Join us for this year's It Takes a Region... the conference for everyone doing food system change work! Together we'll learn about and build on exciting efforts underway in our region in production, distribution logistics, research, messaging, food access and nutrition, policy advocacy and more. Whatever your part of the Northeast food system, this conference is for you!

This year we are co-hosting the session Northeast Fisheries: Scale Up of Sell Out?

Focus: Policies that turned farms into food production machines with grave ecological, social, health and economic consequences are being mirrored on the marine side. Fishing operations are faced with the same choices confronted by farmers a few decades ago: sell out or scale up. Learn what our fishing communities are doing to stop consolidation and create alternatives.

Leaders: Brett Tolley, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance; Doug Maxfield, fisherman, Gloucester, MA; Amanda Beal, Eat Local Foods Coalition of Maine

Join us for another series of Fishes and Loaves, a collaboration with the Maine Council of Churches.

Fishes and Loaves

A Study of the Covenant between Land and Sea

Wednesdays, October 5th-26th  7-9pm

Study and Reflection about how our Oceans and Fishing Communities are being affected by Environmental Changes

• October 5: Award-winning Film “A Sea Change”/Discussion
  
• October 12: Film “Acid Test”  Speaker Mark Green shares his marine research on the effects of changing ocean chemistry on Maine shellfish
• October 19: Film “Fishing Voices” Speaker Niaz Dorry, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance fishing advocacy group, focuses on stewardship of the resource and challenges for Maine fishermen in today’s market
• October 26: Film “A Leap of Faith”  Discussion focuses on community-supported fisheries in Maine and the potential for a CSF in the southern  York County area

For more information, call the Church Office at 439-0650 or email ucckp@comcast.net

Study created by Maine Council of Churches

Join us for a discussion around sustainable seafood at the first annual South Shore Celebration! A premier event celebrating the fall harvest, local foods, and sustainable living. Sustainable seafood will be discussed from 12 - 12:45 p.m.

Other activities include:

For more information, please visit the Celebration's website.

For the third year in a row the Common Ground Country Fair is holding a Seafood Throwdown to further connect the fishing part of the Maine's food system to the farming part. And we couldn't be happier! Stay tuned for more details.

This year's Working Waterfront Festival will feature Seafood Throwdowns on both Saturday and Sunday. Chefs Henry Bousquet (Ice Chest) and Mike Melo (M & C Café) who tied in last year's competition will have a rematch on Saturday with the winner facing challenger Peter Doire (Area Chef for Legal Seafoods).

The chefs will compete to create a winning dish using a surprise seafood ingredient and local produce. Chefs can bring three of their favorite ingredients and once they discover the secret seafood they will be using, they get $25 and 15 minutes to shop the Festival Farmers' Market for ingredients. A panel of judges including fishermen and food writers will determine the winning dish.

Seafood Throwdowns provide an opportunity to learn more about our local seafood, local fishing fleet and fisheries related issues affecting our ocean, fishing economies and coastal food systems. The event is a collaboration between the Working Waterfront Festival and Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance.

Chefs Henry Bousquet (Ice Chest), Mike Melo (M & C Café) and Peter Doire (Area Chef for Legal Seafoods)

Join us for an evening cruise celebrating, Granite State Fish, one of the community based fishing organizations we support and Eastman's Local Catch, one of the pioneering CSFs and alternative marketing businesses as we bid them farewell.

It'll be a great night for great food, company, a cruise around the Isle of Shoals for the sunset and then we'll end with fireworks.

This is a catered event: Oysters, Lobster rolls, Clam Chowder, passed hors'deurves. Coffee and pastries. Cash bar.

Proceeds from the night will go to Granite State Fish, the non-profit that was created to assist commercial fishermen. Suggested Donatiion is $30.00 person. Kids are free.

You can make a donation when you arrive at the boat tomorrow night.

Cruise is 7-10PM- Leaving from Eastman's Docks in Seabrook- right behind our fish market. Try to arrive early if you can- we'll start boarding at 6:00PM.

One of the amazing perks of our partnership with the National Family Farm Coalition has been the friendship and camaraderie we've built with our friends at Farm Aid. This year, NFFC will once again have NAMA materials at the Homegrown Village. So stop by and say hi, and learn more about what fishermen and farmers have in common.

And if that weren't enough, this year's line up include: Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, Jamey Johnson, Jakob Dylan, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Robert Francis, Will Dailey & the Rivals, Rebecca Pidgeon, Billy Joe Shaver, and John Trudell.

Not only do we step out of downtown Gloucester for this next Seafood Throwdown, but we bring in MasterChef!

