle. We also grow organic vegetables and are partnering with Inner City Farms to develop an urban CSA for the 2010 season and beyond. Â  My Urban Farm is offering a paid urban agriculture apprenticeship position for the 2010 growing season.  The position will be mainly focused on sunflower sprout production in East Vancouver. My Urban Farm.

Finding a niche for 120 goats in the suburbs

What they didn’t teach Samuel Ouimet in agricultural school in Joliette is something that he has had to learn for himself as a farmer in suburban Laval. Rule No. 1 for a suburban farmer: Clear out the manure from your barn on a weekday, after your neighbours have taken off on their morning commute. It’s little tricks like this one that have helped keep Ouimet and his 120-goat Ferme Au Clair de Lune on good terms with his neighbours in northeastern Laval. Montreal Gazette story.

Big city has room for farmers

The presence of cows, pigs and chickens, or the sight of a crop in bloom, helps to retain a city’s link with its agricultural past. It may seem strange for a city that is an oasis in a vast stretch of emptiness, but many Winnipeggers have no sense of the role of agriculture or natural resources in the life of the province and, indeed, its importance to the city. Most of us can’t tell the difference between flax and canola, or between a Jersey or a Hereford cow, or between a cash crop and a board-regulated grain. Farmers could actually use a little help in promoting the importance of what they do, particularly their husbandry of the land. The preservation of agricultural land in and near the city also means that local food production is still possible. At a time when the world is increasingly looking for green solutions, it just makes sense to hang on to some productive land in cities. Winnipeg FreePress editorial.

With chickens in backyard, problems may come home to roost

Chickens have become the urban accessories that demonstrate your locavore, foodie credentials. What could be more organic, more exclusive, more politically correct, than fresh-laid eggs in your own backyard? At least 100 North American cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Vancouver now have bylaws permitting residents to keep hens. Calgary is mulling the move. Now our city is considering a pilot project to allow a group called the River City Chicken Collective to set up six to 10 coops of up to six hens each around the city. Crowing roosters would be banned. Paula Simons writes in the Edmonton Journal.

Produce lady knows best

One of the latest food lessons I’ve learned of late is this: listen to your produce seller. Wei, whose family-run shop is my go-to for fruits and veggies every week, regularly offers helpful guidance – like gently chastising me for picking squishy citrus fruits and sending me back to reselect or, noticing my penchant for portobellos, pointing out the choicest ones. I love it best, however, when she enthusiastically shares something new and in season. Jessica Wong blogs at CBC News.

The Canadian Pioneer: The Genesis of Urban Food Policy in Toronto

Abstract: This paper details the foundational history and the present dynamics of the Toronto Food Policy Council (TFPC) as an example of successful food planning and policy in motion. The TFPC connects food issues with a suite of agendas to make the food lens more visible and relevant to policymakers, businesses, citizens/eaters, chefs, farmers, food processors and activists, among others. Since the inception of the TFPC, advocacy, enabling and mediation have been essential tools to keep food in the spotlight. As an agile and resourceful organization, the TFPC multiplies its modest resources to make a remarkable contribution to the Toronto food landscape. Key ingredients in achieving this success are the ‘can do’ attitude of the staff and volunteer board, the use of multifunctionality principles and skilful issue management. Notable TFPC contributions include: seminal food policy reports and processes; the celebration of local food communities and their champions; the on-going integration of rural and urban issues; shifting the discussion from food security to food sovereignty; and, the recent launch of the Toronto Food Strategy. By acting as a positive force for social change in Toronto, the TFPC is able to activate transformations that results in a more ‘just city’. informaworld.com

AND if You Have Time

Wikipedia on Controversial doughnut related items.

Perspectives on good food and farming by Elbert van Donkersgoed
May 3, 2010

Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned

As the food and financial crises bring fresh urgency to concerns over hunger, food access, public health, labor and economic development – citizens and governments are beginning to connect these issues back to the food system as a whole. Councils are springing up across North America to “connect the dots” between the growing number of neighbourhood food initiatives and communities forging policies for just, healthy food systems. Food Policy Councils act as both forums for food issues and platforms for coordinated action. The first Food Policy Council started in 1982 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Since then Food Policy Councils have been established at state, local and regional levels across the county. Some have remarkable success stories. Others have failed, disbanded, or spun-off into other service and non-profit organizations. What lessons can be taken from North America’s three-decade experiment in formulating local food policy? Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned is an assessment based on an extensive literature review and testimony from 48 individual interviews with the people most involved in Food Policy Councils. Report (3MB PDF).

