Connect with people across Northumberland and beyond to build support for a resilient local food system.
April 20th, 2024
11:00 — 3:00
Lunch Provided
Hastings Civic Centre
6 Albert St E,
Hastings ON
As the first event to bring together all major food system stakeholders in Northumberland County and beyond, The Local Food Solutions Think Tank aims to support relationship building, collaboration, and inspired conversation about a more resilient local/regional food system. Covering topics from food access and community resilience, to sustainable production, distribution, and tourism, this inaugural event goes deep on food systems and solutions.
Keynote Speakers
Alison Blay-Palmer
Founding Director of the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems and UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity, and Sustainability Studiesat at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Her research and teaching combine her passions for sustainable food systems and community viability through civil society engagement, and innovative governance. Blay-Palmer collaborates with academics and practitioners across Canada and internationally, including partners in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, and the United States. This work gained national recognition in both 2012 and 2019 when her partnership was one of three nominees for a national SSHRC Partnership Impact Award.
“The main focus of my community-defined research is on supporting and building more sustainable food communities to foster community capacity. The goal is to use food as an active lever to address diet-related health challenges, climate change and biodiversity loss.”
Russ Christianson
Chair of the Northumberland County Food Policy Council
The purpose of the Northumberland County Food Policy Council is to bring individuals, agencies, and local government together to examine the operation of the local food system, stimulate and lead a dialogue on food, promote projects in the community, and provide policy ideas and recommendations that enhance a sustainable food system.
Russ is the President of Rhythm Communications, and for over three decades, he has worked with communities, not-for-profit and environmental organizations, and private businesses to meet their strategic goals. He has worked in all aspects of the food system: growing, value-added production, marketing and distribution, retail and food service.
As a volunteer in his own community of Campbellford, Russ was the founding President of the Aron Theatre Co-operative, and is currently serving as General Manager. Russ was the founding President of the Campbellford Seymour Community Foundation (now Community Foundation of Campbellford/Seymour and Northumberland), and is Chair of its Finance Committee. He was a member and Co-Chair of the Toronto Food Policy Council during its first four years of operation, and is currently the Chair of the Northumberland County Food Policy Council.
Russ has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Queen’s University in Kingston, and a Masters of Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto.
Agenda
- Opening: Amanda Solmes – Executive Director of Incredible Trent Hills
- Keynote: Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer
- Environmental Scan: Russ Christianson
- Lunch
- Panel Discussions:
- Food Access, Health, and Community Resilience
- Sustainable Food Production, Distribution, and Tourism
- Breakout Tables
- Evaluation and Close
If you are interested in attending this event and could use childcare to make this possible, please email [email protected].
Registration
Thanks for your interest in the Think Tank.
Registration is now closed.
Please email [email protected] if you would like to be sent info on findings from the day.
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