Archives for local food

Talk of the Towns 5/24/13

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Engineer: Amy Browne

Program Topic: Eating local from land and sea—creating a Maine Food Strategy

Key Discussion Points]:
a) What is a food system and how do seafood, including aquaculture products, and products from local farming fit into Maine’s food system?
b) Are there differences and similarities between local seafood and local food from agriculture in taking advantage of consumer interest in “local food”?
c) What are the ways that seafood harvesters and local-scale processors are finding to make connections with consumers… what are the successes and challenges? (farmer’s markets, Community Supported Agriculture models, Maine Fresh Catch, etc)
d) What have we learned from these experiments and successes?
e) At some levels, food is considered a “commodity” where uniformity, volume and high degrees of processing “delivers the goods”. Where does “quality” and freshness fit in to seafood side of food system? How do these attributes play out on the landward side, in local agriculture?
f) Who are some of the people and organizations who are working to link sea food with Maine’s food system and local consumers?
g) What is the process for coming up with a Maine Food Strategy?
h) How can harvesters, processers and consumers learn more, work together?
i) List resources and contact info for your organizations
j) Wrap up with each guest sharing “hopes for the future” as Maine develops its food strategy.

Guests:
Monique Coombs, Maine Sea Food Marketing Network
Amanda Beal, Eat Local Food Coalition
Sebastian Bell, Maine Aquaculture Association

Call In Program

Talk of the Towns 11/11/11

Issue: Celebrating Food Heritage in Downeast Maine

Broadcast Time: 10-11
Program Topic:
Key Discussion Points:
·Interest in food, food systems, food heritage is abundant…
·What is the scope of the interest and what is fueling that interest?
·What is food heritage, as a concept?

Guests:
·Joshua Torrance, Woodlawn Museum
·Katie Freedman, Healthy Acadia
·Todd Little-Seibold, College of the Atlantic
·Regina Grabrovac, Washington County Farm to School

Call In Program: Yes
Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Engineer: Amy Browne

Common Ground Radio 11/4/11

Issue: Farm and Food Policy
Program Name: Common Ground
Broadcast Date: 11.4.11
Broadcast Time: 10-11 am
Program Topic: Farm & Food Policy
Key Discussion Points:
a) Local Foods Act, HR 3286
b) Farm insurance
c) Building local markets for food
Guests by name and affiliation:
A) Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
B) Brian Snyder, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
C ) Katie Green, Cheryl Wixson, Russell Libby
Call In Program: Yes
Political Broadcast: No
Host: Russell Libby
Engineer: Amy Browne

Talk of the Towns 3/25/11

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Studio Engineer: Joel Mann

Topic: A local food ordinance for the Blue Hill Peninsula and beyond?

What is the actual proposal and how would it work?
What do you imagine the outcome will be, for producers, growers, the local community, after a town adopts the ordinance?
If the local food ordinance passes, how would you advise producers and consumers to attend to concerns about food safety?

Guests:

Heather Retberg, Quill’s End Farm, Blue Hill
Ruth Sullivan, Halcyon Grange
Cullin Schneider, Blue Hill Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
Jason Bolton, Food Safety Educator,
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Hal Prince, Director , Division of Quality Assurance & Regulations, Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources
Walter Kumiega, Representative, District