The World on Your Plate Coalition presented the Fifth Annual World on Your Plate Food Forum on Friday, Oct. 10, and Saturday, Oct. 11, at Daemen College's Wick Campus Center, 4380 Main St., Amherst, NY.

Driving directions to Daemen College

The keynote address considered "Climate Change and World Hunger"

Our keynote speaker was Walter Simpson, an energy and environmental professional. He and his wife, Nan, a Registered Nurse and health/wellness advocate, have been vegetarians for thirty years. Walter has trained directly under Al Gore, and is a co-founder of the WNY Sustainable Energy Association, WNY Climate Action Coalition and Animal Right Advocates of WNY. He is a former staff member of the WNY Peace Center.

  Recent newspaper article about Nan and WalterSimpson

 Please note: The printed promotional materials for this year's Food Forum say that the keynote speaker was to be author/activist Derrick Jensen. Serious concerns about his ability to travel, given chronic health concerns, brought a late change in our common plans. We regret the confusion.

The 2nd Annual Youth Conference - Eat Up, ran concurrently with the Food Forum.

Read more about the Eat Up conference

Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. we screened the DVD King Corn and have a discussion after, for teens and adults.

This was the Saturday schedule for the Food Forum:

8:00am - doors open for set-up
8:30am - 1:00pm  - registration
9:15am - 10:15am - first session workshops
10:30am - 11:30am - second session workshops
11:45am - 12:45pm - lunch
1:00pm - 3:00m - keynote address
3:15pm - 4:15pm - third session workshops

  Workshop topics included:

• "A Variety of Lacto-Fermented Sauerkrauts" (Mike & Gayle Thorpe)
• "Food not Bombs" (Piret-Douglas)
• "The Buzz About Bees" (Geri Hens)
• "Green Roofs" (Eric Fox)
• "Vermiculture"(Janny Hammer)
• "Rain Garden" (Brenda Young)
• "Talking Stick Circle" (Peaceweavers)
• "Raising Chickens at Home" ( Robin & Bryce Shipman)
• "Garlic!" (Seth Wochensky)
• "The 2,000-lb Steer in the Room" (Nan & Walter Simpson)
• "The Evolving CSA Experience" (Bess Porter-Johnson)
• "Food and Peace" (Elea Mihou)
• "Naked Chocolate" (Jordana Geist)
• "School Lunches" (Kathy Christopher)
• "Safe Lawns and Turf" (Tim Vanini)
• "Increasing Personal and Planetary Health" (Peaceweavers)
• "Women Agriculturists/Three Sisters Gardeners"(Nancy Johnson)
• "Strawbale Construction" (Dave Lanfear)
• "Raw Foods, Veganism and the Environment" (Turiya Mistretta)
• "Medicinal Herbs" (Jackie Swift)
• "Genetically Engineered Foods" (Eveline Hartz)
• "Local Eating" (Jon & Cathy Rieley-Goddard)
• "Solar & Alternative Energies", (Joan Bozer)
• TBA - Greg Swartz (NOFANY)
• "Fair Trade for a Fair World" - Kim Burg (Ten Thousand Villages)
• "The Great Lakes Compact: New Protections from Water Diversion" (Jennifer Nalbone
• "Nutritional Organic Agriculture" (Stew and Deb Ritchie, Native Offerings)
• "What's for Dinner: The Case for a Regionalized Organic Food System" (Greg Swartz)