Opportunities for Action: An Urban Agriculture Symposium
Dear Urban Aggies and Friends of Urban Agriculture, Municipal planners, Community and Backyard Gardeners, Environmentalists, Business entrepreneurs, Student’s, Academics, Social innovators, Government officials, Farmers, engaged citizens and local food supporters;
On Friday November 20th 2009 Backyard Bounty and the University of Guelph will be hosting the first symposium on urban agriculture in Guelph. Opportunities for Action: An Urban Agriculture Symposium will bring together the movers and shakers in the Urban Agriculture scene. The Symposium aims to not only inspire action but address key issues and provide connections that enable the Urban Agriculture movement to advance.
The morning will start with a keynote presentation from Dr. Karen Landman who will inspire us with stories of her summer tour of urban agriculture projects across North America. A panel discussion will follow that brings together experience and ideas from those near and far working in the field of urban agriculture. During the afternoon participants will take part in an interactive facilitation process to identify common barriers, seek feasible solutions and set achievable actions. A local lunch and snacks will be provided.
In partnership with Guelph-Wellington Local Food Initiative, City of Guelph Healthy Landscapes project, The Organic Conference, Chris Jess and his army of Locavores. We invite you to join us!
Please register at:
Shannon Lee Stirling
Project Co-ordinator
Backyard Bounty
See below for schedule of the day’s events and rates!
Opportunities For Action: An Urban Agriculture Symposium
This Symposium has arisen out of a need to bring together and build the capacity of the Urban Agriculture movement. Those in attendance will meet with like-minded people and leaders in the field. They will share ideas and make connections with others involved in urban agriculture. The afternoon’s facilitated process, with allow for interaction between various sectors of the movement, and form a dialogue to help better understand and develop collaborative solutions.
Conference Schedule
8:30am -Registration
9am - Keynote Dr; Karen Landman will speak about her recent North American tour of Urban Agriculture Projects
10:15 - Panel –How Can We Move Urban Agriculture Forward?
Individuals from near and far will share with us there work to build the urban agriculture movement. To see who will be joining us see PRESENTER'S BIOS below!
Noon- Lunch & networking
One of the most valuable parts of a conference is the connection’s made, so we are planning a long lunch to provide room for this. We are also in the lovely arboretum setting and encourage you to enjoy walk about, you may even spot GCOUF (Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming)!
1:30- Interactive Facilitation Process
We are working with a group of students from the University of Guelph to develop an interactive facilitation process that will empower individuals to work as a team! Participants will have the chance to connect with both those that are working in similar capacities and also those with which they may share compatible goals. We will discuss our various projects, resources, experiences and methods. The aim of the process will be to seek ways we can all cooperate to meet our goals and the larger goal of seeing progress in the field of Urban Agriculture!
4:30- Closing remarks
Presenter Bio’s
Karen Landman is an Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph's School of Environmental Design & Rural Development. With a background in horticulture, landscape architecture and planning, Karen's current research interests include local food systems, urban agriculture and land stewardship.
Dr Mark Gorgolewski is a Professor and Program Director for the graduate program in building science in the Department of Architectural Science at Ryerson University. He is a Director of the Canada Green Building Council and has worked for many years as an educator, architect, researcher and environmental consultant to the construction industry in Canada and Europe. Recently he was co-curator of the exhibition Carrot City – Design for Urban Agriculture. He has also coordinated one of the winning teams in the CMHC Equilibrium Housing Competition to design a sustainable, net zero energy housing development, and is co-recipient of the 2007-2008 ACSA/AIA Housing Design Education Award.
Carrot City
Carrot City is a collection of ideas, both conceptual and realized, that use design to enable sustainable urban food production, helping to re-introduce urban agriculture to our cities. Carrot City focuses on how the need and desire to grow food within the city, to supply food from local sources, and to strengthen food security in general, are changing the nature of spaces within our towns and cities and changing the shape of buildings. This presentation considers how the design of cities, urban landscapes, buildings, and gardens can facilitate the production and processing of food in the city. It explores the role that designers can play in strengthening the links between urban environments and food, and the impact that agricultural issues have on the design of urban spaces and buildings.
