NESAWG

What: A working conference to build our Northeast Food System AND NESAWG’s Annual Meeting
 

When: November 13-14, 2009
 

Where: Desmond Hotel and Conference Center, Albany, NY
 

Who: Food system advocates, policymakers, planners, researchers, Extension and other educators, farmer groups, food businesses, farm support organizations, consumer groups, students

Registration:

Earlybird deadline is September 30. Regular registration deadline is October 23. Online registration coming soon.

Hotel Reservations:

Lodging reservations can be made here. Mention group ID # 11K44W to receive the group rate of $119 per room per night.

Agenda:

Coming soon

Transportation

By air: Schedule your arrival at Albany International Airport. The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle from and to the airport.

By car: Click here for driving directions The hotel has free parking.

About the Event

What is a regional food system and why do we want one? Recently, “food systems” have gotten a lot of attention – especially “local food systems.” This conference takes on the region – our Northeast region. By taking a regional approach, we can grow our thinking and our work to develop a truly sustainable and resilient food system. We can get beyond the jargon, myths and fuzzy concepts — embracing but moving beyond direct and local marketing. We can make room at the table for all stakeholders. This conference will take on some hard issues. We’ll come away with a coherent strategy and concrete plans toward our shared vision. We’ll be able to communicate effectively with all the right audiences to get them engaged. Come prepared to roll up your sleeves. Through in-depth working sessions, homework, provocative debates and exercises, we’ll tackle questions such as: • Why regional? What does a regional food system look like? • What do we want? What will it take to get there? • Who needs to be at the table? • What are our realistic milestones? What do we need to know, measure and monitor? We’ll draw upon the exciting efforts already underway in our region and nationally, including alternative supply chain networks, research projects, infrastructure initiatives and policy advocacy. We’ll address scale, size, and geography to reach beyond political boundaries. Conference Partners. This conference is hosted by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) in collaboration with partners and co-sponsors (to date): • Just Food • Northeast Regional Lead Team of the National Good Food Network • Northeast Sustainable Traders • Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development • Red Tomato • Tufts University Agriculture, Food and Environment Program • University of New Hampshire Office of Sustainability

• NY Sustainable Agriculture Working Group