Source: Beth Mercer-Taylor
Sustainability Education Coordinator
The Sustainability Studies Minor at the University of Minnesota is excited to announce two programs at the Bell Museum this spring semester. They will focus on the topic of agriculture and sustainability. Both events will include panel discussions with farmers followed by interactive dialogue between the speakers and audience. In addition, the second event will include the short film A Farm for the Future. At the beginning of the events, the Museum's Hungry Planet exhibit about what people eat and where it comes from will be open. Programs are free for everyone, and the public is invited to join us! If you have any questions, feel free to email Lance Brisbois, student intern for the Minor.
Agriculture and Sustainability Panel with Minnesota Farmers
Tuesday, March 23
7:00-9:00pm
Bell Museum, University of Minnesota – Minneapolis campus
Why is sustainability important for land and for people? What is being done in Minnesota to help reduce environmental degradation? Why should we care?
Speakers: Jim Riddle, organic farmer and sustainable agriculture advocate, and other local farmers will share their stories of farming using organic and sustainable practices and tell us about the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Sustainable Alternatives to Conventional Agriculture
Thursday, April 8
7:30-9:00pm
Bell Museum, University of Minnesota – Minneapolis campus
Rural areas are experiencing significant population losses, and industrial farms are not sustainable in the long term. What can be done to revitalize rural communities and ensure environmental stewardship in farming practices?
Speakers: Kathy Draeger, Director of the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships and Big Stone County farmer; Jim Kleinschmit, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Rural Communities program.
Film: A Farm for the Future 2009. Investigates how to transform a family's farm into a low-energy farm for the future, and discovers that nature holds the key. Originally aired on the BBC's Natural World series. 50-minute run time.
[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]
Reetsyburger: Good to have come across your blog that looks at Sustainable Agriculture.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess sometimes it can be tough to consider the sustainability of each and every food item we come across, but sometimes it could be great fun and insightful too.
i think interactive programs and sessions such as the ones you have mentioned in your post are the way to go in order to arrive at a balanced framework with which we approach sustainability in agriculture. it took the world billions of years to get us here, so i guess it could thousands and thousands of such meetings to get us out of the mess we find ourselves in, but then we broke it, so we gotta fix it
NS @ Enexions - Enabling Sustainability
Ecaofonix - Thanks for reading. I think research and education play a major role in engaging the public about sustainable agriculture. Have you reviewed the SARE Grant portfolio at all? A wealth of information about sustainable ag there.
ReplyDelete