NU Food Talks December 4th Potluck: Shared Kitchen

Northwestern University's Sustainable Food Talks

NU Sustainable Food Talks September 20 Potluck

NU Sustainable Food Talks Roundtable Panel Discussion:

Thursday, September 20, 6:00PM - 8:00PM

Swift Hall, Room 107, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

RSVP: nusustainablefoodtalks.blogspot.com

Food, Nutrition & Kids: School Community Involvement in the Food Movement

What are our school age children facing in terms of: Food Procurement? Nutrition? Obesity? Community Engagement? What are the pillars of creating a school community supported food movement?

The Moderator is:
Bob Heuer who draws on two decades of experience exploring agriculture’s role in regional economies to help organizations in the civic, public and private sectors respond effectively to one of the most important trends shaping the future.

The confirmed Panelists are:
Kim Minestra who is the Director of Nutrition Services for Evanston Township High School District 202. She has been instrumental in the success of the Evanston Township High School Edible Acre Garden and using all of the produce in the cafeterias.

Dan Schnitzer who is the Director of Sustainability and Operations for the Academy for Global Citizenship- a Chicago Public School focused on environmental responsibility and global education.

Lisa Dziekan who is a Co-Chair of the Green Committee at Dewey Elementary School in Evanston, IL. She is also the recipient of Governor Quinn's 2011 Environmental Hero Awards for composting efforts at Dewey school.


Agenda:

6:00 – 6:20 Arrive, Fill Your Plate, Settle In
6:20 – 6:25 Welcome, Group Announcements
6:25 – 7:10 Roundtable Panel: Inspiring a Youth Food Movement in Evanston K-12
7:10 – 7:25 Audience Q & A
7:25 – 7:30 Thanking of Panelists; Closing Remarks; Upcoming Dates
7:30 – 8:00 Networking

Senate Agriculture Nutrition & Forestry Committee: Chairwoman's Summary of the 2012 Farm Bill Committee

Friday, April 20, 2012

The Committee Print of the 2012 Farm Bill reforms farm policy, consolidates and streamlines programs, and will reduce the deficit by $23 billion. This bill saves taxpayers money while strengthening initiatives that help farmers, ranchers and small business owners create American jobs. 

Eliminates Direct Payments while Strengthening Risk Management

Farmers face unique risks unlike other businesses. Weather and market conditions outside a producer’s control can have devastating effects. A risk management system that helps producers stay in business through a few bad seasons ensures that Americans always have access to a safe and plentiful food supply. The proposal:  

• Eliminates direct payments. Farmers will no longer be paid for crops they are not growing, will not be paid for acres that are not actually planted, and will not receive support absent a drop in price or yields.
• Consolidates two remaining farm programs into one, and will give farmers the ability to tailor risk management coverage—meaning better protection against real risks beyond a farmer’s control.
• Strengthens crop insurance and expands access so farmers are not wiped out by a few days of bad weather.

Consolidates and Streamlines Programs

By eliminating duplicative programs, funds are concentrated in the areas in which they will have the greatest impact, making them work better for producers. 

• By ending duplication and consolidating programs, the bill eliminates dozens of programs under the Agriculture Committee’s jurisdiction.
• For example, the bill consolidates 23 existing conservation programs into 13 programs, while maintaining the existing tools farmers and landowners need to protect and conserve land, water and wildlife.  

Improves Program Integrity and Accountability 

At a time when many out-of-work Americans are in need for the first time in their lives, it is critical that every taxpayer dollar be spent responsibly and serves those truly struggling. By closing loopholes, tightening standards, and requiring greater transparency, the proposal increases efficiency and improves effectiveness.  

• Increases accountability in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by: 
• Stopping lottery winners from continuing to receive assistance.
• Ending misuse by college students.
• Cracking down on retailers and recipients engaged in benefit trafficking.
• Increasing requirements to prevent liquor and tobacco stores from becoming retailers.
• Eliminating gaps in standards that result in overpayment of benefits.
• The proposal maintains benefits for families in need.

Grows America’s Agricultural Economy

The proposal increases efficiency and accountability, saving tens of billions of dollars overall, while strengthening agricultural jobs initiatives by:

• Expanding export opportunities and helping farmers develop new markets for their goods.
• Investing in research to help commercialize new agricultural innovations.
• Growing bio-based manufacturing (businesses producing goods in America from raw agricultural products grown in America) by allowing bio-manufacturers to participate in existing U.S. Department of Agriculture loan programs, expanding the BioPreferred labeling initiative, and strengthening a procurement preference so the U.S. government will select bio-based products when purchasing needed goods.
• Spurring advancements in bio-energy production, supporting advanced biomass energy production such as cellulosic ethanol and pellets from woody biomass for power. 
• Helping family farmers sell locally by increasing support for farmers’ markets and spurring the creation of food hubs to connect farmers to schools and other community-based consumers.
• Extending rural development initiatives to help rural communities upgrade infrastructure and create an environment for small businesses to grow.

