Bioneers Conference Starts Friday
The local food scene will get a lot of play at this week's Great Lakes Bioneers Conference, scheduled for October 19-21 at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City. From keynotes to workshops, the event is billed as a gathering of people inspired by getting "deep into the local."
Friday morning's keynote address will be given by Marty Heller on Recreating a Local Food Culture. Heller is an organic vegetable farmer in Leelanau County, moving here after bicycling with his partner Michelle Ferrarese to 31 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms across the state. Heller has a PhD in Chemical Engineering, was cited in Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, and has worked for the CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at MSU.
Heller will move from behind the podium of Milliken Auditorium to the kitchens of NMC offering a hands-on workshop with Bioneers Food Coordinator and fifth-generation farmer, Todd Springer, on How to Eat Like a Bioneer Year-Round. They'll explore what it would take to feed ourselves and our communities with local, nutrient-dense, eco-consious foods throughout the year. Working with chefs from around the region (including those from Trattoria Stella, Kejara's Bridge, and Patisserie Amie), they'll use the freshest ingredients to create an Epicurean Potluck for ticket holders. Ingredients are purchased from local farmers and producers like Ware Farm and Pleasanton Bakery.
On Saturday morning, the workshop Fresh Food, Good Health, Strong Communities will explore opportunities to connect people to fresh local farm foods for good health. Leading the workshop are Diane Conners, coordinator of the Entrepreneurial Agriculture Project of the Michigan Land Use Institute; Flora Biancalana, Traverse City physician and partner in the Fresh Food Partnership; and Elizabeth Kushman, community health coordinator for Munson Healthcare.
Sunday, you'll have a chance to learn the fundamentals of home canning in a workshop with Timothy Young, founder of Food for Thought.
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