Talking about food: where it comes from, where the left-overs end up. Waste not - Want not!

Dear Networkers,

Sometimes it would be great to have a jet aircraft or time machine at one's beck and call.  And if I had some marvellous free transport near at hand, I would be off to New York City for this event.  Food, food waste, composting etc are topics of great interest to me.  

It appears that a star-studded cast has been assembled for this foodtank event.

I live in Ballarat - and I would love to have such an event with speakers of this calibre speaking here.  Locally, if such an event were to take place in Ballarat, we might have some speakers to touch on the topics of the waste associated with the destruction of  fruit trees because the processor won't give producers contracts; the waste if low supermarket prices drive dairy farmers from their farms or into other forms of food production.

There are three things that keeps us alive - clean air, clean water, fresh food.  While we are working to alert the world to Climate Change and renewable energy, we ignore at our peril this trinity of basics.  Included in this short list are the background issues - good, sound, productive soil; regulation of any interference or possible interference with the cleanliness and freshness of our air, water and food; the maintenance of fair livelihoods.

So can we have a big think and discussion about this?

Blessings from Miss Eagle ~~~

EVENT: FOOD WASTE FREE NYC 

A very special evening discussion bringing together the New York City food movement for food waste awareness week. Hosted by Food Tank: The Food Think Tank

Sept 19th 5:30PM to 7:30PM EST

The Snapple Theater, 1627 Broadway, New York, NY, 10019

Musical Guest:

Jen Chapin, singer/songwriter

Speakers:

Jonathan Bloom, author of American Wasteland

Emily M. Broad Leib, Director of Food Law & Policy at Harvard Law School

Mary Cleaver, the Green Table: Cleaver Company

Christine Datz-Romero, Lower East Side Ecology Center

Kevin Duffy, City Harvest

Elise Golan, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Dana Gunders, Natural Resources Defense Council 

Brian Halweil, Edible Communities

Diane Hatz, Change Food and Tedx Manhattan

Stephanie Hanson, One Acre Fund

Danielle Nierenberg, Food Tank

Nick Nuttall, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Gary Oppenheimer, AmpleHarvest.org

Tristram Stuart, Feeding the 5000

and many more to be announced soon!

Drinks and light snacks included!

$25 donation. Limited tickets available, purchase now. 

If you have any questions, please call 202-590-1037 or email danielle@foodtank.org.

The Local Harvest Challenge - get up close and personal to your food, food choices, food sources and food producers

Get connected with your food!

Join us and the many individuals, households and community groups around Australia who are taking up the Local Harvest Challenge!

It’s one week where we take on the goal of intentionally reclaiming your food choices and decreasing the degrees of separation between us and our food.

Find out resources near you, and put into practice the art of eating locally, supporting local and organic farmers and businesses, and discovering the face behind your food.

Choose your challenge – your level of commitment (bite-sized, meal-sized, or feast sized) – and the activities and events you plan to participate in. Blog your experiences as you make changes both large and small.

You can do the week at any time, however the annual Challenge week is officially the first week of April. You can participate with others close to you and blog your experiences. Register for the challenge week here.

Monday 1st April — Sunday 7th April 2013

Why the Local Harvest challenge?

There are many great reasons to participate in the Local Harvest Challenge. By taking control of your food choices you make a positive impact on yourself, your community and the earth. Here’s some of the many reasons to get involved:

• Discover the local and sustainable food alternatives near you
• Enjoy local, seasonal produce – it’s usually fresher and tasty!
• Support local farmers, producers and businesses (Your dollar is your vote!)
• Reduce food miles. Food miles refers to the distance between where food is grown/produced and where it is consumed. Generally speaking, the more food miles, the more energy used and the greater the carbon footprint.
• Get to know the faces behind your food. It’s an opportunity to engage with your local producers or growers. Ask them questions about their produce and their practices. Find out about their story.
• Connect up with others near you, who also are looking for (and creating) local food alternatives
• Learn to supplement your household food supply by growing your own and making produce

As Jackie French says: “Local food, or food grown with love or cooked with pride and idealism, doesn’t just keep you alive; it keeps you in contact with the earth, the seasons, and your community. It creates a web of friendship. Every mouthful has a story of fulfillment behind it.“

Share with your friends, family and co-workers why you have chosen to take up the Local Harvest Challenge…  and encourage them to do the same!