Food for Thought Program to be held at HCCC
November 03, 2009
A presentation of the movie, “Food Inc.” with a panel discussion and question/answer session will be held at Herkimer County Community College on Tuesday, November 10, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Sarkus-Busch Theater, located in the McLaughlin College Center. The program is co-sponsored by the HCCC Green Club and Education Club.
“The purpose of the program is to raise awareness of issues related to food,” said Green Club advisor Tom Stock. A panel discussion will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the film at 7:30 p.m., and then a question and answer session. Topics to be discussed will include food production, ethics, nutrition, hunger, corporate monopolies, organic food, community sponsored agriculture, concentrated animal feeding operations, greenhouse gases and agriculture, carbon footprint, water use/rights/contamination and labor issues.
Panelists include Dr. Julie Perlanski, M.D.; Lydia Sexton, Catholic Charities; Daniel Casler, an organic dairy farmer; Tim and Laura Joseph, owners of the Maple Hill Creamery; HCCC instructor Daniel Thompsune; organic vegetable farmers Michael Kirkpatrick and Laura Knight; and Doug Bowne, Wellsprings Farms.
Dr. Perlanski is a family physician in Little Falls, NY. Originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, Perlanski expanded her family practice with training from the Mind/Body Medical Institute under the direction of Dr. Herbert Benson. Perlanski is a founding member of Collaborative Healing, a group of integrative health care practitioners who combine conventional and alternative medicine. She has pursued extensive training in nutrition and nutrigenomics, the science of the interaction of nutrients with genes, and utilizes lifestyle changes in for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease.
Lydia Sexton is the program director for the Senior Volunteer, Health and Assistance Programs of Catholic Charities, which encompasses the Emergency Assistance Program, Kateri’s Thrift Store, the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program, the Health Insurance Information and Assistance Program, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program and the Retired Individuals Driving the Elderly Program. These programs are geared to serving low-income, at-risk and vulnerable populations in Herkimer County.
Daniel Casler, a native of Little Falls, grew up on a multi-generational family farm which transitioned from traditional farming to certified whole organic farming for both crops and dairy production. He is a New York state representative on the National Farmers Organization Board of Directors and serves on the Institute of Rural America Board of Directors. Casler helped St. Paul’s Universalist Church in Little Falls establish a community garden for the first time this year.
Tim and Laura Joseph began dairy farming in 2004, starting their farm conventionally and then transitioning to a certified organic farm. In May 2009, they opened Maple Hill Creamery at the former Piggy Pat’s location in Middleville. They process their own 100% grass fed milk into yogurt, yogurt smoothies, fresh cheese curd and old fashioned cream-on-the-top milk.
Daniel Thompsune teaches English and philosophy at HCCC. He holds a B.A. from Bloomsberg University and an M.A. from West Chester University, both in Pennsylvania. He will speak on the topic of ethics as it relates to treatment of livestock, farm workers and the dangers to the well being of human life and the environment.
Michael Kirkpatrick and Laura Knight of Ilion are organic vegetable farmers who run a 40 plus member Community Supported Agriculture operation. They sell produce at the Clinton and Cooperstown farmers’ markets, area restaurants and health food stores.
Doug Bowne operates Wellspring Farm specializing in certified organic garlic seed stock and meat goats. Bowne was a Cornell Cooperative Extension agriculture business educator and an Extension associate with the Cornell Department of Education Food Systems Workforce Development Initiative. He has worked on initiatives to promote organic farming, increase agricultural production alternatives for New York state and develop farmer-to-farmer learning networks.
The movie is a Robert Kenner Film. The event is free and open to the public. Non-perishable food items for donation to local food pantries will be accepted. For more information, contact Stock at (315) 866-0300, ext. 8216 or stockte@herkimer.edu.