Our competing teams will be: Amelia's at 78 Thatcher Road, Gloucester who will be represented by Chef and owner Amelia Lopes and her daughter Danielle Vossantos. And just down the backshore at 125 Atlantic Road is the Breakfast Cafe at the Atlantis Ocean Front Inn. Chef Jessica O'Leary will be joined by MaryEllen Gigliotti.

Judges for this event Heather Atwood blogger on "Food for Thought" and columnist/video author for the Gloucester Daily Times, The Eagle-Tribune, and the Newburyport News. Joining her will be Laurie Lufkin of Essex, winner of cooking contests from the Essex Clamfest, Topsfield Fair, Florida, the Food Channel and Family Circle Magazine and back. Christian Collins, Gloucester resident and current contest survivor for TV show "MasterChef" will complete the judging booth. Emcees will again be Peter van Ness of "gimmesound.com, The New Music Pipeline" and Joey Ciaramitaro from "GoodMorningGloucester My View of Life on the Docks" blog.

All we are missing is Gordon Ramsey!

Seafood Throwdowns are back! And Cape Ann Farmers Market is the place to take part in the first Throwdown of 2011. Join us for an event focused on learning more about the ecological, social, economic and food system contributions of local seafood.

Three time Seafood Throwdown Champion Missy Sallah of Sugar Magnolias will be squaring off against Julie Ann Geary of Cape Ann Caterers featuring a mystery seafood provided by Cape Ann Fresh Catch. There will also be fish filleting demonstrations by master fish cutter Steve Parkes. Host and emcee duties will be shared by Good Morning Gloucester's Joey Cimartaro and Peter Van Ness from Gimmesound.com. 

Judging this event will be Loretta Lomba, head of the Chill Zone and a regular behind the Backyard Growers' table at the farmers market, a member of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association and Heather Fraelick, a local foodie and fitness enthusiast at Cross Fit Cape Ann. The dishes created by Missy and Julie will be judged on taste, use of the whole animal, originality and presentation.

Come join us for a fun, educational and tasty experience.

We have been saying that scale matters for a long time, so we are excited to see this two day workshop come together. Join us as we learn more about the ecological scales of the marine ecosystem.

Fishermen and scientists are continually learning that stock boundaries of marine species aren’t always what we once thought. Fishery managers often face dilemmas when ecological and management boundaries don’t coincide. This public workshop will explore how fisheries management can better use data on stock structure and ecological processes in achieving sustainable fishery resources. Costs and benefits of using increasingly detailed data in management will be discussed.

Key Questions:

What do we know and what progress has been made?

• Identify evidence of spatial scale structure of populations and ecosystems, and provide examples where such spatial scales have been successfully incorporated within a management context.

What do we need to know and how will we get there?

• Identify critical information, processes, and scientific and managerial requirements needed to achieve fisheries management at appropriate ecological scales.

What are the social incentives, benefits, and risks of alternative management scales?

• Given fine-scale stock structure patterns, what types of fisheries management approaches will maximize our knowledge about ecosystem structure and function?
• Specifically consider consequences of management units that are too large vs. those that are too small.
• Identify the potential impacts on access and utilization of catch allocations by the fishing community.

Invited Speakers

• Dr. Michael Fogarty, NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center
• Capt. Paul Howard, New England Fishery Management Council
• Dr. Ana Parma, Argentine Council for Science and Technology, Centro Nacional Patagonico
• Dr. Simon Thorrold, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Who Should Attend

All fisheries stakeholders are encouraged to attend and to submit in advance an idea for a talk/poster/panel discussion (see Abstract Submission).

Cost

Registration is $50, including breakfast, lunch, and parking for both days, as well as a copy of the summary report. Commercial fishermen may request a waiver of this fee. For an additional $25, join us for the poster session aboard the M/V Thomas Laighton, featuring locally-caught, sustainable seafood.

Format

The workshop will step sequentially through the above key questions, including a talk from an invited speaker, followed by break-out sessions. The break-out sessions will provide participants the opportunity to participate in open discussions as well as hear focused presentations on break-out topics.

Organizing Committee:

• Mike Armstrong, MA Division of Marine Fisheries
• Steve Cadrin, University of Massachusetts
• Aaron Dority, Penobscot East Resource Center
• Rachel Feeney (Co-Chair), Northeast Consortium
• David Goethel, NH Commercial Fisherman
• Jake Kritzer, Environmental Defense Fund
• Ken La Valley (Co-Chair), NH Sea Grant
• Melissa Sanderson, Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association
• Fred Serchuk, NOAA Fisheries NE Fisheries Science Center
• Bob Steneck, University of Maine
• Melissa Vasquez, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Regional Office
• Jim Wilson, University of Maine

For more information and to reserve your spot at the conference, please visit event website.