Sustainable urban agriculture: stocktake and opportunities

This paper reviews research on urban agriculture which relates to the three dimensions of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. We propose that urban agriculture has three elements: urban agriculture in isolation; its interface with the people and environment within which it is situated; and its contribution to the design of built form. Additionally, we consider its scale: micro, meso and macro. The analysis draws attention to legal, social and economic constraints and opportunities. It suggests that future priorities for research should be directed towards (i) strategically identifying principles of sustainable urban agriculture that help policy makers to design resilient cities, e.g. using flood-prone areas for food and employment, and (ii) operationally trialling innovative institutional mechanisms, e.g. differential land taxes to support sustainable urban agriculture or payments for environmental services provided by urban agriculture such as carbon sequestration. Paper published in International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability,

Pop! … goes sibling rivalry

It started making sense, and OnoPops was born. Addressing the brothers’ differences, you can get a light 90-calorie fruit bar to a caramel latte flavor that packs 30 grams of fat. These are not the sugar-water confections you may have enjoyed as a kid, though. These sweet and savory icy treats are made with local, organic produce, something close to Lanthier-Welch’s heart. Honolulu Star-Bulletin story

Top 10 Mistakes Made by Farmers Market Noobz

If you haven’t spent much time at farmers markets, I know they can be a bit intimidating. Locals always know exactly where to go and what to buy, and seem to possess some kind of secret, cult-like knowledge of seasonal favorites and exclusive deals. How is a farmers market noobie supposed to sort through the piles of exotic vegetables without feeling like an trespasser? The reality is this: Farmers market fans can indeed be fanatical (I know I am), but the farmers themselves couldn’t be more friendly and welcoming. Here are my top 10 tips for fitting in at the farmers market and getting the most from being a locavore. Darya Pino blogs for the Huffington Post.

Uncommon Act of Design: The Secret of Getting Kids to Eat Veggies? Move the Salad Bar

Laura Smith, a researcher at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, has discovered that simply changing the placement of a middle school’s salad bar can cause a spike in veggie consumption. What would your guess be on that spike? 15% 25%? 50%? Try 250-300%. That’s not a typo. Web Design Cool story.

“Local” Foods Initiatives in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (USA)

Local Preference for School Food Purchases – Regulatory reform – no cost for schools using federal school meal funds: • Allows local schools the flexibility to specify “local” as a bid requirement in purchasing foods for school meals with school meal program funds. • Includes all food products: fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, etc. Farmers’ Market Promotion Program – $33 million over 5 years for organized farmers markets, non-profits, units of government, others. Analysis of the US Farm Bill by Alan Hunt, Senior Policy Analyst, Northeast-Midwest Institute.

Chew on this—benefits of eating local

While locavorism may sound like something you should see your doctor to treat; in actuality, being a locavore may minimize doctor visits. For those not familiar, a locavore is one who focuses on eating most, if not all, of their diet from items produced locally. On Saturday, a panel of six discussed the values of eating locally produced foods, including the taste, nutrition and benefits to your health.Sentinel-Tribune (Bowling Green, Ohio) story.

Outdoor Classroom Garden Mini-Grant Program

The Outdoor Classroom Garden Mini-Grant Program is designed to show that agriculture is an integral part of our everyday environment. Farms, wildlife, forestry, people and cities are all interrelated with agriculture. Since most of Arkansas wildlife resides on and feeds off of private property, including farms and timber lands, the gardens can demonstrate the connection between agriculture, food, fiber, conservation, wildlife, and the urban environment. Garden Grant committee members will evaluate each application for proper criteria and study objectives before grants are awarded. Notification of acceptance or rejection of application will be delivered in writing. Details on Arkansas Farm Bureau website.

