From: “Amy Blankstein”
*JUST FOOD CONFERENCE 2012: EAT WORK GROW THE MOVEMENT*
On February 24th and 25th, Just Food will convene over 1,000 local food lovers and advocates, CSA members, community gardeners, urban and rural farmers, food professionals and entrepreneurs to participate in two days of hands-on workshops, discussions, skills-building sessions, and good food.
*Just Food Conference 2012: Eat Work Grow the Movement* will be held at the Food and Finance High School (525 West 50th Street) and will provide attendees with opportunities to learn about cooking and food preservation techniques, CSA trends, and local and national farm and food issues, along with ways to mobilize communities in order to increase access to farm-fresh, locally grown food.
On Friday evening, Just Food and Good Food Jobs will co-host a Good Food Jobs Fair. On Saturday, well conclude the conference with an EXPO and celebration featuring exemplary local food artisans, sustainable businesses, and organizations.
The conference will include over 100 workshops, covering a range of topics including:
*Food Education*: Seasonal eating tips and tricks, featuring demonstrations on enjoying and preserving your local bounty through simple home cooking, canning, and food preservation techniques.
*Food Policy*: Trends, issues and legislation impacting New York City consumers and local farmers, getting local food to the NYC market, labor issues in the food movement, the 2012 (Food and) Farm Bill, and New York State land management and access policies.
*Community Organizing*: Increasing access to healthy food in New York City, including CSA and farmers market management, urban agriculture and community advocacy and outreach.
*Career and Entrepreneurialism*: Launching your own business, becoming a farmer, breaking into the food field, and career paths panel.
*Industry:* Local purchasing and sourcing, regional and local distribution systems, and sustainable food production.
*Farmer Q&A*: Meet some of the local farmers who grow food for New York City. The panel will include farmers involved in Just Foods CSA, farmers market, and farm-to-food pantry programs.
*What:* *JUST FOOD CONFERENCE 2012: EAT WORK GROW THE MOVEMENT*
*Organized by:* Just Food
*Sponsored by:* Kashi; other sponsors to be announced
*When:* Friday, February 24 (8:30am7pm), and Saturday, February 25 (8am6pm)
*Where:* Food & Finance High School
525 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10019 (between 10th and 11th Avenues)
*Cost:* Tickets are $30 per day or $50 for both days. Discounted rates of $15 (for one day) and $30 (for both days) are available for students, farmers and low-income community members.
Tickets to the Job Fair only will cost $15.
*Registration and Ticket Info:* http://jfconference2012.eventbrite.com/
*General conference info:* Jessica Gaffney at 212-645-9880 x232 or
Jessica.Gaffney@justfood.org; http://justfood.org/events/overview
*Press inquiries:* Amy Blankstein at 212-645-9880 x243 or amy@justfood.org
*About Just Food*
Just Food is a non-profit organization that connects communities and local farms with the resources and support they need to make fresh, locally grown food accessible to all New Yorkers. Just Food provides regional farmers and food producers, CSA organizers and everyday eaters with the resources and support they need to establish and experience healthy food systemsin every neighborhood.
Since 1995, Just Food has pioneered and championed the proliferation of sustainable food programs, including CSAs, community-run farmers markets, and farm-to-food pantry programs. Just Food serves thousands of New Yorkers by forging partnerships between local farms, neighborhood groups, and consumers, and by providing urban communities with a framework for growing, and knowing, healthy food.
For more information about Just Food, visit www.justfood.org.
*About Good Food Jobs*
Good Food Jobs is a gastro-job search tool, designed to link people looking for meaningful food work with the businesses that need their energy, enthusiasm, and intellect. Good Food Jobs posts opportunities with farmers and food artisans, policy makers and purveyors, retailers and restaurateurs, economists, ecologists, and more. On their blog, the gastrognomes , they profile the most interesting and unlikely food professionals that they find, and publish their stories to inspire you.
Good Food Jobs was created by friends, partners and ice cream lovers, Taylor Cocalis and Dorothy Neagle.
For more information about Good Food Jobs, visit goodfoodjobs.com.
