SD&G Food Council Workshop Kicks Off ECO FARM DAY 2010 Festivities – Seawayradio.com broadcasting LIVE from the Ramada today! – February 27, 2010

SD&G Food Council Workshop, 26 February 2010

Picture courtesy Reg Coffey: Dr. Wayne Roberts, Tom Manley & Gaye Hamilton

by Reg Coffey

Cornwall On – Today the SD&G Food Council hosted a workshop on an SDG local food movement at the Ramada Inn in Cornwall. The event was organized by Tom Manley of Homestead Organics and was funded by the SD&G Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC), represented by Gay Hamilton.

The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Wayne Roberts. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Roberts coordinates the Toronto Food Policy Council (TFPC) and he was there to share his experiences with the TFPC. He also shared his knowledge of the emerging social food movement which encompasses the organic, food security, buy local, farmers markets movements to name a few and green economics.

Dr. Roberts believes that the era of transporting basic food items from long distances will come to an end and that traditional growing areas around the world will change due to climactic changes that we are already seeing evidence of. The establishment of a local Food Council is a way to proactively respond to the coming changes and to help implement many ethical changes in the way food in produced and distributed in the SD&G area.

The session was well attended by concerned individuals who represented local food producers/processors, several levels of government, community organizations as well as several private citizens simply concerned with the state of our food supply.

Everyone in attendance was part of a consultation to help define the role and structure of the council and possible future programs that the council should become involved in.

Another issue discussed was who should be selected to lead the Food Council in those identified endeavours. The results of the workshop will be summarized and distributed to those in attendance and then the Food Council can incorporate the recommended changes.

Eco Farm Day takes place today, Saturday February 27, 2010 at the Ramada Inn, Cornwall Ontario.  Seawayradio.com will be broadcasting live from the event.