[getsmart-l] Fw: [Discover Local Food] NFU replaces Feast with Summit on local sustainable food system

[John O'Gorman]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Discover Local Food 
To: Discover Local Food 
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 7:08 AM
Subject: [Discover Local Food] NFU replaces Feast with Summit on local sustainable food system


NFU replaces Feast with Summit on local sustainable food system 

By Terry Pugh - Special to The AgriNews, Chesterville, Ontario

KINGSTON - Wondering what happened to the National Farmers Union's Feast of Fields, normally held in Frontenac in the fall? 

Local farm and food advocates have been busy this summer planning the Food Down the Road Summit instead, to take place in Kingston in November. 

"The Kingston area is ready to work on creating a fully-developed local food system," says Andrea Cumpson, National Farmers Union Local 316 president. "Instead of working on the NFU Feast of Fields this year, our members and friends have put their efforts into Food Down the Road, a project to help build a sustainable local food system for Kingston and area." 

Last spring, Food Down the Road organized four meetings on issues related to local food systems - marketing, accessibility and health, the environment and structures needed to support a local food system. 

"Now, we are focusing on the Food Down the Road Summit, November 2 to 4, at St. Lawrence College," says David Hahn, a local NFU director and a member of the Food Down the Road Community Council. 

"We plan to have speakers and workshops on ways to move the Kingston region forward in building a community-based, sustainable local food system. We will invite farmers and eaters, but also processors, distributors, retailers, health and social agencies, politicians and program administrators to participate in the summit." 

Summit organizers hope to involve interested people and local agencies and organizations in planning structures that would promote a more sustainable local food system - for example, implementing measures to facilitate new farmers getting started, rebuilding processing and marketing facilities, and developing a community food policy council and charter. 

"Mark November 2nd to 4th on your calendar and plan to come to the Summit," says Cumpson. "Everyone in the Kingston area has a stake in food security for the region." 

As part of the Food Down the Road initiative, the NFU is updating its Eating Close to Home directory of farmers in the region who sell food products directly or indirectly to consumers, and publishing volume 2 of The Local Harvest, a newspaper profiling local food issues which includes a directory of local farms. As well, FDTR will expand its website this fall and publish a background paper assessing the local food situation in the Kingston region. 

Food Down the Road formed a network of interested farm and food researchers, and established a Community Council in June to broaden the base of people involved in directing its work. 

Along with contributions from local organizations and volunteers, Food Down the Road is funded in part through contributions by the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario under the Agricultural Management Institute (AMI), an initiative of the federal-provincial-territorial Agricultural Policy Framework designed to position Canada's agri-food sector as a world leader. The Agricultural Adaptation Council administers the AMI program on behalf of the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario. 

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Discover Local Food is for those interested in the growing number of celebrations, projects and initiatives in support of local food in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. The list circulates invitations, announcements, news releases and project summaries that relate to local food in the GTA and throughout Ontario. The list is dependent on readers for suggesting items. Send yours now. Discover Local Food is a project of the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee: www.gtalocalfood.ca. GTA AAC staff moderate this list.

 

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