Summit to talk food access, honor champions
Mark your calendars for the 11th annual Montgomery County Food Summit, ‘From Roots to Fruits: Cultivating Food Equity,’ which will be held virtually from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18.
Registration is free, but required by Tuesday, Nov. 16, at mcfoodpolicy.org.
Last year, approximately 310 people attended the virtual event. Attendees received an update on the Montgomery County Food Equity Plan, first rolled out at the 2019 Food Summit held at Sinclair College. This plan acts as a blueprint for a future with more food security and less overall food waste.
The Montgomery
County Food Equity Coalition is made up of a diverse group of partners from health care, education, local government and non-profit organizations who care about increasing equitable access to healthy, affordable food in our community.
Since 2010, Montgomery County has hosted annual Food Summits to discuss critical issues such as healthy food affordability, local farms and ecosystems, and the impact of poverty and hunger on our citizens.
Our marginalized, low-income communities experienced economic hardship and food insecurity long before COVID-19, but the pandemic has brought national attention to the tough financial decisions that so many families face to make ends meet.
According to a survey by the Center for Community Solutions, the share of households turning to food pantries and free food distribution during the pandemic nearly doubled, from 21 to 41 percent. The pandemic also affected the food industry, as restaurants and cafeterias closed down, causing a ripple effect among related industries such as food production, shipping and farming.
This year’s summit will include a wide variety of speakers on four different panel discussions focused on growing, selling, consuming and regenerating food. The panelists will share their approaches to addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. They will also share their best practices aimed at transforming the health and well-being of our community through healthy, affordable, local food access.
There are so many people who know that food security is a vital concern in our community and have been working tirelessly on the issue. The Food Summit is an opportunity to showcase some of those efforts. Participating organizations include Access to Excess, Central State University, the Foodbank, El Meson Restaurant, Eva Wells Crock Pot Cooking, Five Rivers MetroParks, Homefull Mobile Grocery, Gem City Market, Guided By Mushrooms, Montgomery County Economic Development, Produce Perks and the University of Dayton.
The recipients of the third Montgomery County Food Champion Awards will also be announced during the Nov. 18 event. If you know someone who deserves recognition for making a significant, positive impact on our local food system, please nominate that person at mcfoodpolicy.org by Friday, Oct. 29.
Past recipients include Jen Burns, Melodie Bennett, Nora Schaefer, Donna McCoy, With God’s Grace, The Foodbank, Inc., Glenna Jennings, Nicole Adkins and Neah Rainey.
Haley Carretta, food systems project manager for Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, will give a second-year update about the Food Equity Coalition’s collective impact approach. It includes groups focused on: Food Insecurity, Strong Communities, Vibrant Farms, Healthy People, Sustainable Ecosystems and a Thriving Local Economy.
Other Food Summit co-hosts include, Jeff Cooper, Health Commissioner for Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County; former Ambassador Tony Hall, Hall Hunger Institute; and Dayton City Commissioners Chris Shaw and Matt Joseph.
The Food Summit is open to anyone interested in learning more about the challenges of the local food system and the connection between food and health. Beginning at 8:15 a.m., there will be a ‘Connection Before Content’ networking opportunity hosted by Brian Raisin, of Ohio State University Extension Office. There will also be opportunities for attendees to ask questions after each panel.
Hope you will join the virtual event on Nov. 18.