Join professionals from North Carolina A&T State University, local experts and master gardeners on Saturday, January 26, 2019, 8:30am-2pm, for the inaugural Community, Food and Connection Conference.
The conference will be held at the Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences, and it will introduce and inform attendees to the Municipal Model Food System Plan.
Conference attendees will learn:
- how community gardening leads to economic opportunities in under-served communities
- the advantages and disadvantages of a model food system
- tips on how to begin gardening.
Through this effort, community input will be gathered to start designing — with the assistance of Duke University and NC A&T State University — a plan outline for the Rocky Mount City Council to revisit, guide, and consider.
The Municipal Model Food System Plan is a collaborative effort between the city of Rocky Mount, the town of Conetoe, Nash and Edgecombe counties, Duke University, and North Carolina A&T State University.
Rocky Mount native and celebrity chef Jerome Brown, whose past clients have included Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and former NBA All-Star Shaquille O’Neal, will prepare lunch at the conference.
Attendees will also hear a keynote speech on “The History of Farming — An African-American Experience.”
Ward 3 Councilmember Richard Joyner, who has been recognized on a national level by CNN for his work with the Conetoe Family Life Center, is overseeing the project. Said Joyner:
“It’s not only about having healthy food in our region, but also how we develop and grow the healthy food we need is just as important because it brings us to the place of accountability. At the same time, it is a way to create a social climate in our community where we can produce our own sustainability.”
The conference location, Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences, is located at 270 Gay Street, Rocky Mount, NC.
The conference is free and open to the public, but RSVP is required. Call 252.972.1327 to register or gather further information.
Source: Jessie Nunery and Tameka Kenan-Norman, City of Rocky Mount
