Prominent activists in the local food movement will be coming to Coquitlam to talk about local food systems and how to improve them.
The event is part of the the City of Coquitlam's Leadership Series which began three years ago.
On Thursday, Nov. 22, a panel of speakers including the co-author of the 100 Mile Diet and a former Vancouver city counsellor will be at Evergreen Cultural Centre to discuss the benefits and challenges of purchasing and eating locally grown food. They will also outline how individual food choices influence the health and long term sustainability of the food system.
There will also be a chance for ticket holders to sample food from local vendors such as: Hopcotts Premium Meats, Goldenears Cheesecrafters, Cobs Breads, Cloud 9 Bakery, Granville Island Brewery, and others.
The panelists include:
Alisa Smith, the co-author of The 100 Mile Diet and co-host of The 100 Mile Challenge television series
Peter Ladner, former Vancouver City Councillor and author of The Urban Food Revolution: Changing the way we Feed Cities
Chef Andrea Carlson, former Executive Chef from Bishop's Restaurant and now partner with Harvest, a local food grocer & café
Stephen Gallagher, farmer at Nathan Creek Organic Farm Community Supported Agriculture
Janis Magnuson - Facilitator, L.L.B./J.D., food security, and co-housing advocate
The local food movement is about creating locally based, self-reliant food economies. This means that food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is all done locally, which supports the economic, environmental and social health of the community.
This philosophy has taken root over the last few years and has spurred a lot of discussion. The Coquitlam event will give residents a chance to hear all about what it means to the community. It's being co-sponsored by Task Construction Management, Smithrite Disposal and Coquitlam Centre.
Tickets for the event are available for purchase for $20 each and groups of 10 or more are $15 each through the Evergreen Cultural Centre Box Office at 604-927-6555 or online at www.evergreenculturalcentre.ca
Local food and beverage tasting will begin at 6 p.m. with a panel discussion at 7 p.m.
