New issue of Community Food Quarterly highlighting the inroads made by Greater Birmingham Community Food Partners during the Summer/Fall of 2008 is now available.

Highlights include:

As always, you can keep up-to-date on GBCFP, it's partners, and community food news by visiting us on the web at www.gbcfp.org or www.myspace.com/gbcfp.

 

 

On June 21st, farmers at the YMCA Youth Center in Birmingham, farm group leaders, Neighborhood Presidents, community activists, religious leaders, nonprofit advocates, Extension agents and others gathered to share information on efforts around the state and region to expand Alabama’s food access. The Food Summit 2008 was a hugh success and began a great step toward putting food on the table in Birmingham. Visit our blog for a great review from FoodRevival.com. You can also click here to read an article about the food summit from the Birmingham Weekly.

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ALABAMA SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE NETWORK
COMMUNITY FOOD LEADERS FORUM

It's almost time for ASAN's 2nd Annual Community Food Leaders Forum, and we'd like to invite you to contribute to the discussion on November 12-13 at the Solon Dixon Conference Center in Andalusia, Alabama. We are excited about the opportunity to bring together farmers, ranchers, educators, and leaders from around the state and southeast to share ideas, learn from each other, and set goals to work together in the future.

The program this year will spend a half day focusing on our food and farm policy needs. Much of the program is focused on organizing and action around food policy. In the evening, guest speaker Crissie McMullan will talk about working with Grow Montana to develop local food policies, build coalitions, and bring local foods to schools. The second morning we will break into regions where we can take a look at our current resources and set goals. After lunch we will regroup to talk about working together to move forward a food system that brings good, clean and fair food to the state and region.

Click here for registration form and here for event program. More more information call 256-520-2400 or email Karen Wynne at wynnekaren@hotmail.com.

 

The latest data from the CDC indicates Southern States as the most obese in the nation. These recent rankings showed all but one Southern state being in the top ten states with the highest rates of obesity, each having more than 25% of adults as obese. Our obesity culture is eroding the health of families and children across the South and we must act now to ensure the health of children for generations to come.

The 2008 Southern Obesity Summit will:
- Reinforce efforts of committed southern practitioner teams.
- Connect peer obesity prevention leaders to promote, coordinate, and sustain prevention activities.
- Share examples of successful implementation strategies.
- Promote partnerships so obesity prevention efforts can be evaluated and a body of knowledge built nationally.
- Develop strategies for informing and encouraging policy makers to develop regional strategies for reducing obesity rates.