Explore the “Food in Uncertain Times” Conference
Something as simple as a loaf of bread can be a gateway into complex systems of access, agriculture, belief, storytelling, and even (especially!) revolution. The Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation at Chatham (CRAFT) and the student Eden Hall Fellows have teamed up to discuss all of this and more in their two-day free conference “Food in Uncertain Times.” Check out the interview with Emeran Irby of CRAFT and Eden Hall Fellow Mary Schrott below, and register today for the Food in Uncertain Times conference.
Day 1: Grains and Revolution with CRAFT
Emeran Irby, MAFS ‘17
Pulse: Tell us about yourself and what your role is within CRAFT.
Emeran: I'm Emeran Irby, pronouns she/her/hers, and I graduated from the Food Studies program in 2017. Currently I am the Qualitative Data Specialist with CRAFT where I focus primarily on our oral history program.
How did CRAFT come to work with the Eden Hall Fellows on this conference?
We realized that there were two virtual conferences happening in the Fall with similar themes surrounding COVID-19 related food systems work and thought it would be mutually beneficial for us to join forces. It has been a really helpful to have a larger pool of people to bounce ideas off of and work together on solidifying thematic similarities.
How did you settle on the overarching theme of “Food in Uncertain Times,” and the specific focuses on Grains & Revolution and Navigating a New Normal?
I think as Food Studies/Sustainability thinkers, examining what COVID-19 has shed light on is incredibly important. We really wanted to make a space to talk about the realities of how this virus has affected our Food System, while also spotlighting projects and people who have been serving their communities before, during, and after the pandemic. Grains & Revolution was created as an alternative to the Grain Gathering we were hoping to host in person this Fall, but was cancelled due to COVID. Through the conference we are hoping to showcase diversity within the grains economy.
“Our mission, to help support and create a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive food system, demands that we view baking and brewing as shared and transformative processes.”
Do you feel a personal connection to any of the topics or issues being addressed at the conference?
I think bread is a unifying food in that it's something everyone can connect to. For me, I gravitate towards stories about grain that intersect with race and gender. I feel particularly excited about the Women in Grains panel which highlights multiple Women of Color who are making strides in the grains economy. I also think it's important to recognize the role that Indigenous communities have for creating and sustaining the majority of our Food System. Another panel that I'm excited for is the Seed Saving and Food Sovereignty conversation which will take place with various leaders in the Indigenous communities who are practicing traditional grain farming techniques. I think both of these panels will highlight some important topics about equity and diversity in the grains system and the food system as a whole.
How did you choose your panelists?
We are so lucky to have an incredible steering committee made up of Food Studies alums and individuals working in the grains that helped immensely with our panel choices. The steering committee is made up of:
Catherine Piccoli, Director of the Museum of Food and Drink, NYC
Rachel Waugh, Director and Founder of the Museum of Food and Culture, CO
Oliver Pinder, Owner and Baker at Wild Rise Bakery, PA
ayashree Iyengar, Owner of Popping Mustard Seeds, PA
Aba Kiser, Project Manager of WSU Food Systems and Cascadia Grains Coordinator, WA
In addition to our awesome steering committee we had help from the Artisan Grain Collaborative and Deer Creek Malthouse.
What’s the most important thing you hope people get from attending the conference?
I think this conference gives participants the opportunity to hear about people and projects they might not have known about in the grains economy. We also have multiple baking demos that are happening throughout the day which will give participants the opportunity to learn new recipes and techniques for baking!
Day 2: Navigating a New Normal with the Eden Hall Fellows
Mary Schrott, MSUS + MBA ‘21
Pulse: Tell us about yourself and what being an Eden Hall Fellow entails.
Mary Schrott: I’m Mary Schrott, pronouns she/her, an MBA + MSUS graduate student. Every year, Chatham University’s Falk School of Sustainability and the Environment cultivates a scholarship program called the Eden Hall Fellows. The Fellows are a group of five graduate students who are committed to carrying out the legacy of Sebastian Mueller, the founder of Eden Hall Farm. Mr. Mueller dedicated his life to business at the H.J. Heinz Company, social entrepreneurship, and improving the quality of life for people in the Pittsburgh area. Through an annual conference, the Fellows pursue Mr. Mueller’s legacy by fostering conversations and research surrounding social justice, sustainable business, and local stories.
How did you settle on the overarching theme of “Food in Uncertain Times,” and the specific focus of Navigating a New Normal?
Quite honestly, it was a bumpy road planning this year’s conference. We began brainstorming before COVID-19 impacted the U.S., but were forced to change paths once the reality of the pandemic set in. By unifying our conference with CRAFT’s Grains Gathering, we were able to form the collective theme. The food economy has been greatly affected by the pandemic and we felt it was important to uplift the voices most impacted by this scenario. By having a two-day conference we are able to compliment the ideas of revolution and resiliency within the food system in the context of 2020.
Walk us through Day 2 and what the Eden Hall Fellows have in store.
There were endless topics to focus on for Day 2, “Navigating a New Normal,” yet overall we wanted to showcase acts of resiliency, innovation, and stories of survival pertaining to life in a pandemic. The first session, “Alternative Economies,” will be a conversation on creative solutions in food emergencies. We hope to explore each of the panelists own personal ideas on alternative food economies and learn what new structures and systems are needed to make these economies sustainable. This topic is extremely poignant in the new normal of food distribution in 2020 and we hope to better understand how to flourish in this reality.
The second session, “Opportunities For Sovereignty: Foraging, Fermenting, and Food Preservation” will be a conversation exploring the fallacies in the for profit food system and where true sovereignty exists within this structure. 2020 has shinned a light on just how complex our dependencies are within our capitalistic food economy and the prejudices it perpetrates. We are so excited for every member on this panel to share their own stories of food system sovereignty and what solutions are possible to spread sovereignty across the structure.
The third panel, “Storytelling & Social Change: Food Narratives for Liberation,” will explore the inextricable link between food and story in the context of 2020. We are excited to provide a platform for our panelists to share their own stories of how food has led to networks of change in their own communities. Our panelists represent traditionally muted voices and we look forward to opening up a conversation on stories many people may not have heard before.
The amazing speakers we have lined up for “Navigating a New Normal” are undoubtedly the best part of the whole day. Each panelist was asked to participate in the day based off of our admiration for their work and story. We hope the perspectives and anecdotes you hear throughout the day from our speakers leaves you inspired and with a better understanding of the complex food system structure in the context of 2020.
Do you feel a personal connection to any of the topics or issues being addressed at the conference?
All the topics we hope to cover during “Navigating a New Normal” are exciting to me! I was lucky to work with four other Fellows who are all earning master’s degrees in food studies, so their insights and guidance on these conversations has been impactful. As a graduate student studying sustainability, I understand our food economy is a vital system in our society with deep intricacies. Historically, this system is the ultimate example of sustainability and I look forward to the conversations on how sustainability can be achieved today.
What’s the most important thing you hope people get from attending the conference?
Perspective. With any conference I think participants go in thinking, “Okay, I understand certain parts of topic, but want to expand and learn more.” Conferences are places for learning and stretching ideas. We’ve put so much emphasis on showcasing voices that aren’t typically given a platform and I hope people will come away with a better perspective on the different experiences people have in the food system. For any structure we operate in, perspective is key to finding solutions and strengthening community.
Register for either or both days of the "Food in Uncertain Times” conference here. To find out more about the Falk School, home to both undergraduate and graduate Food Studies and Sustainability programs, visit our website.
