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
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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/

Panel Discussion: “Local Foods: How to Grow Our Wealth & Green Our Health”

Panel Discussion
August 27th, 2011
Noon – 1 PM, Murray Hall
as part of Green U at the Botanical Gardens

A panel of presenters will speak to: Why Eat Local? Where Can I Buy Local? What Do all these Labels Mean? What is on/in My Food & How Can I Tell? Nutrition and Local Foods. Plus there will be time for questions. Panel members are all members of the North AL Food Policy Council Steering Committee including Kathryn Strickland, Community Food Security Director, Food Bank of North Alabama; Lee McBride, Foodscapes, Inc.; Karen Wynne, Organic Farming Consultant; Rebecca Sterling, Sterling Health & Wellness, Inc.

Two complementary workshops will also be held at Green U in addition to a Farmers Market and “local food” cooking demos.

“Fall Foodscaping”

Lee McBride of Foodscapes, Inc. will discuss edible landscaping and stealth gardening

techniques for the autumn season.

9:30 AM – 10:15 AM, Murray Hall

“Clean Green Eating: Healthy Choices”

Rebecca Sterling of Sterling Health & Wellness will expand upon health, local foods and nutrition at this complementary workshop.

1:15 PM – 2 PM, Murray Hall

 The North Alabama Food Policy Council Steering Committee is a coalition of citizens dedicated to the development of a chartered Food Policy Council to aid and advocate for a locally based, self-reliant & sustainable food economy accessible to all. www.nafoodpolicycouncil.org.

Local Farmers Speak: the Opportunities and Challenges We Face

Panel Discussion 
August 16th, 2011 at 5 pm
320 Fountain Circle
City of Huntsville Engineering Building

Here’s a chance to know your farmer, know your food! The North Alabama Food Policy Council steering committee is hosting a panel of local farmers and ranchers to give a portrait of opportunities and challenges facing Alabama farmers. Panelists include:

Ed Rains, whose family farmed in Jackson County starting in the 1900’s until national agricultural policies and the S&L banking crisis impacted his family farm in the 1980’s.   

Joey Dye, whose family farms 25 acres in Madison County of vegetables ranging from purple hull crowder peas to patty pan squash. They sell directly to consumers at the Madison County Farmers Market and family-run farm stands.

Henry Fudge of Fudge Family Farms raises heritage Duroc hogs – perhaps the only ones of their type still in existence today. Fudge raises his livestock outside in open pasture and sells to esteemed Alabama chefs including Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar & Grill and James Lewis of Bettolla. He also sells to local restaurants including The Ledges and Pauli’s Bar & Grill.  

Don Spencer, is transitioning some of his land holdings – 75 acres out of commodity (corn and soy) production to local foods.  His innovative plans include operating a regional food hub, an education initiative and on-farm restaurant.  

Dairus Jacobs, whose family has been farming for over 100 years despite multiple moves due to eminent domain. The family operates a diversified farm raising grass fed Black Angus while experimenting with Indian vegetable staples and aquaculture.

A brief North Alabama Food Policy Council Steering Committee meeting will follow the panel discussion.  All are welcome.

***

The North Alabama Food Policy Council Steering Committee is a grassroots coalition of citizens dedicated to the development of a chartered Food Policy Council in North Alabama to aid and advocate for a locally-based, self-reliant & sustainable food system accessible to all. 

Help improve our local food system by joining these grassroots efforts!www.nafoodpolicycouncil.org.