Explore a Tall Ship, set sail on the Sarah, Alabama or Prudence. Enjoy colorful ans exciting exhibits, boat-builders, arts and crafts, children's activites, great live bands, pirates and great food! All on the Hyannis working waterfront!

For more info. visit their website.

Join NAMA's Sean Sullivan and the crew from Cape Ann Fresh Catch at the WBUR Spring Festival. The festival will feature performers such as Livingston Taylor as well as the opportunity to meet WBUR personalities. Festival goers will be able to participate in rowing on the Charles River and best of all Cape Ann Fresh Catch will be serving fish cakes with our freinds from Turner's Seafood! Kids are free, more info here.

Join us as we Celebrate the Fleet!

10:00 am - Gathering of boats and friends
10:30 am - Blessing of the Fleet!
12:00 pm Food, music and celebrations begin!
12:30 pm A Maritime Themed Children's Bike Parade (ages 2yrs - 12 yrs) Sponsored by the Chatham Candy Manor
1:00pm Scholarships awarded, Tribute to Bob and Rosemarie Denn, and a few more surprises!
1:30pm Let the Fishermen's Olympics Begin!!!

This is a FREE event! 100% of donations will go directly to supporting fishing families on Cape Cod!

For more information please visit Women of Fishing Families' web site.

Join us for the second annual dinner at Nourish Restaurant to benefit NAMA while meeting some of the fishermen and women who bring us our locally caught seafood.

Please visit our website again for updates on the event and bios of fishermen and women joining us for an evening of celebrating our marine environment, NAMA and our local fishing economies.

Imagine the oceans without fish. Imagine your meals without seafood. 1 billion people rely on fish as an important source of protein. Watch the documentary "End of the Line" and learn from local experts about how you can play your part in saving this precious resource.

Refreshments and giveaways!

Speakers:

• Les Kaufman, BU Professor of Marine Biology
• Jen Goldstein, Wild Fisheries Specialist, NE Aquarium
• Katy Hladki, Aquaculture Specialist, NE Aquarium
• Niaz Dorry, Coordinating Director, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance

This event is open to General Public. Admission is free.

For more information, please contact:

The Small Farm Summit, a project of the Long Island Small Farm Initiative, marks the beginning of an on-going effort to cultivate active community support of sustainable local agriculture. The Summit will feature a full day of educational discussions and networking opportunities aimed at building community awareness and facilitating positive environmental action. The goals of the Long Island Small Farm Initiative are to help strengthen the local food system and to increase community awareness of and access to more locally-produced food.

NAMA'S direcotr, Niaz Dorry, will be part of two panel discussions: one on local fisheries and the other on community supported food efforts.

For more information and directions, please visit the summit's webpage.

Stellwagon Alive is hosting a special evening to premiere their new short film "Stellwagon Sweep: Restoring Stellwagon Bank National Marine Santuary."

In addition to the film, we'll see the tools used to remove harmful marine debris, and hear some of the people who have helped remove over 100,000 pounds of marine debris... and counting.

Refreshments and the most beautiful view of Boston Harbor, too!

This March marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. To celebrate, Oxfam America—an international development and relief organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and social injustice—is organizing more than 150 events worldwide.

Around the world—from Maine to Mali—women are leading efforts to find solutions to the complex challenges of hunger, poverty and climate change. These solutions include support for sustainable agriculture, community cooperatives, local food movements, women’s education programs, and more.

To raise awareness about these efforts, NAMA co-sponsored an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet® in Portland Maine along with leaders from Maine’s business, agricultural, environmental, culinary, non-profit, faith and philanthropic communities, to celebrate the role women play in feeding the world.

MASTERS OF CEREMONIES

• Diane Atwood, Medical Writer and Former Health Reporter for WCSH6
• Cathy Lee, Managing Director of Lee International and Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet Ambassador

HOST COMMITTEE

• Anne Burt, Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet Ambassador
• Cathy Lee, Lee International and Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet Ambassador
• Daphne Comaskey, El Camino Restaurant
• Eleanor Kinney, Slow Money Maine and Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet Ambassador
• Eloise Humphrey, El Camino Restaurant
• Heather Spalding, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
• Jill Agnew, Willow Pond Farm
• Reverend Jill Job Saxby, Maine Council of Churches
• Karen Volckhausen, Happy Town Farm
• Mary Allen Lindemann, Coffee by Design
• Nancy Dyer Gray, Harraseeket Inn and Broad Arrow Tavern
• Naomi Mermin, Naomi Mermin Consulting and Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet Ambassador
• Penelope Jordan, William H. Jordan Farm
• Sherry Huber, Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet Ambassador
• Stacia Hoover, Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet Ambassador
• Suzanne McCormick, United Way of Greater Portland and Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet Ambassador
• Theda Lyden, Harraseeket Inn and Broad Arrow Tavern