Katherine Pigott has worked at Region of Waterloo Public Health since March 2000. A key part of her role has been the development of a comprehensive local food systems planning approach in Waterloo Region as Manager of the Healthy Communities and Policy Team. Katherine has over twenty years experience in community based program development, planning, and systems change that has spanned economic development, health promotion and environmental planning. Katherine is an avid cyclist, distance runner and gardener and lives in downtown Kitchener. She serves of the Board of Directors of the Association of Health Centres of Ontario and on the Steering Committee of Food Secure Canada.
Sri Sethuratnam
Sri has a master’s degree in Capacity Development and Extension from the University of Guelph. He has worked in agriculture for twenty years, as a farmer, as an agricultural engineer engaged in soil conservation, and now as a Project Manager for FarmStart.
Sri immigrated to Canada in 2004. Prior to his work with FarmStart, Sri spent a year conducting research on migration and natural resource management dynamics in his native Southern India. He is a passionate student of traditional management practices in agriculture, and a proponent of integrating traditional approaches into modern farming methods. Sri is of the opinion that traditional and indigenous methods may hold the answers to issues like environmental sustainability and climate change.
Ian Hepburn-Aley
Ian Hepburn-Aley works as FoodShare Toronto's Community Food Facilitator. In this role he builds capacity for urban agriculture projects by supporting networks such as the Toronto Community Garden Network & Toronto Urban Growers, demonstrating and teaching about innovative growing and composting practices, and animating new community food projects across Toronto. Ian has also worked with a team of growers and educators to start up and maintain a diverse non-profit urban farm called FoodCycles.
Tracey Tomlik
Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Tracey grew up with a passion to understand and interact with the natural landscape. She first graduated from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College with an Honours in Environmental Horticulture. Her concerns about how humans impact the landscape continued to lead her into receiving a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Guelph. She currently lives in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia and takes special interest in the study of Permaculture and local food issues.
Paul Winstanley
I have been fascinated by bugs and plants all of my life. I studied biology and biochemistry at university and through individual efforts. From '82 to '87 I co-operated on an Urban Farm four blocks from Victoria's City Hall eventually achieving by-law support. This was a unique experiment - we used many chickens to convert waste from local grocery stores, restaurants, gardening services, and our many regular visitors to the farm, to create large volumes of finished compost.
I have saved a large amount of the paper trail generated from this 5 year project and personal journey, which I hope will be useful for others seeking to convince their city council to allow for a replication of a similar venture.
I understand Permaculture and the importance of everyone growing a part of their food to reconnect with our roots and prepare for the future.
I aspire to live this model daily in my own life, in and out of the garden.
Rates:
Early bird before November 1st
Industry, Academic, government: $90 includes keynote
Producers and Other: $20 includes keynote
Keynote only: $10
After November 1st
Industry, Academic, government: $100
Producers and Other: $25
Final registration date Nov 13th
Symposium Fee (Circle One):
|
Early Bird Before Nov 1st |
After Nov 1st |
|
Industry, Academic, government: $90 |
Industry, Academic, government: $100 |
|
Producers and Other: $20 |
Producers and Other: $25 |
|
Keynote only $10 |
Keynote only $15 |
Final registration date Nov 13th !!!!!!!
Cheques payable to University of Guelph.
Please Mail registration and payment to:
c/o Beth Livingstone
Crop Science Building
University of Guelph
Guelph, OntarioN1G 2W1
Questions regarding registration: blivings@uoguelph.ca or 519-824-4120 ext 52783
Questions regarding symposium www.backyardbounty.ca or 519-803-2539
THANK YOU!
Download Registration Here:
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Registration_form_for_Urb_Ag_Conference_uofg.pdf | 33.5 KB |