Reprinted from http://www.ag.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/2012-farm-bill-committee-print

NU Food Talks Potluck May 1, 6:00 - 8:00pm

Food Deserts: What Chicago Organizations are Doing to Solve the Problem will be the focus of NU Food Talks next potluck, featuring a panel discussion of Chicago leaders in community food systems.

May 1, 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Technological Institute, Room L361

2145 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL

RSVP: please sign-up by clicking the above tab Potluck RSVP

Bring your own silverware, drinking glass and a dish* to pass according to your last name.

A-F Beverage
G-L Desert
M-S Salad
T-Z Side

*If you would like to prepare something other than requested please feel free. Also, if you are unable to bring a dish, please still attend the event.

Try a PB&J

Easy on the earth and your budget.
 
Have you seen the PB&J Campaign? This is a fun and easy idea to make a small dent in a large problem.  Simply replace a meal with PB&J or any other plant based meal (no meat or fish!) to reduce your carbon footprint. 

The PB&J Campaign's Mission is "to combat environmental destruction by reducing the amount of animal products people eat. The PB&J Campaign approaches positive change one meal at a time by illuminating the differences one single dining decision can make."

"Each time you have a plant-based lunch like a PB&J you'll reduce your carbon footprint by the equivalent of 2.5 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over an average animal-based lunch like a hamburger, a tuna sandwich, grilled cheese, or chicken nuggets. For dinner you save 2.8 pounds and for breakfast 2.0 pounds of emissions.

Those 2.5 pounds of emissions at lunch are about forty percent of the greenhouse gas emissions you'd save driving around for the day in a hybrid instead of a standard sedan.

If you have a PB&J instead of a red-meat lunch like a ham sandwich or a hamburger, you shrink your carbon footprint by almost 3.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions."

TAKE THE PB&J PLEDGE   http://www.pbjcampaign.org/pledge/

High Temperatures in Chicago . . .

It's March in Chicago and the average temperature has been hovering between 75 to 85 degrees for the last week.  The Spring plants are all in bloom, the grass is green, the birds are singing; and while this is a treat, I have to wonder what is around the corner.  Is this global warming or a fluke?  Since its March do I move my houseplants outside and start planting vegetable seeds or hold out for the snow to return?  Mother Nature is setting records in the Mid-West, does that mean a draught come true summer?  For now we will make the best of the weather, sit outside for lunch, use the patio set at night for dinner and plant the seeds in anticipation of this warm weather continuing.  I might as well start early, I can always purchase more seeds.  In fact on Friday I will be ordering online from High Mowing Organic Seeds.  I'll be sure to purchase more than could ever possibly be planted in my small garden, because dreaming of what could be growing in my garden half the fun!  Cheers from Chi-town.  

NU Food Talks Potluck Details

Guest Speaker: Ken Dunn of Resource Center and City Farm
This event is open to the Public. 


March 6, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Technological Institute, L211
Northwestern University
Evanston Campus


RSVP: please signup by following this link

Bring your own silverware, drinking glass and a dish to pass according to your last name.
A-F Entree
G-L Side or Salad
M-S Dessert
T-Z Beverage

NU Food Talks Potluck Announcement

Northwestern University to Host NU Food Talks

****** CHANGE OF LOCATION ********

This event will NOT be held in Parkes Hall. Stay posted for new location.

 Calling all Foodies! Yes, you, the person who wants to know their food. 

You know that organic banana you’re munching come from Costa Rica, but do you know how it was produced?  Do you know how it was transported to your grocery? How about the cost breakdown of the 98 cents a pound you paid?

Join the Northwestern University Sustainable Food Talks (NU Food Talks).  The program’s mission is to strengthen our sustainable food systems network, our knowledge base, and find ways together to maximize our outreach.

They will host a pot-luck talking group the first Tuesday of each month made up of students, faculty, staff, community members, food advocates and experts.  Each meeting features an expert from part of our food system who will speak on their work, the issues they face, and how it affects our foodshed. From these conversations they will develop action points for individuals and initiatives to be implemented by partnering organizations.

The first official kick-off pot-luck is:

Tuesday, March 6 from 6:30-8:00pm

Evanston, IL Campus. 

