2020 ALASKA FOOD FESTIVAL & CONFERENCE
Save the dates of Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7, on your calendar as the 2020 Alaska Food Festival and Conference is going virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year the themes are food entrepreneurship and rural and Indigenous food systems.
Hosted by the Alaska Food Policy Council (AFPC), this fifth semi-annual event previously took place in Anchorage in 2014 and 2016, in Fairbanks in 2017, and Homer in 2019. This year, the conference was scheduled for Anchorage before going virtual.
In addition to the Alaska Food Policy Council, this event is co-sponsored by the Alaska Village Initiatives AgAlaska Program, FRESH (the Food Research, Enterprise, and Sustainability Hub of the North), and Alaska Pacific University.
The goals of the conference and festival are to:
1. increase awareness of Alaska food issues among the general population;
2. provide training, resources, and networking opportunities to increase involvement in local food issues by community members and decision makers; and
3. increase connections and build community between the public, Alaska food businesses, NGOs, governmental entities, tribal entities, and others to support local economic development and innovative solutions.
Details for the event are still in the planning stage. But past conferences have included presentations on food systems in Alaska, food security/insecurity, traditional foods, farmers markets, agriculture in Alaska, fisheries, food policy, food waste reduction, and more. We also plan to hold a silent auction featuring food-related items from around the state.
In addition, the annual Alaska Food Hero Awards will be presented, and nominations are accepted at this link until Oct. 5
https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSeCIEBs4JK_0b8zTh…/viewform.
People and organizations interested in presenting about Alaska food topics can submit presentation abstracts by Oct. 5 to
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RH5RQYN. If you’re interested in sponsoring the event, you can go to this link for more details about our sponsorship tiers, https://www.akfoodpolicycouncil.org/2020-sponsors.
Registration costs $40-$150, depending on the package, and you can register at this link, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-alaska-food-festival-conf…. You also can purchase and Alaska Food Policy Council membership at that link.
The keynote speakers will be announced in August, and a tentative conference agenda will be available in October. More details about the conference are available at this link:
https://www.akfoodpolicycouncil.org/2020-festival-conference.
For more information about the conference, contact Robbi Mixon at (907) 235-4068, Ext. 23, or director@alaskafoodpolicycouncil.org.
• The Alaska Food Policy Council (https://www.akfoodpolicycouncil.org/) is a nonprofit organization whose diverse membership works to engage Alaskans to make positive changes for the state’s food system, and to create a healthier, more prosperous and more secure future for all.
• Alaska Village Initiatives
(https://akvillage.com/) is a non-profit membership-based company dedicated to improving the well-being of rural Alaska communities, families, and individuals. AgAlaska (https://agalaska.net/) affords rural villages support and resources needed to begin community gardening farming and ranching. Information and links provide current grant opportunities, best garden practices, and resource links to government and non-government agencies.
• FRESH - the Food Research, Enterprise, and Sustainability Hub of the North)
(https://www.freshnorth.org/) works to catalyze the modern food landscape of tomorrow by honoring the living traditions of yesterday and harnessing the innovative spirit of today’s Circumpolar North.
• Alaska Pacific University
(https://www.alaskapacific.edu/) is a small liberal arts college located in Anchorage, Alaska, that emphasizes experiential and active learning. APU, along with the University of Alaska Anchorage, is home to FRESH.
Date: November 06-07, 2020 All Day
Location: Online | Everywhere
Admission:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-alaska-food-festival-conference-tickets-113138002812
Event website: akfoodpolicycouncil.org