WITH SUPPORT FROM THE FOLLOWING CO-SPONSORS

American Lung Association, Bangor Savings Bank, Coastal Enterprises Inc., Cultivating Community, Good Shepherd Food Bank, William H. Jordan Farm, Lamey-Wellehan Shoes, Lee International, Maine Businesses for Sustainability, Maine Community Foundation, Maine Council of Churches, Maine Farmland Trust, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Maine Restaurant Association, Maine Women's Lobby, MOO Milk, Naomi Mermin Consulting, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Rabelais Books, Rising Tide, United Way of Greater Portland

29th Annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference

Join Boyce Thorne Miller, NAMA's Science & Policy Coordinator, for a panel on Environmentalism Gone Awry: The war on invansive species on Saturday, March 5th as part of this year's Public Interest Environmental Law Conference.

The Public Interest Environmental Law Conference is the premier annual gathering for environmentalists worldwide, and is distinguished as the oldest and largest of its kind. The Conference historically unites more than 3,000 activists, attorneys, students, scientists, and concerned citizens from over 50 countries around the globe to share their experience and expertise. The Conference is organized solely by the volunteers of Land Air Water (LAW), a student environmental law society, and is sponsored by Friends of Land Air Water (FLAW), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

The four-day Conference includes over 125 panels, workshops, and multi-media presentations addressing a broad spectrum of environmental law and advocacy. Topics include: forest protection and ecological restoration, grazing and mining reform, labor and human rights, air and water pollution, Native American treaty rights, globalization and "free" trade, environmental justice, corporate responsibility, marine wilderness, international environmental law, water rights and dam removal, oil and gas litigation, genetic engineering, and urban growth.

Each day of the Conference culminates with keynote presentations from preeminent activists, scientists, politicians, philosophers, and authors. Past keynote speakers include Robert Kennedy, Ralph Nader, David Brower, Terry Tempest Williams, Ward Churchill, Vandana Shiva, Paul Watson, Winona LaDuke, Gerry Spence, Ramona Africa,
Paul Hawken, and several recipients of the international Goldman Environmental Prize.

The Conference has become an event full of energy, innovation, and inspiration for all of us involved in the environmental movement. NAMA is glad to be invited to take part in this year's event and hope to see you there.

Past conference information, including brochures, can be found on the history page.

For more information, please browse their website or contact LAW.

Turning the Tides: Creating a Green and Clean Future

Join Boyce Thorne Miller, NAMA's Science and Policy Coordinator for a discussion on invasive species at this year's Public Interest Environmental Law Conference.

The Public Interest Environmental Law Conference is the premier annual gathering for environmentalists worldwide, and is distinguished as the oldest and largest of its kind. The Conference historically unites more than 3,000 activists, attorneys, students, scientists, and concerned citizens from over 50 countries around the globe to share their experience and expertise. The Conference is organized solely by the volunteers of Land Air Water (LAW), a student environmental law society, and is sponsored by Friends of Land Air Water (FLAW), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

For more information, please browse visit the conference website.

Food and fashion? What’s the theme? Would you believe consciousness?

It’s true. To live a sustainable lifestyle, you have to start somewhere be it with the appreciation of the food you eat or how your clothes got to you. The more conscious you are of living a slower, more quality lifestyle, the healthier your life becomes.

With that, we’d like to share dinner with you as we all support local food artisans, fully taste and engage in our flavorful dinners and have a little fun learning about stylish clothing made from organic materials. Join Shift, Slow Food Cape Cod and The Island Merchant for a 4 course sit down dinner incorporating local foods from
Barnstable Seafarms, E&T Farms, Salty Lous Lobster, & Cape Cod Beer.

Ticket Price: $42, includes tax, gratuity and a portion donated to Slow Food In Schools, a community-based youth food education project.

RSVP with Island Merchant at 508.364.6063 or email Bev Dunn at JoeBevDunn@AOL.com. Click here for more information about Shift.

We're excited for a new year of ALLocal Dinners sponsored by The Boston Local Food Committee of Sustainable Business Network (SBN) starting with this one. Join us!

Join us for a cozy evening:
CHANNEL CAFE
Tuesday, January 25th: 6 pm - 9 pm

Register now- click here!

