Wednesday, February 22, 2012

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

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

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

Thursday, February 2, 2012

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.


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).