Call for Workshops: Farm to Cafeteria Conference

Posted by on September 29, 2008

CALL FOR WORKSHOP AND PRESENTATION PROPOSALS
Fourth National Farm to Cafeteria Conference
“Going the Distance and Shortening It, from Farm to Cafeteria”
Portland Oregon, March 19–21, 2009

Co-sponsored by:
The National Farm to School Network, The Community Food Security Coalition
The Center for Food & Justice, UEPI, Occidental College

Proposal Period: September 23nd – October 24th
No proposals will be accepted after October 24th

The National Farm to School Network seeks proposals for workshops, short courses and a poster session at its 4th national conference in Portland, Oregon, March 19–21, 2009.

Presentation Formats
We are accepting proposals for the following presentation formats:

a.   Poster Session
b.   Workshop Sessions of 90 minutes in length
c.   Short Course Sessions- half day (4 hours)

Workshop, Short Course, and Poster Session Possible Topics

* Distribution, processing, and infrastructure development
* Farm to school as a “green” issue
* Experiential education, curriculum development
* Youth-led initiatives
* Food service-led initiatives
* Grassroots voices, community initiatives
* Farm to …hospitals, prisons, colleges, senior centers, daycare and other institutions
* Advocacy at the local, state, regional and/or national level
* 2008 Child Nutrition Authorization, issues, framing, collaborations
* Innovative approaches to food safety issues and concerns
* Farm to cafeteria and economic development
* Research and evaluation
* Grant writing and funding for farm to cafeteria
* State-level farm to school policies – what’s worked, what hasn’t
* Farm to cafeteria and public health issues
* Does farm to cafeteria work for farmers?
* Skill building, such as facilitation skills, community assessments, survey design, etc.
* Food service, farmers, price and profit
* Farm to school – a social justice agenda
* Farm to school and wellness policies

Session format
Interactive sessions that provide opportunities for significant audience participation are encouraged. We are also seeking workshops and short courses that build specific skills such as grant writing, policy advocacy, facilitation, working with farmers, working with children etc.  Sessions that lead to a specific outcome, that are linked to the activities of the National Farm to School Network, or that build the farm to cafeteria movement, are also desired. We encourage session organizers to include a diverse group of leaders, such as youth, farmers, food service staff and community members. Introductory and advanced level workshops and short courses are also welcome.

Audience
Expect a very diverse audience in terms of occupation. They include food service, policy-makers, public health staff, farmers, environmentalists, community based organization activists, community residents, parents, school administrators, nutritionists, teachers, sustainable agriculture activists, food system representatives, researchers/academics, students, funders, and others engaged in building a sustainable food system. Please try to use plain language and limit the use of acronyms and jargon to make your session accessible to all participants.

Session details
Workshop sessions will be 90 minutes in length. Short courses are a half-day, or 4 hours.  Expect approximately 30-50 attendees per workshop or short course session.

Submission  of Proposals and Deadlines
Please submit your proposal to marion@foodsecurity.org by October 24th.
Audio-Visual
We will contact you regarding your AV needs, if your session is chosen.

Registration Fees
Presenters are entitled to a 50% discount off their registration fees (excluding field trips and short courses). Presenters that want to attend their session only can do so free of charge. All presenters must register for the conference.

Travel Costs
Presenters should plan on covering their own travel costs to participate in the conference.

You’ll Hear Back From Us Soon
Submission of a proposal is not a guarantee of its acceptance.  All proposals will be reviewed by a planning committee. Notifications of your proposal’s status will be provided by November 15th. Contact us if you don’t hear back by then.

For more information, please contact Marion Kalb at marion@foodsecurity.org, 505-474-5782.

PROPOSAL FORMATS

Poster Session
Please describe in 150 words or less the focus of your poster.  In addition to those listed above, topics may include results of evaluations or studies, describe a new farm to cafeteria program or approach, or describe and/or analyze an experiential learning component of farm to school.  Please continue below and fill out #s 2, 4, and 9.

Workshops and Short Courses

1.  Please describe session type: (circle one)

Workshop – 90 minutes                        Short Course – 4 hours

2.  Please provide the name, address, zip code, e-mail address and phone number for the primary
presenter/organizer, and a short bio, no more than 50 words.

3.  Please provide the names and affiliations of other presenters.

4. Please provide a title for your session (no more than 10 words)

5.  Please provide a summary of your proposed session in no more than 50 words for use in the conference brochure. Provide information regarding format of presentation – lecture, small group, panel, activity-based, and how speakers will engage participants attending the workshop or short course.

6.  Please provide a description of your session in no more than 150 words.

7.  List two to three objectives describing how participants will benefit from this session and what tool(s) or message(s) participants will “take home.” Learning outcomes should be action statements describing what participants will be able to do as a result of the experience, usually defined in terms of knowledge, skills, or attitudes. Statements should complete the following statement with observable and measurable verbs: “After this presentation, the attendee will be able to…”

8.  Describe desired audio-visual needs.

9.  Skill Level of Presentation Content:
Conference attendees are typically looking for focused sessions that deliver new information or knowledge.  Please state which level your session addresses.

Basic: Assumes little or no prior knowledge of area(s) covered. The focus of the activity is to increase knowledge and application by the participant.

Intermediate: Assumes a general knowledge of the area(s) covered. The focus is to enhance knowledge and application of the participant.

Advanced: Assumes thorough knowledge of the area(s) covered. The focus synthesizes recent advances, research, new initiatives, and future directions.

Please submit proposals to marion@foodsecurity.org by October 24th.  If you have any questions, e-mail Marion Kalb or call at 505-474-5782.

Marion Kalb, Director
National Farm to School Program
Community Food Security Coalition
3900 Paseo del Sol
Santa Fe, New Mexico   87507
phone 505-474-5782
fax  505-473-3421
marion@foodsecurity.org
www.foodsecurity.org