Located in Boston's Fort Point Channel area, Channel Cafe has consistently included locally sourced food on its menu and local art on its walls.  For several years it has even been a delivery site for Enterprise Farm's organic CSA weekly farm share.  Under the new leadership of General Manager Joyce Parlapiano and Chef Tammie Watson, the restaurant features creative "New American" dishes that highlight the natural flavors of fresh local ingredients, satisfying the appetites of carnivores and vegans alike!

DETAILS About Channel Cafe ALLocal Dinner

What:  Three Course Meal and Local Cheese Plate. Prepared with 100% New England grown and prepared food. Sponsored by Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston

Where:  Channel Cafe
              300 Summer Street
              Boston, MA 02210
              (617) 426-0695
              Directions
When:  Tuesday, January 25  from 6:00 - 9:00 pm
             6 pm:  Local Draft and Bottled Beer, Wine & Mixology
             7 pm:  Dinner begins
 
Entree:  Choice of seafood or vegan entree
              (Specify preference when you register)
 
Price:  $45 (not including beverages and beverage gratuity)
 
Transportation:  MBTA Red Line:  South Station
                            Bus #4 and #7
                            Parking available on the street
 
Funds Benefit:  SBN's Boston Local Food Committee
      
Registration:  With limited seating, these events sell out quickly.

                        Register now by clicking here.
                        Questions:  Contact
katrina@sbnboston.org

Join us at the Ninth Annual Sustainable Business Network's Holiday Party at WBUR on Tuesday evening December 7th, 7PM - 9PM.

WBUR host of Here and Now, Robin Young, will interview Pulitzer Prize winner Sacha Pfeiffer. This continues the tradition of Robin interviewing NPR personalities and leaders such as Tom Ashbrook, Click and Clack, and WBUR General Manager Paul LaCamera.

Sacha Pfeiffer is currently the host of Radio Boston, WBUR's hour-long weekday show highlighting interesting people, places and issues in Boston and beyond, while its regular host is on maternity leave. Pfeiffer joined WBUR in 2008 after more than a decade as a reporter for the Boston Globe, where she was on the Spotlight investigative team that won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its stories on sex abuse in the Catholic church. At WBUR, she is also an on-air reporter covering health, science, medicine and the environment, and she has received an Edward R. Murrow Award and an Associated Press Award for broadcast reporting.

The theme of this years party and auction is A Celebration of All Things Local- local food, local drinks, local radio, local businesses and local auction items!(Details of auction items and online auction to follow shortly.)

Don't miss this fun celebration bringing together the local community
•    7:00PM - 9:00PM
•    WBUR Offices (Commonwealth Avenue and St. Paul Street, Boston)
•    Featuring Sacha Pfeiffer, interviewed by Robin Young
•    Silent and Live Auction of local products and services
•    Local refreshments and local drinks provided

To purchase tickets please click on the following links:

$50 per person

$75 per couple

You and members of your congregation are invited to attend a four-week program of study and reflection on the issue of ocean changes and fishing as the nexus of environmental and economic justice. The program, developed by the Maine Council of Churches, will feature films and speakers, background readings, and opportunities for personal and spiritual reflection and action. Please join us for the entire program or for any one session that is of particular interest. For more information, please call Rev. Ruth Morrison at 799-8396.

o Oct. 27th The first session will begin with an 80-minute screening of the critically acclaimed film A Sea Change. The film captures the journey of retired history teacher Sven Huseby, who travels around the world to speak with marine biologists, oceanographers, fishermen, artists, and climatologists about the impacts of a changing ocean chemistry on the fish that more than one billion people rely on for sustenance, and how this threat to the marine food web may affect his young grandson’s future. Participants will leave with reflection questions and optional reading. (This evening’s program will be 2 hours to allow time to screen the film and include discussion and reflection.)

o Nov. 3rd –Marine Science Professor Mark Green, PhD, St .Joseph’s College, will present his research on ocean acidification and its effects on Maine shellfish and lead a Q & A about the changing ocean after screening the 20-minute Natural Resources Defense Council film Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification. There will be an opportunity for small group discussion and reflection as well. Optional reading for Session 3 will be distributed.

o Nov. 10th – Tonight’s program will begin with Fishing Voices: Insight into the Future, a short film presentation produced by the Penobscot East Resource Center (PERC). The film focuses on Downeast fishermen, their families and their communities, and examines local fishing practices both past and future as Maine fishermen work with scientists and marine regulators to implement community-based fishing management for sustainable fisheries. Staff from the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance will present a short overview of Maine fish stock and management issues and lead a Q & A session.

o Nov. 17th – Focused on building local markets for sustainably harvested local seafood, this session features the Maine Council of Churches’ film A Leap of Faith. Members of First Universalist Church in Rockland and a Port Clyde fisherman share the story of their covenantal relationship that was the foundation for Maine’s first community-supported fishery (CSF). With local fishermen in attendance we will explore interest and opportunities for CSFs or other strategies for direct marketing to consumers in the greater Cape Elizabeth area.

