Conference Highlights Urban Agriculture Issues in Central Oregon

 

Growing food in Central Oregon is important to all of us – even for those who have never grown a tomato or have a garden. Breaking Ground and Growing Green Urban Agriculture in Central Oregon April 6 at OSU Cascades.

 

Growing food in Central Oregon is important to all of us – even for those who have never grown a tomato or have a garden. Growing food close to where we live helps us to meet the challenges of access to healthy and nutritious foods, contributing to a sustainable food economy, and establishing community. That said, growing food in a town or city presents unique challenges – land availability, neighbor concerns, and policy barriers.

An upcoming one-day conference sponsored by the Central Oregon Food Policy Council will inspire discussion about urban farming. On April 6^th the Breaking Ground and Growing Green: Urban Agriculture in Central Oregon conference will include a variety of speakers, from local farmers to urban policy makers from around the state.

Speakers will share ideas and engage in discussion with workshop participants. Sessions will include topics such as farming on the urban fringe, how to change public policy, community and learning gardens, the joys and challenges of running a front-yard CSA, and attracting and educating tomorrow’s farmers.

The conference will provide a hands-on design workshop for Central Oregon Community College (COCC) Garden Club community garden, led by High Desert  – American Society of Landscape Architects; and a facilitated discussion about how the Central Oregon Food Policy Council can promote urban agriculture in Central Oregon.

The conference will be held at the OSU Cascades building at COCC in Bend, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Registration is $25 ($15 for students) for the day and includes lunch and snacks.  For more information or to register, please go to www. centraloregonfoodpolicy.org