Bring Food Home: Connecting Ontario Farm and Food Networks
Posted: July 21, 2009
Categories: Events / News from Sustain Ontario
Save the Date:
A provincial conference to connect Ontario Farm and Food Networks
Conference Title:
Bring Food Home – Connecting Ontario Farm and Food Networks, March 4-6 in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.
“Bring food home†is a seemingly simple directive, one that immediately brings to mind a shopping cart and a family dinner table. But in the case of the upcoming conference sponsored by Sustain Ontario, FoodNet Ontario and other partners it means so much more.
To a low income earner bringing food home necessitates sometimes difficult choices. It may be the choice between nutrition and empty, hunger abating calories or the choice between food and some of the other necessities of life. To someone who works in their community promoting healthy choices, bringing food home encompasses the areas of nutrition, health, education and community engagement. Farmers challenged by a global trading system that places control and profits in the hands of a few multinationals are re-examining the opportunities to bring food home to local consumers. Others, conscious of the challenges of climate change, peak energy and environmental degradation, see the decision making power that brings food home as the right of every Canadian citizen. To a community, bringing food home is part of the discussion and planning to develop a local sustainable food system. Each interpretation is unique, necessary and inter-related and will be part of the conference to be held on March 4-6 in the Kitchener area. Technical and policy workshops, plenary and keynote speakers and plenty of networking opportunities will make up the conference.
The Conference has been organized into the following streams:
·        Training for Emerging Farmers
·        Community Food Security
·        Strengthening Regional Economies
·        Sustaining Food Production – Farm, City and Countryside
The following Call for Proposals is available.
For more information please contact the Program Committee Co-Chair, Lauren Bakker at bringfoodhome@sustainontario.com or 647-348-0235.