You and members of your congregation are invited to attend a four-week program of study and reflection on the issue of ocean changes and fishing as the nexus of environmental and economic justice. The program, developed by the Maine Council of Churches, will feature films and speakers, background readings, and opportunities for personal and spiritual reflection and action. Please join us for the entire program or for any one session that is of particular interest. For more information, please call Rev. Ruth Morrison at 799-8396.

o Oct. 27th The first session will begin with an 80-minute screening of the critically acclaimed film A Sea Change. The film captures the journey of retired history teacher Sven Huseby, who travels around the world to speak with marine biologists, oceanographers, fishermen, artists, and climatologists about the impacts of a changing ocean chemistry on the fish that more than one billion people rely on for sustenance, and how this threat to the marine food web may affect his young grandson’s future. Participants will leave with reflection questions and optional reading. (This evening’s program will be 2 hours to allow time to screen the film and include discussion and reflection.)

o Nov. 3rd –Marine Science Professor Mark Green, PhD, St .Joseph’s College, will present his research on ocean acidification and its effects on Maine shellfish and lead a Q & A about the changing ocean after screening the 20-minute Natural Resources Defense Council film Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification. There will be an opportunity for small group discussion and reflection as well. Optional reading for Session 3 will be distributed.

o Nov. 10th – Tonight’s program will begin with Fishing Voices: Insight into the Future, a short film presentation produced by the Penobscot East Resource Center (PERC). The film focuses on Downeast fishermen, their families and their communities, and examines local fishing practices both past and future as Maine fishermen work with scientists and marine regulators to implement community-based fishing management for sustainable fisheries. Staff from the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance will present a short overview of Maine fish stock and management issues and lead a Q & A session.

o Nov. 17th – Focused on building local markets for sustainably harvested local seafood, this session features the Maine Council of Churches’ film A Leap of Faith. Members of First Universalist Church in Rockland and a Port Clyde fisherman share the story of their covenantal relationship that was the foundation for Maine’s first community-supported fishery (CSF). With local fishermen in attendance we will explore interest and opportunities for CSFs or other strategies for direct marketing to consumers in the greater Cape Elizabeth area.

You and members of your congregation are invited to attend a five-week program of study and reflection on the issue of ocean changes and fishing as the nexus of environmental and economic justice. The program, developed by the Maine Council of Churches, will feature films and speakers, background readings, and opportunities for personal and spiritual reflection and action. The study will conclude with a community chowder supper on Sunday, November 21. Please join us for the entire program or for any one session that is of particular interest.

o Oct. 20th/Oct. 24th– The Peace Center will present two screenings of the critically acclaimed film A Sea Change. The film captures the journey of retired history teacher Sven Huseby, who travels around the world to speak with marine biologists, oceanographers, fishermen, artists, and climatologists about the impacts of a changing ocean chemistry on the fish that more than one billion people rely on for sustenance, and how this threat to the marine food web may affect his young grandson’s future. Participants will leave with reflection questions and optional reading.

o Oct. 27th–Bigelow Lab Senior Research Scientist Dr. Barney Balch will lead a discussion about ocean acidification after screening the 20-minute Natural Resources Defense Council film Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification. Besides his work on ocean acidification, Dr. Balch’s research includes biocalcification, bio-optics, ocean color algorithms for satellite remote sensing, and algal viruses. There will be an opportunity for small group discussion and reflection as well. Optional reading for Session 3 will be distributed.

o Nov. 3rd – The program will begin with Fishing Voices: Insight into the Future, a short film presentation produced by the Penobscot East Resource Center (PERC) The film focuses on Downeast fishermen, their families and their communities, and examines local fishing practices both past and future as Maine fishermen work with scientists and marine regulators to implement community-based fishing management for sustainable fisheries. Staff from the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance will present a short overview of Maine fish stock and management issues and lead a Q & A session.

o Nov. 10th – Members of First Universalist Church in Rockland that has formed a covenantal relationship with a local farm family and the Port Clyde fishing community as part of its local foods ministry, and local fishermen will share their experience in creating Maine’s first community-supported fishery (CSF). We will explore interest and opportunities for CSFs or other direct marketing to consumers in the greater Damariscotta area.

o Nov. 21st – Community Chowder Supper will follow a presentation, By Land and By Sea, that examines a growing movement linking farmers and fishermen around their common challenges as communities endeavor to build local foods systems and food security. Amanda Beal and Ellen Tyler, Tufts graduate students and local foods advocates, will share the outcome of this project in Maine. The supper will include seafood and sea vegetable chowders, breads and desserts, created from local foods. Donations will be gratefully accepted.

