Food For Thought Forum: The Future of Food & Agriculture

Food For Thought Forum: The Future of Food & Agriculture

Lancaster County has long been considered a national leader in agriculture and a destination for foodies. But how do food and agriculture connect to our health, the environment, entrepreneurship, and the future of our community? The Food for Thought Forum will present thought leaders to inform and inspire on the future of food. Keynote speaker George Steinmetz, National Geographic Explorer and photographer, will speak about his project “Feed the Planet,” followed by regional speakers. The evening includes a reception and program.

Tickets at $40. For more information and to purchase tickets visit https://hourglasslancaster.org/event/foodforthought/.

Schedule:
• 5-6 PM: Reception
Includes complimentary beer & wine and delicious local food

• 6-8:30 PM: Program in Steinman Hall
Program will feature keynote speaker George Steinmetz, National Geographic Explorer and photographer, and several regional speakers giving short talks on food entrepreneurship, vertical farming, clean water, food insecurity and more.

• 8:30 PM: Post-Event Networking
At a local establishment
About the Keynote Speaker:
Best known for his aerial photography, George Steinmetz has a restless curiosity for the unknown: remote landscapes, our changing climate, and how we can meet the ever-expanding food needs of humanity. A regular contributor to National Geographic and the NY Times Magazine, he has explored subjects ranging from the remotest stretches of Arabia’s Empty Quarter to the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest.

George will speak about his current project “Feed the Planet,” an examination of how the world can meet the rapidly expanding challenge of feeding humanity without putting more natural lands under the plow. Since the domestication of plants began some 11,000 years ago, humans have converted 40% of the earth’s surface into farmland. With the global population expected to reach 9.7 billion by the year 2050, combined with the rising standard of living in rapidly developing nations, it is estimated that we will have to double the global food supply. This project seeks to show how our food is produced so that we can make more informed decisions. George has traveled the globe documenting food production, including farmers in Lancaster County.

Additional Confirmed Speakers include:
• Alex Wenger, Field’s Edge Research Farm
• Bill Spire, Crop One
• Mark Bryer, Chesapeake Bay Program Director, Nature Conservancy
• Chris Ballentine, Willow Valley Communities Southern Market Center
• Joe Arthur, Central PA Food Bank
For more information visit HourglassLancaster.org/FoodForThought or contact Diana Martin, Executive Director at Diana@HourglassLancaster.org. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

Phone: (717) 295-0755