Student
Spurs City to Proclaim 'Food Day,' Plans Smith Celebration
Oct. 24
For
Ada Comstock Scholar Alexandra Zipparo ’12J, assisting with
the organization of an upcoming event on campus was not just
about scheduling speakers, booking venues and publicizing
the news to the Smith community.
True
to the nature of the event—a national
day of recognition billed as bringing together “countless
Americans from all walks of life to push for healthy, affordable
food produced in a sustainable way”—Zipparo went a step further.
She asked the City of Northampton
to proclaim Monday, Oct. 24, “Food Day,” In conjunction with
the national celebration. On Thursday, Oct. 20, Acting Mayor
David Narkewicz is slated to make it official as part of
the City Council meeting agenda.
The nation’s first ,
also on October 24, is sponsored by the Center for Science
in the Public Interest, a nonprofit watchdog group. Coordinated
by the Student Government Association,
Smith’s
campus-wide effort will kick off that day with a farmers’ market
and local food festival, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on
Chapin Lawn.
“The event will bring Smith
students, staff and faculty closer to the food produced in
the area by showcasing local farmers and food producers,
with many ready-to-eat items available for purchase,” said
Zipparo, a member of SGA.
Later that day, at 4:30 p.m.,
in the Neilson Browsing Room, Tom Wessels, ecology professor
at Antioch New England, will speak about “Foundational Principles of Sustainability” and how the principles
are related to the food system.
Events continue Tuesday, Oct.
25, at 4:30 p.m. in the Neilson Browsing Room, with a panel
of women who are “moving, shaking
and re-shaping the New England food system,” said Zipparo.
Panelists include
Jenny Nelson, agriculture policy advisor, Office of Senator
Bernard Sanders (Vt.); Jodi Lew-Smith ‘89, research director
for High Mowing Seeds; Kelly Coleman, program director for
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA); and
Cris Coffin, New England director of American Farmland Trust.
On Wednesday, Oct. 26, at noon
in the Neilson Browsing Room, Zipparo will host a panel about
the sustainable food initiatives within .
The ambitious event reflects
the several Food Day principles, including: reduce diet-related
disease by promoting safe, healthy foods; support sustainable
farms and limit subsidies to big agribusiness; and expand
access to food and alleviate hunger.
SGA's Food Day at Smith is sponsored
by CEEDS, Center for Work and Life, and the Alumnae Association. |
