Urban Diggs are hosting an “interactive evening of sustainable tables & ethical eats” on February 22nd. Held at The River Market in New Westminster. Learn more about how you can still eat meat without guilt. GLV
Bite-sized delights made with locally sourced, sustainable meat will be served and a film featuring Joel Salatin who uses a system of pasture rotation to produce pork, beef and chicken in a way that is both economically and environmentally sustainable will be shown. The film also respectfully presents conventional ways of meat production through the eyes and stories of commodity farmers. After a short break there’s a panel discussion with industry representatives & consumers to explore some of the themes of the film and consider how personal choices can move our food system and our culture in a more sustainable, ethical direction.
Join us for an evening to stimulate your palate and your mind. We’ll tickle your tastebuds with a beverage & a selection of bite-sized delights. Then we’ll be screening a thought-provoking, well-balanced film featuring Joel Salatin who uses a system of pasture rotation to produce pork, beef and chicken in a way that is both economically and environmentally sustainable. The film also respectfully presents conventional ways of meat production through the eyes and stories of commodity farmers. After a short break we’ll come back for a panel discussion with industry representatives & consumers to explore some of the themes of the film and consider how we could make personal choices that will ultimately move our food system and our culture in a more sustainable, ethical direction.
About the Food:
Enjoy a variety of delicious bite-sized creations from Longtail Kitchen, and Re-up BBQ featuring sustainable meat sourced from local farms. Wash it all down with a locally made craft beer from Coal Harbour Brewing Co.
About the Film:
American Meat is a pro-farmer look at chicken, hog and cattle production. While the film features farmers in the United States, the primary issues are just as relevent here in Canada.
Beginning with a history of our current industrial system, the feedlots and confinement operations are unveiled, not through hidden cameras, but through the eyes of the farmers who live and work there. From there, the story shifts to Polyface Farms, where the Salatin family has developed an alternative agricultural model based on rotational grazing and local distribution. Nationwide, a local-food movement of farmers, chefs, and everyday people has taken root… But could it ever feed us all?
About the Panel:
After the film, our Panel will get the conversation started. We hope that you will join in!
Colleen Kimmett is a Vancouver-based journalist who writes about food, science and the environment. Her reporting has taken her down the mighty Fraser River, up the Bridge Glacier and across many a farmer’s field. In 2009, Colleen was awarded a fellowship to the Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting, and that same year shared in The Tyee’s prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Journalism. In 2011, her series on food and farming won a Canadian Online Publishing Award for best online series.
Orlando Schmidt is a Regional Manager with the BC Ministry of Agriculture. He has a M.Sc in Environment & Management, a B.Sc in Agriculture and is a Professional Agologist with the BC Institute of Agrologists. He was born and raised on a dairy farm in Abbotsford so farming is in his blood. These days he is hands on with a great staff working on the big challenges & opportunities faced by agriculture today. Supporting local food production and supporting small scale farmers are initiatives the Ministry is proactively working on as part of its goal to reach $14 billion in agrifood sector revenue by 2017.
Eleanor Boyle has been teaching and writing for 25 years, and focuses on food systems and their social, environmental and health consequences. She earned a BA in Psychology and a PhD in Neuroscience`1, and also holds an MSc in Food Policy. She has taught extensively at the university level including in sustainability. Eleanor has presented at international conferences on food issues. She is the author of High Steaks: Why and How to Eat Less Meat.
Julia Smith is a sustainable meat advocate and co-owner of Urban Digs Farm where they produce a variety of market vegetables, eggs, pork and duck for local families and for some of the top restaurants in Vancouver. She is passionate about sustainable, ethical agriculture and about reducing food waste. She has had the opportunity to learn from Joel Salatin himself on a number of occasions and integrates many of his techniques & philosophies into the day-to-day operations at Urban Digs.
Lori Law is a lifelong citizen of Burnaby tracing her family roots to the 1880s in New Westminster. Lori became interested in the local food movement after reading and embracing the “100 mile diet”. Trained as a chemical engineer, Lori spent many years working in pollution control, energy conservation, waste management and renewable energy. As an “eater” baffled by numerous food choices, Lori applies her technical skills to unraveling the true cost of food. Along the way, Lori endeavours to make a tangible contribution to food citizenship.
Michael Kaisaris is co-owner of Re-up BBQ. After graduating at the head of his class at Northwest, he broke into the Vancouver restaurant scene at “C” where he developed his avid interest in food service & wine. After winning a street food cart location in 2010 through the Vancouver pilot program he has been honing his craft at smoked meat for the past three years. Michael will speak to the the day-to-day challenges & benefits of sourcing local, ethical meat from the perspective of a restaurateur.
Lorne McMillan heads up the butchery team at West Broadway Meats in Kitsilano. An experienced Red Seal Chef, he left the restaurant scene to follow his passion for butchery. He join a small start-up that was 100% organic and focused on local, sustainable farming practices. After two years at the helm, Lorne leapt at the opportunity to lead the team at West Broadway Meat Co. and further his culinary journey in a place that celebrates local, pastured & organic whole animal butchery and old school techniques in a modern and accessible setting.
