Lorinda Lhotka, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

One of the most amazing parts about my job at the Department of Environmental Conservation with the Food Safety and Sanitation Program is meeting the amazing people throughout this state that work to feed us.  My job is never boring because I work with people who work with food- and they are so ingenious and creative! It has been such a privilege working on the Alaska Food Policy Council’s Governing Board and expanding my networks to work on positive solutions to strengthening Alaska’s food system.

Food safety is certainly an important component of ensuring a safe and secure food supply- but it is also deeply intertwined with almost every part of the food system- from food production and harvesting to processing, distribution, consumption, and food waste and recycling. To work on systems improvement you have to appreciate how the work we all do is interconnected.

This will be the 4th Alaska Food Festival and Conference that I have attended and I feel that the event is one of the important things that Alaska Food Policy Council does because it brings Alaskans together to get to connect, to get know each other, to learn from each other and work towards solutions to make Alaska more sustainable and healthy.