Northeast Indiana Local Food Forum & Expo

Purdue University Fort Wayne,Fort Wayne IN 46815

20 September, 2021

Description

Connect with local farmers, chefs, educators, leaders & advocates as we come together to learn, share ideas & grow our local food community. Join us for the 2021 Northeast Indiana Local Food Forum & Expo All are welcome! Connect with local farmers, food producers, chefs, educators, community leaders, advocates for community health and sustainability and local consumers, as we come together to learn, share ideas and grow our local food community. We are excited to come together again in person for this day-long educational and networking event. The pandemic has created significant challenges for our local food community, and our new registration pricing is meant to meet each person where they are. Together, we will explore ways we can collaborate to build a resilient and equitable local food economy in both urban and rural communities across Northeast Indiana. The 2021 Local Food Forum & Expo is returning to Purdue University Fort Wayne. This year we have rented additional rooms, so the event will span across two (2) ballrooms and three (3) large classrooms in the Walb Union to allow ample space for our attendees and exhibitors. Purdue University Fort Wayne’s campus public health policies for the 2021 Fall Semester are being finalized. We will abide by all campus policies in place on September 20. As the situation evolves, so will our approach to keeping you safe. We thank you for your patience and flexibility as we manage this and ask that you check back here and on our website (NEIfood.org) for updates. Our Keynote: Lela Nargi - Food System Journalist & Author Lela Nargi is a veteran freelance journalist covering the food system, social justice issues, and science for The Guardian, Civil Eats, City Monitor, JSTOR Daily, Sierra,  and Ensia, and many other outlets; she’s also a contributing writer for The Counter. Her work has been recognized by The Aspen Institute and the Society for Environmental Journalists. She is the recipient of a Fromson Fellowship (2019), in which she explored technological agricultural advances in Israel’s Negev. She’s also the author of science books for kids, on topics such as honeybees, space, volcanoes, dinosaurs, and the history of flight. You can find her at lelanargi.com and @LelaNargi; her clips are available on https://lelanargi.contently.com/. See Lela Nargi's full bio at NEIfood.org. Our Breakout Sessions: During morning and afternoon Breakout Sessions, participants will have the opportunities to learn and interact with local experts. Program topics for 2021 include: Farm-to-School, Seed Saving, Soil Health, Advice for new Local Food Entrepreneurs, Food & the City, Local Food & Nutrition Incentive Programs, and Climate Change & Local Food System. Watch for complete details soon at NEIfood.org. Local Food Expo: Visit 40+ exhibitors from local food businesses, farms and food and farming-focused organizations from across Northeast Indiana in our expanded and spacious Expo venue. Find new opportunities to grow your business, network with potential new partners and learn ways to get involved with our local food community. During the Local Food Social Hour (4-6pm) attendees will explore the Expo and enjoy light refreshments and a cash bar. Local Food Poster Session: NEW for 2021! Share information about your local food program, project or research that relates to our local food system and ways to help it grow and be more sustainable. Our informal poster session will include poster presentations by local students, organizations and community groups. Read Poster Session Guidelines and Apply to Present your Poster to share your work with our Local Food Forum & Expo attendees. Sign up to volunteer and receive FREE registration We're looking for volunteers to help the Local Food Forum & Expo run smoothly. Please consider volunteering your time to help set up, clean up or organize programs throughout the day. Review the list of our Volunteer opportunities and indicate the times you are willing to help. Those who sign up for TWO (2) or more shifts to volunteer will be emailed a Promo Code to receive FREE Registration to the Local Food Forum, as long as volunteer slots are available. Your help is greatly appreciated! Your registration supports our local food producers! We contribute $5.00 from EACH paid Local Food Forum & Expo Registration to the Northeast Indiana Local Food Scholarship Fund. These scholarships help our local food producers get the training and networking opportunities they need to help their businesses grow and thrive. Winners of our 2019 and 2020 Local Food Scholarships will share their stories at this year's Forum. Be a part of the Local Food Expo! Register to be a Local Food Expo Exhibitor. Take advantage of this opportunity to connect with 200+ consumers, wholesale food buyers, farmers, food producers and other local food enthusiasts! Register now to reserve a booth for your farm, restaurant, market, business, or organization. PLEASE NOTE: Due to Purdue University rules, Expo Exhibitors are NOT allowed to sell any products during the Local Food Expo. However, Expo Exhibitors are welcome to sample products and share information on where products may be purchased. All food sampling must follow public safety guidelines in effect on September 20. Become a Local Food Week Sponsor! The 2021 Local Food Forum & Expo is now part of our region’s Local Food Week celebration. Our Event Sponsors not only receive valuable benefits and recognition during Forum & Expo, but throughout the 9-days of regional Local Food Week events. Local Food Week Sponsors receive a Complimentary Local Food Expo Exhibitor Table. We offer three sponsorship levels and also welcome in-kind donations. Learn more about Local Food Week Sponsorship at NEIfood.org. Deadline to receive Sponsorship recognition is August 22. Local Food Forum & Expo Event Schedule 7:30 AM: Expo Exhibitor Registration & Set-up 8:00 AM: Attendee Registration & Visit Local Food Expo 9:00 AM: Welcome & Opening Remarks 9:30 AM: Keynote Conversation with Q&A 10:30 AM: Local Food Scholarship Awardees share their stories 11:15 AM: Morning Breakout Sessions 12:30 PM: Delicious Local Food Lunch with seating in both ballrooms 1:30 PM: Visit Poster Session & Local Food Expo 2:45 PM: Afternoon Breakout Sessions 4:00 PM: Local Food Expo and Social Hour 6:00 PM: Adjourn Complete programming details available soon at NEIfood.org Event Registration Options We recognize that the past 18 months have been very challenging, and that some members of our local food community continue to struggle financially. We are offering half-priced registrations for both individual attendees, and farms, businesses and organizations that would like to be Expo Exhibitors, as a way to create opportunities, and encourage collaboration across our entire local food community. All registrations offer the same access to the Local Food Forum & Expo. We ask that you contribute as much as you are able, so that everyone who wants to attend the event is able to do so. If you are able, we welcome your donation to the Northeast Indiana Local Food Network to support this event and to help make the Local Food Forum & Expo more accessible to all members of our local food community. Registration for the Local Food Forum & Expo is LIMITED and will close when capacity limits are reached. We anticipate that Expo Exhibitor Registration will likely fill up quickly. Remember our Local Food Week Sponsorship benefits include a Complimentary Local Food Expo Exhibitor Table. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors we are able to host this annual educational and networking event for our entire local food community. We greatly appreciate your support! Parking FREE parking is available in the P2 Parking Garage adjacent to the Walb Union on the Purdue University Fort Wayne campus. Locally-sourced Lunch & Refreshments We source all the ingredients for the Local Food Forum & Expo as locally as possible. The morning refreshments, Local Food Lunch and social hour refreshments will include options for those who eat gluten-free and vegan diets. For more about the Northeast Indiana Local Food Forum, check out our FAQ's below or visit NEIfood.org. Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ's 1.) How can I contact the organizer with any questions? Email your question to Janet Katz, Founding Director of the Northeast Indiana Local Food Network at [email protected] or call (260)241-2260. 2.) What's the refund policy? The safety of our attendees is our top priority. The planning committee is closely monitoring updates from the CDC and Purdue University and the Local Food Forum & Expo will follow safety guidelines accordingly. If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, if you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks, or if you no longer feel comfortable attending a public event, we are happy to refund your registration. Contact Janet Katz at [email protected] or call (260)241-2260. 3.) Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event? Please bring your printed ticket or use the Eventbrite app, so we can verify your registration, if needed. 4.) Can I update my registration information? Yes, you can update your registration information up until 48 hours prior to the start of the Local Food Forum & Expo. 5.) What can I expect as a Local Food Expo Exhibitor? Local Food Expo Exhibitors are typically 1) Local businesses, academic institutions, organizations and community groups who provides services or goods to local farmer, food entrepreneurs and consumers and who seek to share information with Local Food Forum attendees, OR 2) Local farms, food producers, markets or restaurants who are looking to connect with local consumers, food buyers and others from across the region who are interested in local food. Due to Purdue University rules, Expo Exhibitors are NOT ALLOWED TO SELL any products during the Local Food Expo. However, Expo Exhibitors are welcome to SAMPLE PRODUCTS and share information on where products may be purchased. Local Food Expo Exhibitor Registration includes: ONE 6 ft table during Local Food Expo between 8am to 6pm Exhibitor booth set-up begins at 7:30am. All booths should be ready for visitors by 8:00am. All booths must be fully torn down by 7:00pm Event Registration for ONE attendee. The Northeast Indiana Local Food Network retains the right to refuse any exhibitor or vendor who, in the opinion of our Board of Directors, does not align with the mission of our organization. We need to stress that NO PRODUCTS CONTAINING ALCOHOL may be sampled at Expo Exhibitor booths, as Purdue University only permits the designated bartender for the event to serve alcoholic beverages. 6.) What equipment is provided with each Expo Exhibitor booth? Each booth includes one six-foot table and two chairs. Access to electricity is available, but limited. We will attempt to accommodate all requests for access to electricity, but it is not guaranteed. 7.) Do you offer a Group Registration discount? Yes, we offer group discounts. Please ask your group leader to email [email protected] for details. Organizer: Northeast Indiana Local Food Network The Northeast Indiana Local Food Network works to promote the demand for local food and support local food entrepreneurship across our region. Our mission is to support the growth of a vibrant local food marketplace across Northeast Indiana, by increasing the visibility and economic opportunities for our region’s local food producers and businesses, so they can expand their sales both locally and beyond. The Northeast Indiana Local Food Network works to promote the demand for local food and support local food entrepreneurship across our region. Our mission is to support the growth of a vibrant local food marketplace across Northeast Indiana, by increasing the visibility and economic opportunities for our region’s local food producers and businesses, so they can expand their sales both locally and beyond.