Syracuse Food Justice Symposium

A broad coalition of grassroots organizations, not-for-profit agencies, community gardeners, university partners and other interested stakeholders have organized the first Syracuse Food Justice Symposium, to be held Oct. 2-3, 2015 at the All Saints Church Spiritual Renewal Center, 1342 Lancaster Ave.

This first-ever symposium, “Taking Back Our Health through Community Gardens and Urban Agriculture” focuses on the role of grassroots food production in promoting healthful diets.

This event welcomes policy makers, planners, community gardeners, school administration and staff, elected officials, nutritionists and medical professionals, health departments, community organizations, philanthropists, educators, students and the general public to hear nationally renowned speakers, local and regional experts, community activists and growers discuss how community gardens and urban agriculture can strengthen our communities.

A keynote address will be offered by the Malik Yakini, executive director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network following a dinner by local chefs using regional farm products.

The goals of this symposium are to share best practices and offer inspiration from successful models in other communities; define local and regional needs, key challenges, and opportunities; facilitate dialogue, share information and develop collective strategies to overcome these hurdles; identify opportunities to integrate gardening and farming activities into more of our community, and jumpstart efforts at creating a Central New York Food Policy Council.

This event will be free for attendees, with a suggested donation of $20 to help offset costs for those who cannot afford it.

This conference has been conceived and planned by a coalition that includes the Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse, the Brady Faith Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County, Helping Hands Urban Farm, Jubilee Homes, SUNY ESF Departments of Landscape Architecture and Sustainability, SUNY Upstate, Syracuse Grows, Syracuse Housing Authority, Syracuse University Department of Public Health, Food Studies, and Nutrition, and Meals on Wheels.

For more information and to register visit www.syracusefoodjustice.wordpress.com or contact Jessi Lyons at (315) 424-9485 ext. 233.