Halifax

Nova Scotia Food Gathering

7:00pm
Thursday May 9 2013 - 3:00pm
Saturday May 11 2013

 

The NS Food Gathering will bring together eaters, farmers, researchers, nutritionists, civil servants, students, cooks, citizens, gardeners, and parents from across the province. A lot is happening around food in our province. Come for 2.5 days to learn from others, share your ideas, have great conversations, and leave feeling connected and ready for even more action.

CONFERENCE FORMAT

Sometimes the best parts of a conference are the discussions over lunch and during breaks.  These conversations spark new projects, create new connections, and help us work through road blocks.  We’ve designed this gathering to incorporate both formal presentations AND time for face-to-face discussions about issues that are bubbling up for you.

On Thursday, join us for some optional field trips and learn about innovative local projects and ideas, followed by an opening reception to kick-off the gathering.  On both Friday and Saturday, we’ll start the days with your choice of panel discussions, workshops, & presentations covering the following themes:

• Increasing Access & Equity;
• Community Engagement: Education, Action & Skill-Building;
• Addressing Challenges of Local Producers;
• Entrepreneurship & Financing With a Difference;
• Improving the System; and
• Working Effectively & Skill-Building Within the Food Movement.

For our afternoon session on Friday, we’ll invite you, our conference participants, to pose questions for smaller group discussion. Do you want to talk about the role farmers markets can play in increasing food access?  Want to talk about how we can ensure that food is a right for everyone? Are you curious about the role of fisheries in the food movement?Bring your burning questions to the gathering!

Finally, on Saturday afternoon, we’ll have one more chance to discuss ideas in smaller groups.  Do you have an idea that you want to move to action?  During this time, participants will have the opportunity to put forward a project idea, on which they’d like some input.  In small groups, we’ll share our advice, knowledge and helpful hints.

SCHEDULETHURSDAY

Optional Afternoon Field Trips

• Join Nourish NS (www.nourishns.ca) in an interactive presentation with Dr. Yoni Freedhoff (www.weightymatters.ca) in a discussion around schools as a site of change for food and health.
  WHERE/WHEN? Halifax West High School, Thursday, May 9, 2013 @ 1:20 pm – 3:10 pm. MAX: 10

• Get hands on at Common Roots Urban Farm (http://partnersforcare.ca/urban_farm/overview1), a restorative landscape that serves to reconnect people with nature and their food.
  WHERE/WHEN? Common Roots Urban Farm (corner Bell Rd & Robie Street), Thursday, May 9, 2013 @ 12 pm – 4:30 pm. MAX: 35

• Learn about the Spryfield Urban Farm and the community’s rich agricultural heritage by visiting the Urban Farm Museum Society in “Spry’s Field” (http://www.urbanfarmspryfield.com/home).
  WHERE/WHEN? Spryfield Urban Farm Museum Society, Thursday, May 9, 2013 @ 2 pm – 2:45 pm. MAX: 24

• Engage with the Hope Blooms project led by the North End Community Health Centre (http://nechc.com/?page_id=434) that works to educate and empower youth to grow a social business by growing their own food.
  WHERE/WHEN? Hope Blooms, Thursday, May 9, 2013 @ 2 pm. MAX: 20

Opening Event: 7 pm – 9:30 pm

FRIDAY 

(9 am – 5 pm + Optional Evening Event)

Opening Plenary
Discussions, Presentations, and Workshops: Sessions A & B on our gathering themes. 
Click here for information on presentations and workshops and here to learn more about our presenters and facilitators.

[Lunch Provided]

Open Discussion Session A & B: Your chance to talk about the ideas and issues that matter to you.
Closing Plenary

Optional (Additional Fee) Evening Event (7 pm – 9 pm): Celebrating Local Food – A Showcase of NS Chefs & Producers

SATURDAY

9 am – 3 pm

Opening Plenary
Discussions, Presentations, and Workshops: Session C on our gathering themes. 
Click here for information on presentations and workshops and here to learn more about our presenters and facilitators.

[Lunch Provided]

Working Session: Moving Your Ideas to Action.
Gathering Closing Plenary

 We encourage everyone to participate on Saturday afternoon in Halifax’s Open Cityafter the gathering is over.