On April 1, Fair Food Philly and the Pennsylvania Association for Agriculture (PASA) teamed up to host the first ever Philly Farm & Food Fest. Both non profits work to create a more sustainable local food system, linking farmers and consumers via a “farm to fork” mentality.
The Fest included a number of workshops, presentations, and activities, all held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Annex in Philadelphia. The goal was to bring together farmers throughout the region, sustainable food businesses, food-focused organizations, and consumers, strengthening ties within the region’s food system. This event marked the start of the growing season, when consumers will now have abundant opportunities to buy local products.
Over 100 exhibitors participated ranging from suppliers of earth-friendly potting soils and all-natural cleaning products to organic farmers’ co-ops and organic coffee roasters. This celebration of local goods and agricultural products highlights the strength of the area’s local food system, as well as the opportunities for its further growth both in the region and in other areas throughout the country.
The Fest also included an educational component. There was a seminar on land use policy where the report Transforming Open Space to Sustainable Agriculture in Urban and Suburban Regions, commissioned by the Green Space Alliance and the William Penn Foundation, presented, followed by a panel discussion consisting of local leaders in food issues.
This event addresses the need to strengthen ties between consumers and farmers. Supporting local food systems can provide benefits for all, resulting in less strain on the environment for transport costs, lower prices and fresher products for consumers, and a higher value placed on producers, leading to a more ethical food system.
Marissa Dwyer is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project.
Danielle Nierenberg, an expert on livestock and sustainability, currently serves as Project Director of State of World 2011 for the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington, DC-based environmental think tank. Her knowledge of factory farming and its global spread and sustainable agriculture has been cited widely in the New York Times Magazine, the International Herald Tribune, the Washington Post, and
other publications.
Danielle worked for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. She is currently traveling across Africa looking at innovations that are working to alleviate hunger and poverty and blogging everyday at Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet. She has a regular column with the Mail & Guardian, the Kansas City Star, and the Huffington Post and her writing was been featured in newspapers across Africa including the Cape Town Argus, the Zambia Daily Mail, Coast Week (Kenya), and other African publications. She holds an M.S. in agriculture, food, and environment from Tufts University and a B.A. in environmental policy from Monmouth College.