Garden Mini-grants for Teachers

In an effort to teach school children that agriculture is an integral part of our everyday environment, the SC Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher program will offer a classroom garden mini-grant program for teachers in public and private schools. The mini-grant program will provide a raised bed outdoor garden kit valued at $500, or an indoor garden kit valued at $250 for teachers who qualify through an application process. Details on South Carolina Farm Bureau website.

Milk Crate Gardening for Tight Spaces

Who says you need a sprawling patch of open lawn to get your green thumb groove on? Dump all your old LPs and college text books out of those milk crates, grab some soil and seeds and get planting. You don’t need a ton of space to grow some tomatoes and tasty pesto herbs, just a warm bright area to stash your crate o’dirt. Eco blog Re-Nest sings the virtues of milk crate urban container gardening. They point to clever post over at Instructables which details how the 14×14 plastic cubes we know and love make great – if not particularly attractive – makeshift gardens. Line them with weed block, dump in some soil, add seeds, and let Mother Nature do her thing. EcoSalon story.

AND if You Have Time

Top 7 food trucks in Los Angeles

A new generation of Southern California food trucks provides more than just traditional tacos; their mobile kitchens have evolved into serious cuisine-on-wheels. ABC7 teamed up with Citysearch.com to find the top 7 food trucks in the Southland: 1. Grilled Cheese Truck. Rest of the list.

Perspectives on good food and farming by Elbert van Donkersgoed
April 30, 2010

***NEW***People’s Food Policy Project webinar – Friday, April 30, 1-2:30pm, online

This Fireside Chat is in collaboration with the People’s Food Policy Project – a pan-Canadian network of citizens and organizations that is creating Canada’s first comprehensive food sovereignty policy. The People’s Food Policy Project reflects growing concerns about the health and sustainability of our food system, and an ever more visible movement to create the elements of a different system based in a robust local food economy. You can see it in farmers’ markets, community kitchens, community gardens, and community programs to ensure everyone has food. Webinar details.

***NEW***Improving Access to Affordable Healthy Food in Hamilton, May 5

Debbie Field is the executive director of FoodShare and is a recognized leader in the world of food security. FoodShare tries to take a multifaceted, innovative and long-term approach to hunger and food issues. They are involved in: grassroots program delivery, advocacy for social assistance reform, job creation and training, nutrition education, farmland preservation and campaigns for comprehensive food labeling to name just a few of the areas they work in. Hamilton’s Mayday Festival on Wednesday May 5 at 7pm at the Sky Dragon Centre (27 King William St.). Details.

***NEW***Garden Party & Flower Tasting, May 16

Experience the beautiful Victorian-era greenhouses and a new children’s garden at Allan Gardens Children Conservatory on Sunday May 16th from 1 to 4 pm, while supporting food growing and environmental education programs in 3 inner-city schools and 2 park sites at Green Thumbs Growing Kids’ Garden Party & Flower Fundraiser. Sample a fantastic menu (see below for sample menu items) prepared by chef Anne Sorrenti, inspired by and infused with local organic seasonal flowers and herbs, and sip an assortment of delicious sunteas & creative mocktails.Details on Facebook.

Taking Root: 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, May 17 to 19, Detroit

Farm to Cafeteria programs are taking root in schools, hospitals, colleges, daycares, and other institutions. Come to Detroit for the 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference to learn how you can start and scale up a program in your community. Join us for trips to local farms, school lunchrooms and processing facilities; workshops on issues such as federal and state policy, experiential education, sustainability and economic development and sessions geared towards youth, producers and food service providers. Conference website.

Canadian Association for Food Studies 2010 Conference, May 28 – 30, 2010

Opening Plenary:  “Rethinking what to put on our plates”
Food Studies: A (Scholarly) World of Translatable Concepts?
Marc Charron, School of Translation and Interpretation, University of Ottawa
Towards food sovereignty. Local food systems and public policies in Quebec and Ontario
Jean-Frédéric Lemay [ Équiterre]  and Kausar Ashraf (Centre for Trade Policy and Law, Carleton University)
Le concept de l’assiette comestible: étude de la matière et de pratiques alimentaires durables
Diane Bisson, Professeure agrégée, École de design industriel, Université de Montréal
Concordia University, Montréal Program at a Glance

2010 National Summit on a People-Centred Economy, May 30 – June 1

From cooperatives that have existed for more than a century, to the latest innovative social enterprises, citizen-led efforts to build a people-centred economy are rich in their history and diversity. In the face of recent economic turmoil and growing ecological crises, these approaches are more relevant than ever. The 2010 National Summit on a People-Centred Economy will be an unprecedented gathering of leaders and representatives of the community economic development, cooperative and social economy sectors to build a common agenda and mobilize action for a secure, sustainable economy that puts people and the planet first. Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario. The Canadian CED Network conference website.

