Sustainable living, food safety, and organic farming will be highlighted at the 15th annual “World On Your Plate” conference planned for Oct. 5 and 6 at Daemen College.
The conference, “Restore the Earth,” will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the college’s Wick Campus Center.
“This year’s conference features inspirational leaders in the social and environmental justice movement to engage us in discussions on how we can strengthen our community and be effective stewards of our environment,” said Dr. Brenda Young, professor and chair of global and local sustainability.
On Friday, a panel discussion, “The Revolution Where You Live: Buffalo and Niagara Frontier’s Story,” will take place at 6 p.m. Panelists will include Dennice Barr, representing food and land trusts in the City of Buffalo; Deidra EmEl of the Western New York Peace Center; Rahwa Ghirmatzion, executive director of PUSH Buffalo; Lynda Schneekloth of Sierra Club Niagara Group and a University at Buffalo professor emeritus of architecture; Agnes Williams of Indigenous Women’s Initiatives; and Alexander Wright of African Heritage Food Co-Op and Urban Farms.
Saturday morning’s keynote address will be given at 9:15 a.m. by Jacqui Patterson, director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program and coordinator and co-founder of Women of Color United. She has worked as a researcher, advocate, and activist for women’s rights, violence against women, HIV and AIDS, racial justice, economic justice, and environmental and climate justice.
The afternoon keynote speaker scheduled for 2 p.m. will be Sarah Van Gelder, founder PeoplesHub, a nonprofit that offers online training to groups across the county who want to make a change where they live. She is also co-founder and columnist of YES! Magazine, and author of “The Revolution Where Your Live: Stories From a 12,000 Mile Journey Through a New America.”
The conference will also include workshops on various topics, including Buffalo’s Outer Harbor and watershed, using native plants in the garden, climate change, and saving seeds for food security.
Tickets for the two-day conference are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Friday only tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Local students may attend for free by pre-registering and with appropriate school identification.
Additional information and advance tickets is available by visiting www.worldonyourplate.org.