For more information please contact study facilitator Andy Burt at 882-6848.

The National Family Farm Coalition presents an evening discussion with NAMA's director, Niaz Dorry, in Columbia, Missouri.

WHAT:    Discussion - 'Who Fishes Matters'

WHEN:    Saturday, October 23, 4PM-6PM

WHERE:  Broadway Brewery (lower level between 8th and 9th Streets on Broadway, downtown Columbia, MO)

WHY:      To learn more about our current fish and seafood sources and the problems facing family-owned fisheries

Niaz Dorry, coordinating director of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and advocate for policies promoting small-scale, local fisheries, will discuss, “Who Fishes Matters” at Broadway Brewery on Saturday, October 23.

Niaz will focus on the importance of new policies that advance the rights and ecological benefits of small-scale local, largely rural fishing communities and give more control to local fishermen. She will also draw comparisons with U.S. farm policies that have promoted large-scale factory farming, degrading our rural environments, economies and communities.

Prior to her position with NAMA she was with Greenpeace for 11 years and in Ohio for two years, fighting alongside her community against the WTI (Waste Technologies Industries) hazardous waste incinerator in East Liverpool. She has also worked with the Healthy Building Network, helping to rebuild communities in the Gulf region after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and is well aware of the problems facing rural communities through concentration, lost markets and diminished health care.

Happy hour will include $2.75 Broadway Brewery drafts and some delicious tasting plates, so bring your friends, family and students!

Hope to see you there!

NAMA AT TERRA MADRE: NAMA will be sending organizer Brett Tolley along with Rhode Island fisherman Lou Frattarelli to Torino, Italy for the 4th Annual Terra Madre Slow Food Conference. As part of a New England team of delegates Brett and Lou will discuss sustainable fisheries and innovative solutions for keeping small-scale sustainable food production alive and well. And also that Who Fishes Matters! Together with NAMA, representatives from the Eat Local Food Coalition of Maine as well as the Penobscot East Resource Center will attend. The team will be sharing lessons from New England as well as gathering stories and inspiration from other small-scale food providers around the world.  

ABOUT TERRA MADRE: Terra Madre brings together those players in the food chain who together support sustainable agriculture, fishing, and breeding with the goal of preserving taste and biodiversity. Terra Madre is an international conference that gathers sustainable food producers, farmers, cooks, educators and activists from around the world to connect and share their stories and traditions. Delegates come from over 150 countries.

The Salone del Gusto - the world's largest artisanal food marketplace - is held concurrently, in part for delegates to gain a deeper sense of how small-scale sustainable producers can market their products effectively.

CONFERENCE DETAILS: The program for the Terra Madre 2010 “Earth Workshops” is online and has a great interactive tool: online forums. You can access the schedule of Earth Workshops and links to the forums by clicking here.
This is your opportunity to help shape the content of the workshops at Terra Mare. You can post questions, answers, documents, or links to other sites. The more you get involved, the deeper the conversation will be able to go.
People will be participating in the forums in Italian, English, Spanish and French. A translation service is not available so please write as clearly and concisely as possible. Each forum has a moderator who handles it: they will coordinate discussion opening new topics and commenting.

In New Orleans, food is used to make a cultural connection uniting urban farmers, food banks, fishers, faith-based organizations, and others as they work towards social justice. At Food, Culture, & Justice: The Gumbo That Unites Us All, you will have the opportunity to see first-hand the unique regional and multi-cultural approach to food organizing taking place in New Orleans.

Join NAMA on Sunday, October 17 for two presentations:

10:45 am – 12:15 pm for a workshop about Credit and Capital for a Just and Sustainable Food System

Workshop description: To create jobs and strengthen our food and local economy, farmers, fishers and workers must have fair access to capital, credit and disaster assistance. Session attendees will learn of the barriers food producers face in our financial infrastructure, including farmer access to agricultural land, fisherman’s access to fishing rights and the strategies necessary to redefine this infrastructure.

Workshop speakers include:

• Lisa Griffith, NFFC
• Scott Marlow, Rural Advancement Foundation International – USA
• Bob St. Peter, Food for Maine’s Future
• Hilde Steffey, Farm Aid
• Ben Burkett, Mississippi Association of Cooperatives
• Niaz Dorry, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance

4:15 – 5:45 pm for a workshop on Confronting Corporate Power in the Food System: ¡Sí Se Puede!
 
