Food Forum
REGISTER ONLINE HERE: REGISTER FOR FOOD FORUM 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
The Pioneer Center
501 NE Washington St, White Salmon, WA
Gorge Grown’s Food Forum is an opportunity for Gorge residents, farmers, and decision-makers to come together and learn more about food and farm issues in the region, and to build skills and make local connections.
Our vision: 20% of what local residents eat will come from local sources by 2020. Just 20% by 2020. What would that look like? How can we get there? It will mean: thriving farms and ranches, home and community gardens on every block, pantries and freezers full of local bounty, and ample opportunities for everyone to access and enjoy local food, no matter their income or where they live.
- LEARN about our local food system - through a plenary and panel of local farmers and experts.
- DEVELOP your food skills - through hands-on workshops in beekeeping, backyard poultry, veggie gardening 101, and more!
- PARTICIPATE in 20x2020 and connect with your neighbors – what actions can you, your family, and your community take?
Residents from Oregon and Washington are encouraged to attend, as topics will cover issues relevant to all Gorge-area counties: Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat, and Skamania.
This event is FREE!
Pre-registration is strongly encouraged and will guarantee your attendance. Lunch (vegetarian and vegan options included) will be available for $10 (pre-registration requested).
REGISTER ONLINE HERE: REGISTER FOR FOOD FORUM 2011
EVENT SCHEDULE (More detailed information coming soon)
- 8:30 am : Doors open!
- 9:00 - 9:50 am : Opening general session: a 20% x 2020 update
- 9:50 - 10: 00 am : Break
- 10:00 - 11:15 am : Choose one workshop or discussion group to attend.
- 11:15 - 11:45 am : Food & Farm Expo and Networking Session
- 11:45 - 1:30 pm : Lunch and Luncheon Panel
- 1:30 - 2:30 pm : Afternoon Workshops and Networking by Community
- 2:30 - 3:00 pm : Networking Wrap-up and Action Planning
1. More than you can eat: how to sell and share your bounty
Learn and share avenues for becoming an integrated member of the food supply network in the Gorge, including farmers' markets, restaurants, food banks, and more.
2. Raw Milk and Kefir Making
Learn about the value of raw milk and kefir and demo the easy preparation of kefir. There will be kefir and raw milk available for sampling.
3. Drip Irrigation
We will discuss the proper use and maintenance of a complete drip system from water source to garden, including a hands-on activity covering the use of the fittings and tubing for these systems.
4. Basic Veggie Gardening in All Seasons
This session will cover the basics of starting a vegetable garden and how to extend your growing seasons, with a small collection of gardening equipment for you to examine.
5. Getting the Word Out - Educating and Encouraging Others
This session is a group brainstorm to come up with interesting ways to get people to think about eating local whether it be a contest to create the tastiest local appetizer, a game of mono-crop tag, or great phrases to put on bumper stickers & t-shirts.
6. Health and Local Eating
Learn how eating locally and growing your own foods can have positive impacts on your personal health and provide you with food that has higher nutritional quality.
7. Kitchen & Knife Basics
Learn from a local chef basic kitchen skills to save you time and money at home and help you create a safe, efficient and fun cooking experience in your own kitchen.
8. Food Preservation 101
Know what you need to preserve food through drying, freezing and canning at home before you have a kitchen full of fresh produce.
Afternoon – 1:30 – 2:30
1. Beekeeping for Beginners
Learn the basics of establishing and caring for a hive of bees. There will be lots of beekeeping equipment on hand for examining and a discussion of best practices for honey production.
2. Composting at Home
To help you get the most out of your gardening efforts through composting, we will cover traditional and "new" methods of composting briefly through models, and cover the easy details and benefits of redworm composting; featuring a special guest appearance of our Gorge-famous Redworm Herd. Hands on, optional.
3. Backyard Chickens
Learn the basics of raising poultry from chicks to table, including breed selection, hatching your own chicks and raising healthy chickens in your own backyard.
4. Integrated Pest Management for Home and Farm
Learn how to manage pests and plant diseases in your garden through a variety of methods that work with the natural cycles and balance in the natural systems.
5. Networking and Making Connections by Community
We'll have facilitated breakout sessions by community and county where you can meet, connect with, and brainstorm food- and farm-related ideas, opportunities, and challenges in your neighborhood!
