INDIANAPOLIS – Former U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture Gus Schumacher, who co-founded a non-profit that works to bring fresh, local food to underserved communities, will keynote a summit on urban and local foods in Indianapolis on Friday, May 4.
“Local and Urban Foods: Breaking Barriers and Protecting Public Health” will be held from 9 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. in the Campus Center at IUPUI, 420 University Blvd.
Community gardens, urban agriculture, school-based gardens, farmers’ markets and locally grown foods are growing in popularity. Compared to conventionally grown foods, these foods are often grown with fewer agrichemicals and fuel use. Fresh, local food can carry more nutrients and help provide fresh fruits and vegetables in urban neighborhoods, where obesity and diabetes are rampant.
On the other hand, urban gardens and farmers’ markets can have implications for food safety, as well. The safety and regulatory infrastructure in place for U.S. food systems do not always apply to these alternatives. The U.S. Farm Bill is up for reauthorization in 2012, and informed citizens can have an impact on food policy both in Washington and here in Indiana.
Helping participants explore these issues will be Schumacher, who served as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1997 to 2001. He was a member of the 21st Century Sustainable Agricultural Task Force of the National Academy of Sciences. He also assisted in overseeing the preparation of the Chicago Council of Global Affairs report titled “Modernizing America’s Food and Farm Policy: Vision for a New Direction.”
Mr. Schumacher is a co-founder of Wholesome Wave, a Bridgeport, Conn.-based organization whose mission is to improve access and affordability of fresh, healthy, locally-grown produce to historically underserved communities.
Other speakers will include:
Lisa Harris, M.D., CEO and Medical Director at Wishard Hospital, talking about the health benefits of local foods and how Marion County Health & Hospital Corporation is working to increase inner city access to fresh food.
Tim Carter, Ph.D., director of the Center for Urban Ecology at Butler University, who will discuss the ecological and environmental implications of local food.
Pamela Martin, Ph.D., director of the IUPUI Center for Earth and Environmental Science, who will provide a brief primer on the history and evolution of urban agriculture.
Barbara Lewis, host of WFYI Public Radio’s “Sound Medicine,” will moderate a panel discussion on encouraging locally grown food while ensuring food safety. Panelists will include experts on food safety regulations, lead in urban soils, urban farming and community gardens.
John Krull, director of the Franklin College Pulliam School of Journalism and host of “No Limits” on WFYI, will moderate a second panel discussion on breaking barriers to using local foods in institutions such as schools and universities. Panelists will include representatives of farms, schools and the Indiana State Department of Health.
The summit is open to the public, although space is limited. Registration fee is $20, which includes free on-campus parking and lunch. Learn more at www.ikecoalition.org/Events.
