As a customer and consumer, you vote with your fork every time you stand in line at the check out counter, or visit a farmers' market, or pick up a burger at a fast food joint. Join us for dinner and a "healthy" discussion about how our food and what we eat affects the social, environmental and academic aspects of our culture. Thank you to our sponsors:       Register Now! Registration Fees Standard $70.00 USD Non-profit $55.00 USD Support-a-farmer $100.00 USD Farmer $35.00 USD March 19, 2012 Putting the “Culture” Back Into Agriculture Through Community & Collaboration Speaker: Pete Johnson April Event Author, The Locavore Way Speaker: Amy Cotler May 21, 2012 Good Germs, Bad Germs: Exploring the Relationship Between Humans, Bacteria and Food Speaker: Ben Hewitt   Monday, March 19, 2012, 6:30-9:00 p.m. Putting the Culture Back In Agriculture Through Community and Collaboration" Pete Johnson, Farmer, Pete's Greens, Craftsbury, Vermont SOLD OUT! Pete Johnson run's Pete's Greens, a certified organic, four-season communitiy supported agriculture (CSA) farm located on the edge of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom in Craftsbury, VT. His philosophy is that as more Vermonters eat locally, they will become healthier as communities and as individuals.  He also believes that food grown locally and in-season is also more nutritious and tastes better. Pete also partners with other farmers to provide a selection of breads, cheeses, eggs, grains, flours, and beans. In 2012, Pete will begin cooking school lunch once a week for the Craftsbury schools to help provide healthy meals to students, and broaden the students’ appreciation for whole foods so that they are encouraged to make good food choices in the future.   Last February, his barn burned down and after receiving so many donations from our community to help us get back on our feet, he decided to pay the donations forward somehow. With the help of an advisory committee, and the partnership of the Center for an Agricultural Economy, the non-profit Vermont Farm Fund was created with the intent that the money that was so generously given to Pete could eventually circulate again to support other sustainable VT farms. Pete will talk about how farms and food companies are supporting each other to build a culture of local production and consumption of food. He will share some of their challenges and success stories of his farm and how his CSA supports nearly 20 towns in Northern and Central Vermont as well as Boston and New York City. A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to Seacoast Eat Local.       Support-a-farmer: Spend $30 extra and support the participation of a local farmer when you register.       With support from:                   We want to make our events accessible for everyone. We offer the following financial arrangements: Students: Volunteer at an event and you attend for free. Scholarships: Please send us an email telling us why you would like to attend the event and email it to tracey@foodandhealthforum.com.  We will notify you promptly. Farmers: We will accept food in exchange for event attendance. If interested, please contact us at: tracey@foodandhealthforum.com.