Four children seated at table eating lunch

Press Release – Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit

Partners across Leeds-Grenville and Lanark are collaborating to host the Good Food in Schools Forum at Kemptville Campus on April 11. This one-day event will bring together stakeholders working on school food education and programs across Eastern Ontario, to share efforts to create healthy and positive school food environments.

Organizers are excited to foster these conversations between educators, students, parents, food producers, community health and community food organizations. “Food security, food education and affordability are front of mind these days, and schools have a major role to play in implementing solutions,” says Ramsey Hart, Executive Director of The Table Community Food Centre in Perth. “Schools today are actively engaging kids in food literacy: building a healthy relationship with food, understanding where and how food is produced, and building their own skills in growing, preparing and serving food.”

The event is being organized by members of Foodcore Leeds Grenville Lanark (LGL), co-led by working group members: The Table Community Food Centre; Leeds, Grenville Lanark District Health Unit; and Kemptville Campus. Foodcore is a multi-stakeholder working group committed to building healthy, sustainable and inclusive local food systems. Foodcore LGL has created a Food Charter and related toolkits, maintains a local Food Inventory, and supports food events and programming in our region.

The forum’s keynote speaker, Sarah Keyes from Sustain Ontario, will present the work of Canada’s largest school food network, the Coalition for Healthy School Food. Other presenters will share their work and experiences in school food programs locally, from school gardens to greenhouses to cafeterias.

The Good Food in Schools Forum is open to all, including educators, students, school board trustees and staff, parents, volunteers, food producers and community food organizations. The event takes place on Thursday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre in Kemptville.

For more information or to register please visit the Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/good-food-in-schools-creating-positive-school-food-environments-tickets-789489613687?aff=oddtdtcreator

For more information, contact Ramsey Hart at 613-267-6428 ext. 108 or ramsey@thetablecfc.org.

FoodCore LGL is a coalition of food stakeholders and organizations who work on practical steps to build healthy, sustainable and inclusive local food systems in Leeds-Grenville and Lanark counties. The group includes representatives from food production, community health, and community food organizations. The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit is a partner as well.

Find us online at http://www.foodcorelgl.ca/.