***NEW***Stewardship Forum 2010: International Year of Biodiversity, June 8

The annual Stewardship Network Ontario Forum at Black Creek Pioneer Village is planned for June 8th, 2010. Dr. John Howard, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine in the Schulich School of Medicine and Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Association for Physicians for the Environment will explore how our care for the environment has been eclipsed by health care despite the fact that when the environment is ignored, the result is poorer human health. Details form Tiffany Roschkow.

Workshop on Economics of Local Food Markets, New Jersey, June 15 & 16

Local Food Markets is a high-visibility issue area distinguished by a number of economic and marketing questions that demand research-based answers. The goal of the workshop is to highlight current research and bring together researchers, extension educators, private sector participants, and policy makers to exchange ideas and develop a common set of priority research and education needs for local food systems. The synthesis of ideas that result from this workshop will be disseminated in a variety of relevant outlets to encourage collaboration on local foods research and extension. The format will include two thematic sessions emphasizing rural and urban local food issues. Each session will begin with a presentation by an invited speaker selected for expertise in practical or theoretical aspects of local food markets. About the workshop.

Growing Out of Hunger, July 13, BC

Find out how this former professional basketball player, corporate sales executive and urban farmer is feeding 10,000 people and starting a community food revolution out of his inner-city farms in Milwaukee and Chicago. Winner of the $500,000 MacArthur Genius Fellowship in 2008, Will Allen is transforming the cultivation, production, and delivery of healthy foods to underserved urban populations. Details Simon Fraser University website.

Growing Power’s National-International Urban & Small Farm Conference, September 10 to 12, Milwaukee

Come to Milwaukee and help grow the good food revolution. Hosted by Growing Power—a national organization headed by the sustainable urban farmer and MacArthur Fellow Will Allen—this international conference will teach the participant how to plan, develop and grow small farms in urban and rural areas. Learn how you can grow food year-round, no matter what the climate, and how you can build markets for small farms. See how you can play a part in creating a new food system that fosters better health and more closely-knit communities. Conference website.

Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival, September 25-26, Stratford

Renowned Canadian chefs, award-winning food writers, local farmers and artisans, exclusive Ontario VQA wines, craft brews and Stratford’s musical artists invite you to come join them to celebrate glorious food. Wander farmers markets in search of edible treasures, hands-on culinary demonstrations for adults and kids, outdoor musical concerts, street carnivals, theatre and an authentic Perth County BBQ. Continue with more concerts, street carnivals, culinary demonstrations and York Street Tasting with over 30 chefs paired with 30 local producers and VQA wines for an afternoon of sampling and imbibing in tents. It all happens in Stratford’s historic downtown shopping and garden district. Details on the Savour Stratford website.

2nd European Sustainable Food Planning Conference, October 29-30

Planning for sustainable food production and consumption is an increasingly important issue for policymakers, planners, designers, farmers, suppliers, activists, business and scientists alike. In the wider contexts of global climate change, a world population of 9 billion and growing, competing food production systems and diet‐related public health concerns, are there new paradigms for urban and rural planning capable of supporting sustainable and equitable food systems? University of Brighton (UK) website.

Faith and the Future of the Countryside 2010, November 3 to 5, Swanwick, Derbyshire, UK

A major ecumenical conference exploring the sustainability of rural communities and their churches, and making recommendations for their future. This event will also mark 20 years from the publication of Faith in the Countryside and the completion of the Archbishop’s Commission on Rural Areas. Four conference themes of rural communities, economy, environment and rural church reflect the breadth of issues covered in the original report. Church of England website.

