Deadline: 18-Nov-22
Are you working to make positive changes in farm to institution and the food system? Do you have a story to tell, ideas or impact to share, collaborations to propose or advance? The Farm to Institution New England (FINE) wants to hear from YOU!
Overarching Objectives
- Get more values-based food sourced and served at institutions in the region. Share stories, information, tools, resources, ideas, and challenges that highlight the people involved in farm to institution and their food system, and that address the intersectionality of the issues they are working to address.
- Center diversity, equity, and inclusion in their work. Name and address inequality and racism within farm to institution efforts and their regional food system through education, discussions, and actions.
- Center climate resilience in their work. Examine the urgent issues of climate change and resilience with a farm to institution lens.
- Expand their network. Create a welcoming space that fosters connection and collaboration during and after the summit.
- Grow individual and collective impact. Align the network around common regional goals in order to generate collective impact and lasting change.
- Celebrate one another and their work. Celebrate the people that are shaping and changing our food system and farm to institution value chains, and nourish the network for the work ahead.
Theme
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CommUNITY Powers the Food System
- This year’s theme will highlight the humanity in their farm to institution work. They want to honor, understand, and build connections between the people who power our food system. It is through the power of people – their ideas, efforts, and collaborations – that they will address urgent issues like climate change, wealth inequality, and racism. They recognize the impact of the institutional sector on the food system, in procurement, investment, research, education and care. And they recognize the important roles they each play in building a more just, equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system for all.
Audience
Since the first gathering in 2015, the Northeast Farm to Institution Summit has become a seminal event for people working to transform their regional food system in partnership with schools, hospitals, colleges, correctional facilities, and other institutions. More than 500 participants typically attend, including but not limited to; food service operators, producers, supply chain businesses, advocates, public officials, educators, and students. They are intentionally working to welcome Black, Indigenous, and people of color, middle of the supply chain actors, community colleges, and their neighbors and collaborators in New York and across the country. Since this year's summit is a hybrid event, they recognize that the virtual component may bring in more people from a wide array of geographic locations and backgrounds, and that the in-person event will be smaller than previous years due to space and safety considerations.
Criteria
- The summit program will include a balance of sessions for all sectors and levels of expertise, and will feature a diversity of presenters and ideas. Their goal is to create a vibrant, engaging program that meets the objectives outlined above. They seek proposals that center the people within the systems they are trying to change, tackle the systemic and emerging food system challenges, and share solutions and ideas within the farm to institution movement.
- The virtual component of the summit will help attendees learn and share information about current farm to institution efforts. The field trips will provide opportunities to connect in person and learn more about different parts of their food system. When they come together in person on the final day of the conference they will build on the shared energy, learning, and relationship-building of the previous days and delve into action-oriented sessions. They hope all will leave with new or more robust collaborations and excitement for the work ahead.
For more information, visit FINE.
For more information, visit https://www.f2isummit.org/proposals