One of the Foremost Food System Analysts in U.S. to Present Findings about Local Foods Potential to Build Wealth & Health in North Alabama

Every year Alabamians spend billions of dollars on food. What we eat directly impacts our health. It also has the potential to improve our economy and support jobs at each phase of the food system. This means jobs on farms, in vegetable and meat processing facilities, creameries, breed stock operations, equipment dealers, distribution centers, groceries, restaurants, plus feed, seed and compost suppliers.

To gauge the economic potential of locally grown food, the Food Bank of North Alabama commissioned the North Alabama Local Farm and Food Economy study from a national expert Ken Meter of Crossroads Resource Center. 

Meter will present the results of this study at a public presentation.

Local Foods: Potential to Build Wealth & Health in Alabama

Presentation by Ken Meter

6:00 PM

Thursday, February 16^th, 2012

Huntsville City Council Chambers

308 Fountain Circle, Huntsville, AL 35801

For questions, call             256-655-8585       or email kstrickland@fbofna.org

Meter has performed studies of local food economies in 78 regions across 30 states.  He is considered one of the foremost food system analysts in the U.S.

Highlights of the North Alabama Local Farm and Food Economy illustrate the potential to turn outflows of wealth from our economy into significant gains.

• North Alabama consumers spend $2.4 billion buying food each year – of which approximately $2.2 billion is sourced outside the region. 
• Medical costs for treating diet-related diseases like diabetes and related conditions in North Alabama are estimated at $594 million per year.

This represents a significant turnaround opportunity to improve health outcomes and retain wealth in our region through local foods.

This free presentation is a community-wide opportunity to explore local foods as a catalyst for health and wealth creation in north Alabama.

The event is hosted by the Food Bank of North Alabama, Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries, Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments & theNorth Alabama Food Policy Council Steering Committee.

FAT, SICK, & NEARLY DEAD movie and juice demonstration

11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.-January 7, 2012
The Arbor
Members $15, Non-Member $20

3,000 miles. 60 days of juice. Countless lives changed.

FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD (featured on E! News, The Doctors, Vogue, Newsweek, Huffington Post, etc.) has inspired individuals and communities across the country to take control of their health.  JOIN the growing community of people making the choice to eat more fruits and vegetables, and MOTIVATE the people around you.

ABOUT THE FILM

Overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross was at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. With doctors and conventional medicine unable to help, Joe traded in junk food and hit the road with a juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe had one goal in mind: to get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle. What emerges is nothing short of amazing—an inspiring tale of healing and human connection.

ABOUT THE MOVEMENT

Reboot Your Life was launched in response to the message of the film; its mission is to help people change their eating habits by simply adding more fruits and vegetables into their diets. The Reboot provides people with the community and the customizable nutrition programs necessary to follow Joe’s example and to affect change in THEIR OWN lives. These are realistic plans that take into account that we are all human, we all have busy lives and stresses, and we are all just going to do the best we can. Everyone has the ability to make a change. You can Reboot Your Life in the name of health and vitality. We can help you get there!

This program is good for both weight loss and your autoimmune system! Juicing demonstration to follow the 97 minute screening with all produce donated by Earth Fare!  To save your spot register below. For more information, contact nhogan@hsvbg.org.

North AL Food Policy Council Meeting

Urgent! With so much at stake and so little time left to have our say on the FARM BILL (also known as  our "Food Bill"), we have added a special event to our program on Tuesday, Nov. 15th–

A Citizen’s Guide to The Farm Bill 

6:15 PM on November 15th, 2011

320 Fountain Circle

City of Huntsville Engineering Building

After our talk at 5 PM entitled, “Water: Alabama’s Competitive Edge for Food and Farmers?” we are hosting a special session on how we can stand up for family farmers and healthier food choices for all.

The Farm Bill is only passed every 5 to 7 years. This single piece of legislation greatly affects what we and our children eat! 

Grab the shopping cart before it is too late! This quick video shows what we mean ~ http://www.parentearth.com/take-action/parents-stand-up-for-healthy-food-psa/

Eat, Learn, & Act!

Refreshments by Local Chef Will 

Please Spread the Word!

We are postponing our regularly scheduled steering committee meeting to host this important session.

A full Schedule is Below

5:00 PM ~ Water: Alabama’s Competitive Edge for Food & Farming? 

6:00 PM ~ Refreshments by Chef Will

6:15 PM ~ A Citizen’s Guide to The Farm Bill

 November 15th, 2011
320 Fountain Circle
City of Huntsville Engineering Building
--------------------------------------------- 
Water: Alabama’s Competitive
Edge for Food & Farming?
 

