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Hope to see those of you in the NYC area at Saturday’s Brooklyn Food Conference!

The conference aims to create a solid foundation for the food movement in Brooklyn in order to advocate for Food Democracy locally and globally. In the words of its mission statement, the conference “will bring together a uniquely broad and diverse community of activists and citizens to discuss and learn more about the critical food issues of our time and what role we as neighbors can play to address them.”

Through speeches, panel discussions and workshops for both teens and adults, the Brooklyn Food Conference will educate Brooklynites on what can be done at a local level to address the current dysfunction of the global food system. These forums will specifically concentrate on the effects of the food system “on health, the environment, and labor,” as well as “improving the nutritional value of school lunches; urban agriculture; farmers’ markets; community gardens; and food coops.”

Featured speakers include Dan Barber, the executive chef and co-owner of Blue Hill Restaurant; Anna Lappé, the author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen; Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System; and LaDonna Redmond, who is head of the Institute of Community Resource Development in Chicago.

We are also very proud to announce that Leslie Hatfield, freelance editor of our official blog, The Green Fork, will be moderating a panel titled “Organizing in the Obama Era: Digital Activism” which will outline some best practices in the use of new media for food advocacy and discuss the ever-burning question, “what’s coming next?” Additionally, famed food systems advocate and Green Fork contributor Kerry Trueman will be moderating the panel “Our Industrial Meat Complex: Hazardous to Our Health & Our Environment.” Kerry co-founded the sustainable food sites Eating Liberally and Retrovore, and is a prolific blogger for Open Left and The Huffington Post, as well as The Green Fork.

Other exciting schedule items include:

• Materials and tabling from local organizations (yes, the Eat Well Guide will be there, sharing a table with our sister program Sustainable Table!), food demos, and healthy food provided by local vendors;
• Educational activities for kids organized by Brooklyn parents and teachers;
• Specific programs developed by and for teens;
• An evening dinner/dance honoring local farmers and key Brooklyn Food activists, to top off what is sure to be an amazing and inspiring day!

We’ll be there…will you?

The program is co-sponsored by the Park Slope Food Coop (PSFC), World Hunger Year, Caribbean Women’s Health Association (CWHA), Brooklyn Rescue Mission and Brooklyn’s Bounty.

Details and Directions:

The conference is FREE and will be held at John Jay High School and PS 321 (one location) at 7th Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn. For more information and registration, which is HIGHLY recommended due to location limitations, please visit their website at www.brooklynfoodconference.org or call them at (718) 384-1369.