Greenbelts: Local Solutions for Global Challenges, March 22 to 24, 2010

The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation is hosting an International Greenbelts Conference in Toronto, Canada, March 22nd – 24th, 2011. Through the sharing of diverse experience and perspectives, the Conference will spark new ideas about the possibilities that greenbelts offer, and generate new ways of tackling some of the complex challenges in near urban farming, rural vibrancy, and protecting our ecosystems and the numerous benefits they provide. Website.

AND in case you have time

Perspectives on good food and farming by Elbert van Donkersgoed
April 29, 2010

Northerners eat only locally grown food for entire year

For one local family, the food on the dinner table is very close to home. Genevieve Sulatycky, along with her husband and daughter, has taken a page from a popular new book,The 100 Mile Diet. The 100 Mile Dietchronicles the journey of authors Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, as they attempt to eat nothing but locally grown food for one year. “People think that there’s no way you can do (the 100 mile diet) in Northern Ontario,” said Sulatycky. “At this time of year it’s hard, but in the summer we were able to get 80-90% of our diet from locally grown food.” Sault Star story.

Abattoir Group Getting the Ear Of Chief Vet

A survey suggests Ontario’s small, independent abattoir operators have some major concerns about the regulations they’re facing. Louis Rousch is part of a group representing those operators. He says the survey touched on 19 different questions – but the focus was on food safety. Rousch says he’s optimistic they’re getting a good hearing from Ontario’s Chief Veterinarian on the issue. Rousch says his group met with Chief Veterinarian Doctor Deb Stark last week and have set up another meeting with her on the issue for June. CKNX Radio 920AM Wingham story.

Is the organic food craze losing health battle to ‘local’ labels?

Consumers’ passion for organic food appears to be waning after several years of rapid growth, says a report by the Canadian unit of The Nielsen Company. Sales of organic fruit and produce are still climbing but at slower rates than in previous years, according to the report by Carman Allison, called Keeping it Fresh in the New Economy. The recession has been a factor as budget-conscious shoppers traded down to cheaper non-organic brands. Organic fruits and vegetables are on average 50 per cent more expensive than their conventional counterparts, the Nielsen study found. But certified organic processors also say they face increasing competition from uncertified labels, such as “locally grown” and “natural,” which many consumers believe to be just as beneficial as organic foods. Toronto Star local.

Local Food Key Ag Reference In Throne Speech

The one reference to agriculture in this week’s provincial throne speech talked about creating new opportunities to buy local food. Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell says the government sees it as an opportunity for the province’s farmers. Mitchell says in some countries the retailers share information with the agricultural community to help line up what’s being produced with what consumers are asking for. She says local processors can help match what farmers are producing with what consumers want to buy. Blackwell says they’ve also got a Vintage Machinery show set up for opening day. CKNX Radio 920AM Wingham story.

Ontario Wineries Want Foodland Ontario Logo Use

The group representing over 100 of the province’s wineries wants in on the Foodland Ontario program. The Ontario Viniculture Association says a number of Ontario-grown wines can’t get the Vintners Quality Alliance designation to help consumers identify them on store shelves. The O-V-A says by allowing wines to use the Foodland Ontario designation consumers would be able to find those wines made of 100 per cent Ontario grown grapes. CKNX Radio 920AM Wingham story.

Halton Region first region in Canada to adopt local sustainable food procurement practices

Halton Region has become the first region in Canada to adopt local sustainable food procurement practices for its municipal food services. An agreement with Local Food Plus (LFP) will bring fresh, local sustainable food to the cafeteria at Halton Regional Centre (1151 Bronte Road, view map ), and help support Ontario’s farm economy while reducing green house gas emissions. Milton News story.

The importance of supporting local food

Do you pay attention to where your food comes from?  How many carbon emissions were released into the air to get that California apple to you? Have you ever thought about how your food purchases might affect your local economy, the environment or your health? Students and faculty have begun to recognize that local food is a key way to support sustainable initiatives on the University of Guelph campus. As the number one agricultural university in the world, and with its food science department being the largest in the university, the U of G has great resources to support local food initiatives on campus, including celebrating the work Hospitality Services has made in providing local food options on campus. The Ontarion story.

