We share it, grow it, eat it and celebrate it in our traditions. Food is the foundation of our lives.
So what can we do to ensure there is diversity in our food and that we will have access to it in the future?
Join us for lunch and conversation with local food experts to learn about how to make local agriculture and community and home gardening part of your life. We will learn about seeds, community gardens and local agriculture, as well as what we can do to keep our food diverse. Garden seeds from Arizona State University's seed library will also be available.
After the panel discussion, attendees will break into smaller groups to explore the needs and demands of supporting a local food system.
Panelists include:
Kenny Barrett, owner and manager of the Roosevelt Growhouse. He will discuss his work to bring urban agriculture to downtown Phoenix. Through the Roosevelt Growhouse, he has created gardens and community in the most unlikely places.
Netra Chhetri, ASU's School of Sustainability, School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Food Systems Transformation Initiative.
His expertise lies in the area of climate adaptation, energy and water, agriculture and food security, vulnerability assessment, grassroots innovation, participatory development and citizen engagement. A common thread of his scholarship sits in the nexus of science and society and the scope of his work is by its nature both local and global.
Melissa Kruse-Peeples, education and outreach coordinator with the Native Seeds/SEARCH.
Peeples received her doctorate from ASU in anthropology from the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. She will talk about her work and the mission of the NSS to provide new life for ancient crops through the cultivation and sharing of native seeds.
Christopher Wharton, ASU's School of Nutrition and Health Promotion and Food Systems Transformation Initiative.
Wharton's research focuses on connecting locally and regionally produced foods with those who need it the most. Focusing on improving healthy food access for underserved populations, students in his lab work with farmers, farmers' markets, community-supported agriculture programs and food hubs to identify effective, efficient and sustainable models for healthy food distribution.
This event is sponsored by ASU Library, School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Defend our Future.
