Press Release
Seedstock “Grow Riverside” Conference to Provide Template for Cities Developing Urban Sustainable Agriculture
December 11, 2013 | seedstock
From top to bottom: Rodney K. Taylor, Director of Nutrition Services, for RUSD; Paula Daniels, founder of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council; Val Dolcini, State Executive Director of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA); and Dr. Glenda Humiston, California State Director at the USDA, Rural Development
If you are an elected official, county supervisor, council member, city manager, planning director, community development director or finance director looking to bring the budding concept of local sustainable agriculture to your community, “Grow Riverside: Citrus and Beyond!” is the conference to attend!
The event, to be held at the Riverside Convention Center on Wednesday and Thursday, March 19-20, 2014, will feature keynote speakers Dr. Glenda Humiston, California director for U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, and Val Dolcini, California executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency.
An expert in environmental and agricultural issues, Dr. Humiston will share her insights of more than 25 years working on public policy development and program implementation supporting rural development and sustainable communities. Dolcini, who oversees 30 county offices from Mt. Shasta to the fields of the Imperial Valley, will elaborate on his primary mission of delivering USDA programs such as farm loans, commodity price support, conservation support and other available resources to California’s farmers and ranchers.
Other notables presenting keynote addresses will be Paula Daniels, former senior advisor to the Mayor of Los Angeles on Food Policy and Special Projects in Water and founder and present chair of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council; and Rodney Taylor, Director of Nutrition Services for the Riverside Unified School District.
“The Grow Riverside conference is designed as a template for regions seeking to identify the economic and community advantages of local urban sustainable farming,” said Robert Puro, Seedstock co-founder and Grow Riverside event organizer. “We are thrilled to present our attendees with these illustrious keynote speakers and the opportunity to hear from some of the most respected experts in the arenas of agriculture, food policy, and nutrition.”
The conference will explore solutions to sustainably increasing local food in an economically viable manner and developing practical next steps to leverage an area’s agricultural assets. The underlying objective is to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in sustainable agriculture and forge new partnerships to develop creative solutions to building and expanding local urban agriculture.
This conference is being organized by Seedstock in partnership with the City of Riverside. For additional information and to purchase early bird tickets, please visit http://www.growriverside.com
“Grow Riverside” Conference to Examine Economic, Community Benefits of Local Sustainable Agriculture
November 21, 2013 | seedstockNews Release: Riverside, CA – November 21, 2013 – Grow Riverside: Citrus and Beyond!, slated for Wednesday and Thursday, March 19-20, 2014, will reconnect the City of Riverside to its agricultural roots as well as provide a template for other cities interested in identifying the economic and community advantages of local sustainable farming.
The objectives of the conference, to be held at the Riverside Convention Center, will define opportunities for food production within Riverside’s environs, explore solutions to sustainably increase local food in an economically viable manner, and develop practical next steps to leverage the area’s rich agricultural assets.
“One of society’s burgeoning challenges is the need to establish local, sustainable food sources,” said Seedstock co-founder and Grow Riverside event organizer, Robert Puro. “The conference seeks to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in sustainable agriculture by uniting citizens, growers, advocates, government officials, and other major stakeholders to forge new partnerships and, ultimately, develop creative solutions to building and expanding local urban agriculture.”
Keynote addresses and panel discussions will afford conference attendees the opportunity to explore a variety of topics, including: Building a Local Agriculture Future; Developing Economically Viable Small-scale Farming Solutions; Health and Community Benefits of Local Food; Funding the Future of Farming; Citrus and Beyond; The Local Food Landscape; Urban Farming; and, Forming a Local Food Alliance.
“Our conference, although designed with the city of Riverside in mind, can be a model for any and all cities looking to enhance local agriculture and assist growers and farmers in their success,” said Councilmember Chris MacArthur, who represents Riverside’s historic greenbelt area. “We encourage farmers, entrepreneurs, food service businesses, city planners and all other interested parties to join us and share their innovative ideas at the conference.”
To purchase early bird tickets, please visit http://growriverside.eventbrite.com.
About Seedstock
Seedstock is a social venture focused on innovation and sustainability in agriculture. Through the use of a variety of tools, including the news and information blog Seedstock (http://www.Seedstock.com) and live events, the company promotes agricultural startup companies, university research, urban agriculture initiatives, and farmers employing innovative new techniques and approaches.
About the City of Riverside
The City of Riverside made the navel orange a symbol of bounty and a household staple in California, and today the City maintains more than 1,000 acres of citrus groves. As Riverside continues to grow, so does local pride for the City’s rich agricultural history and consumer demand for healthful local foods. A full 11 percent of the total acreage of the city is designated for agricultural use, unparalleled for a Southern California city of its size. Riverside’s growers, local government officials, and residents are eager to be at the forefront of innovation as a city devoted to sustainable local agriculture.
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