Locavore by Sarah Elton

Elton takes us through a bit of the history of the Toronto Food Terminal. Huge it may be, but it does seem that it is a place where some farmers can bring their produce and sell directly (if they have the time, inclination, resources). The scarier aspect of modern food distribution is the power of the two main grocery store chains (here in Canada, Loblaw and Metro); their buyers decide what products will be featured on stores shelves, thereby influencing what is manufactured and grown to be processed. Book Review on Saving the World in My Spare Time.

Backyard chickens: Fair or fowl?

How are you going to keep them down on the farm once they’ve seen Toronto? One woman, three years into flouting Toronto’s anti-chicken bylaw, wishes that was the biggest issue on her plate when it comes to the banned backyard birds. The Toronto Chicken — the alias she uses for her blog to avoid a raid by bylaw officers — told the Sun she hopes councillors won’t stay chicken forever about allowing the birds in Hogtown yards. “(Councillor) Joe Mihevc is onboard and I think Toronto Public Health is supportive and it actually fits in so perfectly with the new food policy they are working on,” the Toronto Chicken said Tuesday. Toronto Sun story.

Greenbelt Foundation Supporting Local Food

Three of the grants awarded by the friends of the Greenbelt Foundation are related to the local food movement. The foundation is giving the York Region Food Network 45 thousand dollars. That’s for a greenbelt-grown cultural food guide for York Region. The Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance is getting 10 thousand dollars to launch its Greenbeltfresh Online Marketplace. And the Conserver Society of Hamilton is going to use its 85 hundred dollar grant for its 2010 Eat Local Map. One of the Greenbelt Foundation’s major goals is to support a robust agricultural sector in the Greenbelt. CKNX Radio 920AM Wingham story.

AND IF YOU HAVE TIME

Filament Marketing Launches “Farm Fresh Photos”

Filament Marketing, LLC announces the launch of Farm Fresh Photos, a new agricultural stock photography website developed in partnership with Distillery Design Studio of Madison, WI. Online at www.FarmFreshPhotos.com, this innovative new image library represents a collection of photographs taken by individuals deeply involved in the agriculture industry. Farm Fresh Photos provides a source of high-quality, industry stock photo options that represent the essence, emotion and freshness of agriculture – at reasonable prices. All images at FarmFreshPhotos.com are offered on a royalty-free basis, and exclusive usage rights are available. Functioning on keyword search options, Farm Fresh Photos features a lightbox where users can organize their own collection for return reference, and all images are available for online purchase through PayPal and immediate download. Support images suitable for collateral material usage, and technical images for editorial-type use are available at a lower price. AgriMarketing story.

Sustainable Pillaging

Perspectives on good food and farming by Elbert van Donkersgoed
April 26, 2010

Buy, Buy American Pie

Uncle Sam points out the problems we have when we buy cheap products from China. “Buy, Buy American Pie” was written and performed by the Capitol Steps. Visit them at www.CapSteps.com.  This is a parody and involves exaggeration. Music Video on YouTube.

Cleveland adopts local food incentives

Today’s Cleveland-Cuyahoga Food Policy Coalition meeting shed light on Cleveland’s new policy to attract and create local, sustainable business. New legislation allows the city to offer a 5% discount to local food businesses bidding for city contracts. Since most bids are decided by 5% or less, a discount for being a certified Local Sustainable Business—a process that will be determined by the Cleveland Office of Sustainability—will offer a ‘huge’ advantage. “This is the springboard for Mayor Jackson’s self-help economy,” said Jermaine Brooks of Cleveland’s Office of Equal Opportunity, which will monitor the bids and contracts along with its Minority and Female-owned bid incentive programs. “We will be known by purchasing locally.” Sustainable Cities Collective story.

Selected Food Policy Council Success Stories

The Knoxville Food Policy Council has helped build support for a dedicated School Nutrition Education Supervisor position with Knox County Schools, developed a food monitoring system, improved access to full-service grocery via public transit, and worked with the city government to incorporate food impact assessments into planning and zoning decisions. Massachusetts Food Policy Alliancewebsite.

