Food, Farm, and the Health of Communities: Panel at Amherst College

This event is part of the Problem Solvers Speaker Series, highlighting professionals and alumni who are engaging some of the world’s most pressing challenges through creative and innovative strategies, and exploring new models and methods for addressing social and/or environmental problems.

Food connects us all, regardless of race, income or geography. It is something with which we must all interact daily. It impacts the health of our bodies and our environment. Yet, it is increasingly understood that our current food system is not promoting public health or environmental sustainability. As interest in and demand for fresh, locally grown and produced food has been increasing all across America, local farms have been able to confer health, economic, and environmental benefits on their communities by directly connecting with their consumers and their communities.

What does this look like in practice? What does it mean to create food systems that work for diverse communities? How might diverse actors in communities – from farmers to individual consumers to large institutions – contribute to the holistic health of communities?

Featuring a roundtable discussion and breakout sessions with:

• Andrew Kendall ‘83, Executive Director of the H.P. Kendall Foundation
• Peter McLean, Book & Plow Farm
• Pierre Joseph ’15, Chair of the Student Board of Advisors for the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network
• Cynthia Espinosa Marrero, Steering Committee Member, Holyoke Community Market