Bioneers Cleveland 2009 Sets the Table with Northeast Ohio’s Food Systems
From Michael Pollan’s presentation In Defense of Food: The Omnivore’s Solution to how Google Earth saved a rain forest to Dr. Andrew Weil’s vision for American medicine, Bioneers will celebrate its 20th annual conference this fall by once again providing a platform for dedicated problem solvers to present their ideas. This premier gathering brings together people passionate about making a difference and serves as an incubator for new strategies for change. For the third year, Bioneers Cleveland brings this energy to Ohio. The Cleveland conference will feature forums, workshops and tours of local relevance, led by local experts, while presenting, via video presentations, the best of the plenary speakers from the national Bioneers conference in San Rafael, California.
The 2009 Great Lakes Bioneers Cleveland conference is Nov. 5, 6 and 7. The organization Sustainlane recognizes Cleveland as the nation’s second most developed city in terms of supply and access to local food and agriculture. Deciding that this is an excellent time to explore, celebrate and expand on what this region has to offer, the confernce will focus special attention on Northeast Ohio’s Food Systems. Cleveland’s own Michael Ruhlman, famed author and chef, will facilitate a conversation on Nov. 6 with entrepreneurs, farmers, chefs and conference attendees that will focus on building Northeast Ohio’s sustainable food systems. From 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, the conference will present more than 15 workshops, many showcasing sustainable, just and healthy food practices and choices, and exploring the interconnectedness between food and other systems—water, energy, transportation, education, economics, community development and culture.
Other topics at workshops and presentations include: messages from the media, starting an urban garden, driving nature’s rights into law, biomimicry and civic innovation. Friday and Saturday programs will be at The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University at 1717 Euclid Ave. Friday evening attendees can attend the Wild and Scenic Film Festival at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
In a special effort to get youth involved in shaping our community’s future, Bioneers Cleveland has partnered with the MC2 STEM School (Metropolitan Cleveland Consortium for Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics) to include the school’s Sustainability Symposium as the opening-day program for this year’s Bioneers Cleveland conference. This free and open-to-the-public symposium will be Thursday, Nov. 5 at the Cleveland Convention Center at 500 Lakeside Ave and will feature student presentations of their sustainability projects, an intergenerational gardening challenge workshop and selected plenary talks from the national Bioneers conference.
For the past three years Bioneers Cleveland has been gathering together key regional innovators and providing numerous opportunities for Ohioans to gain knowledge of sustainability, access to best practices and support for burgeoning ideas. Supported by The Green City Blue Lake Institute of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, The Mt. Sinai, Gund and Cleveland Foundations, EcoWatch, WKSU and others, Bioneers Cleveland has become a force for promoting and creating sustainability in Northeast Ohio. It presents the ideas of tomorrow…today.
For detailed program and registration information, visit the Bioneers Cleveland Web site at www.bioneerscleveland.org.