The Conference

Our conference was yesterday and it was a tremendous success. Each panel (and panelist) was very informative and interesting. The panelists truly displayed their passion for the issues that they talked about. I think everyone left the conference feeling much better informed and still optimistic about where we can go even in the face of so much adversity.

Many people came to the conference from Connecticut College and New London. People also really enjoyed the free Sustainable Lunch featuring local and organic: soups (Mangetout in NL), cheese (Beaver Brook Farm), apples, honey (CC Professor Stuart Woroneki), and bread. There was also fair trade and organic coffee from Bean & Leaf in New London along with some other drinks and baked goods. The live jazz, organized by Brent Thomas, was the perfect touch on a delicious meal.

A special thank you is deserved for all the students who have worked so hard this semester to make this event a reality and to many other members of the CC community, from Dining Services, who donated time and materials, to all of the departments and offices that made donations to this cause. Thank you!

Below are a few pictures from some of the panels and from the lunch. ** The conference was also videotaped so if you are interested in a DVD of the conference please send us an email.

Food with Though: an interdisciplinary conversation about food and agriculture

**The food conference is this weekend! I have uploaded the schedule of events. I hope to see you all there!**

Movie on Friday, April 4

7pm-9pm: King Corn - This documentary is about two friends who follow corn into the food system and what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat and farm.

Panels on Saturday, April 5

10:00-11:15: Sustainable Agriculture and the Community (Ernst Common Room) 

Panelists: 

• Bryan Connolly: Bryan is professor at the University of Connecticut and a former professor of Connecticut College. He is a renowned local agriculture expert. Bryan will discuss definitions of sustainable agriculture and its practical implementation. 
• Art Costa: Art is a director of Re-New London, a broad organization working towards the localization of New London companies, educational opportunities, and community outlets.  Art will speak towards the type of work that Re-New London does and why community unification efforts are important and possible.
• Brent Thomas: Brent is a senior Government major at Connecticut College.  He will speak about farm subsidies and the formation of industrial agriculture.
• Arthur Lerner: Arthur is a co-founder of F.R.E.S.H. New London.  F.R.E.S.H. works to implement and guide practical, agricultural & gardening projects in New London as a way to educate and empower citizens towards personal wellness, community health, and environmental stewardship.  Arthur will discuss the importance of local, sustainable food and the relationships it fosters among farmers and the surrounding community.

11:30-12:45: Panel on the Health of Humans and the Environment (Ernst Common Room)

Panelists:

• Katie Jeffrey-Lunn: Katie is a local nutritionist for FitNutrition, LLC in Mystic, CT. She specializes in nutrition counseling, her presentation focuses on the health of organic and local foods.
• Bart Staub: Bart is an ayurvedic consultant from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. He will be talking about a holistic approach to health and nutrition as well as eating with the seasons.
• Tammy Collier: Tammy is one of the Connecticut Chapter leaders of the Weston A. Price Foundation which focuses on restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism.

2:00-3:15: Panel on Social Justice and Human Rights (Ernst Common Room)

Panelists:

•David A. Canton: David is an African Studies Professor specializing in 20th Century American Social History, the Civil Rights Movement, and Urban History. He'll be talking about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Human Rights movement.
• Manuel Lizarralde: Manuel is a Connecticut College Botany Professor. His talk will focus on the production of ethanol involved with producing food. 
• Davis Lewis: David is an owner of Flavours of Life, the fair trade store in New London. He is also a very active member of the New London community. He will be talking about fair trade.