If you are a student, faculty, staff, or community member and would like to join their planning committee please e-mail them at nusustainablefoodtalks@gmail.com 

For more information visit their blog at http://www.nusustainablefoodtalks.blogspot.com/

Follow them on Twitter @NUFoodTalks

Like them on Facebook NU Food Talks

Panel on Institutional Food Buying, AUA

Yesterday, Wednesday February 1, 2012, the Chicago Advocates for Urban Agriculture hosted their winter meeting at the Garfield Park Conservatory.  There were two important ideas brought up concerning the challenges Institutions face when purchasing local, whole produce.

• Changing Institutional buying to purchase local and organic requires kitchens to re-skill their staff for new menus (cutting veggies instead of using pre-cut veggies).
• Changing Institutional buying requires working across department silos to cost cuts in energy, water and time management (etc) in order to move money to purchasing for the true cost of local food and the labor costs for skilled cooks.

Facilitator:

Kathy Nyquist, New Venture Advisors

Panelists:

Greg Christian, Beyond Green: Sustainable Food Partners

Kyle Schafter, UNITE HERE

Joan Hopkins, Coordinator of Chicago Botanic Garden, Windy City Harvest, Cook County Boot Camp

Ben Perkins, Purchasing Buyer for Goodness Greeness

Senate Ag Committee Farm Bill Hearing Schedule Announced

Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today announced the Committee’s Farm Bill hearing schedule for February and March, noting that the Committee will continue examining Farm Bill principles and evaluating policy solutions to develop a 2012 Farm Bill.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today announced the Committee’s Farm Bill hearing schedule for February and March, noting that the Committee will continue examining Farm Bill principles and evaluating policy solutions to develop a 2012 Farm Bill. Below are the details of the next series of hearings (dates and topics are subject to change).

Wednesday, February 15
Title: Energy and Economic Growth for Rural America
A hearing to evaluate policies that make investments in jobs and opportunities for farmers and rural businesses through new markets, entrepreneurship, regional strategies and energy innovation.

Wednesday, February 29
Title: Strengthening Conservation through the 2012 Farm Bill
A hearing to explore the Conservation title’s important investment in America – the nation’s fundamental resources of our water, soils and other natural resource infrastructure – through policies that help farmers maintain soil health, keep our water clean and available, our food abundant and safe and our wildlife plentiful so as to protect the basic principles of farming and our way of life for future generations.

Wednesday, March 14
Title: Healthy Food Initiatives, Local Production and Nutrition
A hearing to explore innovative opportunities in agriculture through policies that assist the development of local markets for farmers – connecting them to the growing consumer demand for locally-produced, healthy food options.

Wednesday, March 21
Title: Risk Management and Commodities in the 2012 Farm Bill
A hearing to evaluate the need for and cost effectiveness of risk management tools available to farmers who continue to face increasingly volatile crop prices, input costs and the threat of natural disasters; and how the federal government can provide appropriate risk-management tools while making the best use of limited resources.
Witnesses, times and other specific hearing details to be announced. Senate Agriculture Committee hearings are available for viewing on the Committee website at http://ag.senate.gov.

 Click here to see the schedule (note that details are subject to change).

Expanding My Mind with a Book, Expanding Our Knowledge with Action

Have you read a book where all the ideas you've been thinking and mulling over are boiled down into one ah-ha moment? In the last few days I've been reading from John E. Ikerd's book Crisis and Opportunity Sustainability in American Agriculture.  You might think, "I know this idea of sustainable agriculture can solve the problems in today's food system, but how do I prove that?  I don't have the argument or the years of research."

Problem solved.  Read this book.  Then buy this book.  Read it again next year.

John E. Ikerd's book Crisis and Opportunity Sustainability in American Agriculture

"Many "low-input" farmers are already achieving yields equal to or greater than conventional high-yield with low input systems of farming.  The knowledge and expertise required to achieve high yields with low inputs are not nearly as common among farmers as are commercial agriculture technologies.  However, many others are capable of acquiring this ability, if they realized it was possible and had an incentive to do so.  In addition, sustainable agriculture today is in its infancy; sustainable farmers are but the early explorers on a new frontier.  As they accumulate increased understanding and know-how, their productive abilities will undoubtedly increase as well.  If we invest a fraction of the research and development efforts on regenerative farming methods in the future that we have invested in industrial methods in the past, our overall ability to produce by sustainable methods in the future may easily surpass our ability to produce by conventional methods." p17

Do you want to learn more about these methods? Visit the following organizations:

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association

The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program