The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique
opportunities and pressures for local food systems. The
current situation has demonstrated how critical these
systems are, as well as exposing weaknesses that make
them vulnerable. The North & Eastern Ontario Local Food Virtual Conference provides an opportunity for people to share their experiences and provide diverse perspectives on local food.
About this event:
The virtual conference consists of four free sessions, taking place every Wednesday starting March 10, from 10am – 12pm. The goal of these sessions is to explore the hard-won lessons learned from the pandemic that can help strengthen local food businesses and organizations.
Dr. Evan Fraser (pictured left) will kick off the series on March 10th. Dr. Fraser is a professor of geography and is the Director of the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph. A passionate communicator, he has written for the Globe and Mail, the Guardian.com, CNN.com, and ForeignAffairs.com about food and food insecurity.
Conference Overview:
This month long virtual conference will cover topics such as agri-tourism, aquaculture and aquaponics, greenhouse production, and will also feature chef-led lunches.
- Session 1 – March 10: Local Food More than Ever: Harvesting the
Lessons of COVID-19 - Session 2 – March 17: Navigating Agri-Tourism During a Pandemic With a Chef-Led ‘Taste of the North’ participatory
lunch at noon - Session 3 – March 24: Surviving and Thriving: The Resilience of
Local Food - Session 4 – March 31: Innovations in the Local Food Frontier:
Greenhouse, Vertical Farming, Aquaculture, Aquaponics
With a Chef-Led ‘Taste of Renfrew County’ participatory
lunch at noon
The virtual conference will be hosted by the County of Renfrew and the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance, and is brought to you with the collaboration of OMAFRA.
If you are interested in this no-cost event, please visit the North and Eastern Ontario Local Virtual Food Conference website to register!
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