As western aquifers diminish, our water resources may give Alabama farmers a competitive edge.  The North Alabama Food Policy Council Steering Committee invites you to hear the latest research on sustainable irrigation techniques.   Cameron Handyside of UAH’s Earth System Science Center will give this free talk on November 15^th, 2011 at 5 pm at the City of Huntsville Engineering Building, 320 Fountain Circle. A brief meeting will follow the discussion. All are welcome.

Irrigation farming has been used for centuries to overcome dry climates and increase food production – particularly in the American west. In Colorado, California and other western locales, we built dams, dug reservoirs and constructed canal systems to channel water to farms from far away rivers. Dependable, adequate irrigation water allowed western farmers to produce crops consistently year after year.  As a result of this success, farm production shifted from eastern, rain-fed farms to western, irrigated deserts. 

This type of irrigation, however, comes with costs.  Large scale agriculture coupled with rapidly expanding urban areas like Los Angeles strain the water supply to critical points.  At our current pace, the Ogallala, a key western aquifer, will be depleted in 15 to 50 years. This type of irrigation also leaches salt and other contaminants into the ground, reducing crop production and slowly poisoning the soil.  In California, for example, growers have foregone over 100,000 acres of prime farmland due to salinization. All of this is occurring while the southeast loses its farming base. 

Unable to compete with the low prices western farmers charge for row crops; many eastern farmers have converted land to pasture, timber or sold out completely.  In Alabama, small-scale, sustainable irrigation techniques may preserve key riparian habitat and make Alabama farmers more competitive – particularly during drought conditions.

For more information about this workshop or about future installments in the series, please call 256.655.8585 or emailnafoodpol@gmail.com.

The North Alabama Food Policy Council Steering Committee is a coalition of citizens dedicated to the development of a chartered Food Policy Council in North Alabama to support a more locally-based, sustainable and self-reliant food system accessible to all. www.nafoodpolicycouncil.org.

Transition Town . . . Are You Interested?

Have you heard of Transition Town?   For a quick overview try the Wikipedia entry and follow the links if you'd like more information.  Here in Huntsville, Michele Sneed of The Farmhouse is gathering people who are interested in all aspects of the Transition movement.  I went to a "mulling" meeting last night to listen to conversations begun a few weeks ago about starting a group here in Huntsville.   They've set up a blog at TransitionHuntsville to get things rolling. 
     There are no hard and fast 'rules' for being part of Transition, the movement is very grassroots and local in focus and development.  Right now the group is thinking about how to express the Huntsville idea of transition.  Brainstorming a bit, we tossed around

Resilience, Local Solutions, Sustainability, Healthy Food, Community Building, Strengthening Neighborhood Relationships, Sharing Wisdom, Scalability, Preparedness, Skills Sharing, Connectedness, Regeneration/Regenerative

    Lots of great ideas and thoughtful discussion on what this all means in the 'culture' of Huntsville.  We have so many great engineers and artists and writers, from all continents and viewpoints, so many established and brand new subdivisions and neighborhoods, I look forward to seeing how Huntsville 'transitions' into the future!

By Shannon McBride

Green Drinks joins with Food Policy Council this month to talk about food.

This month, Green Drinks, a monthly meeting of environmentally friendly people, will combine with the Food Policy Council in their mission to promote clean, healthy, high quality food in our area.
Join us at the Casa Garden Pavilion (adjacent to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens)
4747 Bob Wallace Ave. Huntsville, Al.  35805

Education Committee member Nicole Castle will speak to you about the Food Policy Councils mission and their first campaign “Buy Local”. 

Local food samples will be provided and soda will be made on-site with the environmentally friendly Penguin Soda Maker.   You are welcome to bring beer or wine to this event.

About Green Drinks

Huntsville Green Drinks is an organization for those interested in sustainable living. They meet monthly to share their interest and expertise with like-minded individuals, and help to build a community movement where ideas and knowledge can be freely grown and shared.

Their stated purpose is to provide a venue and opportunity for individuals to informally network and learn about the many green happenings in the Madison County community.  Individuals should feel free to drop by as their schedule permits and stay for as long as they desire.  Meetings are often but not always at local restaurants. Eating and drinking are optional.  Come learn about various topics such as green building, eating locally, environmental education efforts in local schools, local green businesses, etc.

Learn more about the local node or Green Drinks around the world at these sites:

http://www.greendrinks.org/AL/Huntsville

http://www.greendrinks.org/