Location(s)

Regular meeting of the food policy coalition.

Location(s)

Join the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy for their first fund raising soiree, featuring gourmet seasonal hors d'ouvres created from items available at the Countryside Farmers' Markets. Support the mission of the Countryside Conservency to provide healthy food choices by preserving farmland and supporting farmers throughout Northeast Ohio.

Fee. Tickets available at Countryside Farmers' Markets. For more information, call 330/ 657-2178 or email farmersmarket@cvcountryside.org

Location(s)

The focus of this Cleveland Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition meeting will be the role of business and economic policy in food system development. Panelists include:

Jim Rokakis
Cuyahoga County Treasurer
County Land Bank and Vacant Property Conversion Strategies

Kevin Schmotzer
City of Cleveland, Department of Economic Development
Gardens to Greenbacks: Local Food Enterprise Development

Ericka L. Abrams
Clinical Interventionist, University Hospital Case Medical Center
Cleveland Corner Store Project

RSVP by Monday, June 9 to Morgan Taggart, or 216/429-8238

Location(s)

FarmLink celebrates its first year with a "Speed Dating" workshop to encourage farm owners and farm seekers to take the next step in land transfer. The event is May 3rd, and will be in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park from 9am until noon.

Participants will meet one on one to discuss their vision for the land, and how to keep it in agriculture. Experts from Northeast Ohio will be in attendance to meet with owners and seekers to address topics such as business planning, start-up capital, estate planning, marketing and more. This event is will help individuals find answers to their particular challenge in keeping land in active agriculture in our region.

Free for registered FarmLink participants. To register, get more information or to RSVP by April 28, call Chris Norman at 330-657-2529 or email him here.

Location(s)

City Fresh Mondays, a monthly gathering of folks that want to learn, dialogue, and collaborate around issues of food, health, community development, and the environment. Hosted by the New Agrarian Center and the Great Lakes Brewing Company.

This month's topic : Food Systems and Climate Change

Facilitators: David Benzing, Professor of Biology, Oberlin College, and Joe Logan, President of Ohio Farmers Union

Description: Over the past couple of months, we have seen an alarming growth of food access issues globally. At the core of rising food prices are rising fuel prices and changes in climate that have produced difficult growing conditions in some parts of the world. How will a transition to a post-carbon economy affect our approach to food systems? Can local food systems provide a proactive response to climate change? What are some of the dynamics of climate change and what might climate models suggest about impacts on food systems in Northeast Ohio? How can farmers provide a proactive role in growing materials for renewable energy or sequestering atmospheric carbon.

Location(s)

Land use working group meeting of the Cleveland Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition.

Location(s)

Cleveland Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition meeting -- In this month's meeting we will have the opportunity to hear from Steering Committee members about their ideas for strengthening the local food system and the challenges they've identified through their work in the community. There will be presentations by:

• Joe Cimperman, Cleveland City Council, Ward 13
• Patricia Britt, Clerk of Council
• Jennifer Scofield, Deputy Commissioner of Public Health, CDPH
• David Beach, Director of the GreenCityBlueLake Institute at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Following the presentation by the Steering Committee, the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission will present their analyses of food deserts and fast food outlets in Cuyahoga County.

Maybe people have heard too many stories about polluted food from China or about animals being tortured by industrial agriculture in the U.S. Maybe people are concerned about the carbon footprint of food being imported from thousands of miles around the world to their plate. Or maybe they just want to buy food from trusted sources in their own community.

Whatever the reason, millions of consumers are seeking local and/or organic food. The New York Times reported recently that this demand is making it more profitable to start small-scale farms near cities to supply fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy items, and other high-value crops. Young college graduates are forsaking white-collar careers and donning overalls to be a part of this alternative food system.

In Northeast Ohio, here are some signs of a new food system:

How do we redeploy vacant land in the city, put it back into productive use? Given the realities of decades of population decline in Cleveland's urban core, what are the best tracts of land available for agriculture? An urban agricultural economy is one possibility of drawing investment and population back into the city.

Location(s)

Organized by a coalition of local sustainable food organizations, the congress will foster a culture of collaboration between urban and rural stakeholders concerning economic development and local food systems. Topic areas will include: 

• Community Food Assessment
• Land Use
• Health and Nutrition
• Institutional Buying
• Food and Nutrient Waste Recovery
• Rural and Urban Interface
• Local production for local demand
• Infrastructure and production economic clusters for local food systems
• Entrepreneurs for Local Food Equity 
• Local Food Systems Planning

To get involved in the planning for this event, contact the Cuyahoga Countryside Conservancy.