St. Joe’s Plows Ahead with Local Food

Head north on Hewitt Road from Washtenaw Avenue, past Eastern Michigan’s Rynearson Stadium to the edge of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital campus. Off to the right is a plot of land that the health provider is now returning to a previous use – farming. The centerpiece of the current effort is a 30 x 96-foot hoop house, which began construction on Monday. It will be joined by a second hoop house later in the summer, and plans call for a dozen of the structures to be built in the coming years. The vegetables grown on the plot will be used in the hospital cafeteria and patient meals, and sold at a farmers market, with excess donated to Food Gatherers. The Ann Arbor Chronicle story.

Vertical Farming

Dickson Despommier became the guru of vertical farming because his students were bummed out. A professor of environmental health at Columbia University in New York City, Despommier teaches about parasitism, environmental disruption and other assorted happy topics. Eventually his students complained; they wanted to work on something optimistic. So the class began studying the idea of rooftop gardening for cities. They quickly discarded that approach–too small-scale–in favor of something more ambitious: a 30-story urban farm with a greenhouse on every floor. “I think vertical farming is an idea that can work in a big way,” says Despommier. Time Magazine story.

The Ohio State University Public Policy Capstone: Local Food Group

The purpose of this report is to provide the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) with an overview of local food systems in several cities across North America. Specifically, this research seeks to codify and analyze local food plan parameters, problems and policy solutions from cities and regions with local food systems and to provide a comparison for Central Ohio. In conjunction with larger MORPC efforts, this report will help to illuminate the successes and setbacks of other cities’ local food production, processing, distribution and consumption. This comparative analysis of the five benchmark cities will help to establish an effective Central Ohio plan: Flint, MI; Philadelphia, PA; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; Toronto, Canada; and San Francisco, CA. Executive Summary for Local Food Initiatives

Ferrum College hopes to use 50 percent of local foods

Offerings at the Panther’s Den cafeteria on Ferrum College’s campus Tuesday included milk and ice cream from local dairy Homestead Creamery, ground beef from a Floyd farm and lettuce from the college’s own 80-acre farm. The local menu, an everyday occurrence at the college, was on display Tuesday for U.S. Sen. Mark Warner D-Va., and U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, D-Albemarle County, as students and school officials touted their efforts to “go green.” The school’s local food procurement and farm-to-cafeteria programs make up about 30 percent of the food used in the cafeteria, said Michael Martin, director of dining services. It’s his goal to partner with more local farms and businesses to increase the amount of local foods and services used to 50 percent in the fall. The Roanoke (Virginia) Times story.

General Election 2010: UK to be 100% organic in 50 years, pledges Green Party

UK farming could be completely organic within fifty years under Green Party plans to protect the environment and make food production more sustainable. Unveiling its manifesto on Thursday (15 April), the party said it would set targets to convert a minimum 10% of the country’s food production to organic every five years if it won the general election. Farmers Weekly Interactive story.

Food, Inc. premieres on PBS Wed., April 21st

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that’s been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli — the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults. Synopsis.

Chef redefines “locavore” by making cheese out of his wife’s breast milk

A popular New York chef has managed to push the boundaries of the culinary world and the locavore movement at the same time.Daniel Angereris now making cheese made from his wife’s breast milk at his NYC restaurant Klee Brasserie. The idea came eight weeks ago, when his wife began producing excess milk after giving birth. Since he went public with this invention, Angerer has discovered two things: human breast milk produces a surprisingly palatable cheese—like cow’s milk, only sweeter—and that media outlets can feed on this kind of story for weeks. Since Angerer posted his cheese story on his blog last month, it has gained attention from NBC, the Toronto Star and even the Big Money. Toronto Life story.

AND if You Have Time

New food play called “Feast” serves up tasty food memories and stirring views on food policy

Let’s face it, food policy can be pretty boring. But not in the hands of the teenagers at the Albany Park Theater Project, who opened their new show “Feast” last Friday at Eugene Field Park. The show, based on interviews and personal experiences Albany Park residents, offers three views of kids on food stamps as well as a diverse buffet of immigrant food memories. I walked in as a curious local foodie but walked out as an astonished food policy journalist with a new perspective on her beat. Chicago Tribune story.