UF Food Summit to showcase Florida food issues, sustainability

The University of Florida Office of Sustainability will host the first Florida Food Summit April 12-13. The event at UF’s Reitz Student Union will facilitate networking, dialogue and visioning among members of the Florida food system. The summit will help develop the connections needed for robust farm-to-institution programs and is part of the Office of Sustainability’s “40 Days of Change” campaign – a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

The event will begin with a welcome reception, followed by discussion panels focusing on local food systems at the local and state level. Other events include film screenings, multimedia presentations, a “Food on the Lawn” fair and farmers market.

“Food on the Lawn” will take place on UF’s Plaza of the Americas from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 12, featuring food demonstrations, educational displays and local produce for sale. A photography exhibition, “Range, Furrow, and Grove: Images of Florida Agriculture,” will also be on display April 5-17 in the Reitz Student Union Gallery.

Michael Dimock, executive director of Roots for Change, will present a keynote speech on sustainable food system development, the evening of April 12. Robert Stone, outreach coordinator for Florida Folklife Program, will present “Florida Cowboys and Agricultural History,” the evening of April 13.

A special workshop will be held April 13 for local and national stakeholders to share tips for creating and accelerating farm-to-institution programs. Other programs hosted in the days leading up to the event include movie showings, student-led programs and a panel entitled “Food and Faith,” featuring local religious leaders.

Event sponsors include Alachua County, Aramark Higher Education and Darden Restaurants, and UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

A full schedule of events is available at http://news.ufl.edu/2010/04/01/uf-food-summit/

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Contacts

Anna Prizzia, aprizzia@ufl.edu, 352-392-7578

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Posted: April 1, 2010


Category: Agriculture, Food Safety, Work & Life
Tags: Food, Prizzia, Sustainability


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