There are over two million farmers and fishermen, 15 million food system workers, and 300 million eaters in the US. Standing between them are a handful of corporations who control how food gets from one side to the other. Learn from people working to change that equation, through organizing, education, and direct action.
 
Speakers:

• Joel Greeno, National Family Farm Coalition
• Darrin Browder and Derek Robinson, Restaurant Opportunities Center of New Orleans
• Diana Robinson, United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, NYC (unconfirmed)
• Niaz Dorry, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance
• Karen Washington,  New York City Urban Farmer
  Facilitator: Kathy Ozer, National Family Farm Coalition

This is not a conference to just stay in the hotel and never go outside. We’re offering many opportunities for you to explore the area through longer lunch breaks, an off-site reception, cooking classes, walking tours, and numerous pre-conference field trips to destinations in New Orleans and throughout the Gulf Coast Region. But don’t worry–we’ll still have insightful plenaries and workshops to inspire and educate you about the best of the food security movement. Session topics will include rebuilding local food economies, ending poverty and increasing food access, outcomes of the US Social Forum, environmental justice, public health links, food policy councils, urban agriculture, and more.

We’re also providing ample opportunities for networking through topic-specific networking sessions, forums and CFSC committee meetings.

We hope to see you there!

Local Fisheries Advocate Niaz Dorry to Speak at Duke on October 14

DURHAM, N.C. – Niaz Dorry, coordinating director of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and a widely cited advocate for policies that promote small-scale, local fisheries, will give a free public talk, “Who Fishes Matters.”

In her talk, Dorry will explain why enacting and enforcing new policies that advance the rights and ecological benefits of small-scale local fishing communities, and give more control to local fishermen, is essential for protecting global marine biodiversity.

She will draw comparisons with U.S. farm policies, which, she says, have promoted the emergence of large-scale factory farming that is driving many family farmers out of business, degrading the environment, threatening the security of the nation’s land-based food systems, and sapping the vitality of farming communities.

The talk is sponsored by DukeFish, (www.dukefish.org), the graduate student chapter of the American Fisheries Society at Duke University, and by Walking Fish, (www.walking-fish.org), a community-supported fishery launched by DukeFish in cooperation with Carteret County, N.C., fishermen in 2009.

Free parking for Dorry’s talk will be available in the Lasalle Lot, located on Circuit Drive adjacent to LSRC.  A volunteer will be stationed at the lot’s gate between 6:30 and 7 p.m. to let visitors in.

For more information about the event, please visit Duke University's website.

Hatteras Island, North Carolina – Sustainable seafood guides and mobile apps leave many consumers still in a quandary about which seafood is the “right” choice.

“In fact, most of the current standards do not recognize the ecological value of locally caught seafood,” says Niaz Dorry, executive director of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, a non-profit based in Gloucester, Massachusetts that works to improve marine resource management.

Dorry will talk about ways consumers can make informed seafood buying decisions that are good for local communities, local economies, and the environment at 6 p.m., Monday, October 11, 2010 at the Hatteras Village Community Building, located behind the library.

“When it comes to who should catch our seafood, a connection to coastal communities creates a much stronger sense of conservation and stewardship than a connection to Wall Street,” she says.

Dorry also will discuss local seafood initiatives, including community-supported fisheries programs and “seafood throwdown” cooking competitions, that have become popular in other areas.

“I can’t ignore the information that tells us there is a deep connection between healthy, viable fishing communities, healthy and diverse marine ecosystems, and the quality of the food we get from the sea,” Dorry says.

Hatteras Connection, a community-based development project, is helping organize Dorry’s visit to Hatteras Island and other NC coastal communities.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our island to learn more about successful initiatives in New England that might be adapted for use here,” says Susan West, Hatteras Connection coordinator.

Hatteras Connection is a community-based project dedicated to sustainable economic development and environmental stewardship, and committed to working to ensure a future for new generations of watermen on Hatteras Island.

For the second year, we are glad to take part in this benefit to support Boston's homeless men and women who are engaged in organic farming that provides fresh food to the Long Island Shelter, and local markets and restaurants.

This year we have once again teamed up with Cape Ann Fresh Catch Community Supported Fishery to provide seafood for this event. Join NAMA's director, Niaz Dorry, and others at this one of a kind event at Ashmont Grill.

Brought to you by Friends of Boston's Homeless.

We're back for the second year for a Seafood Throwdown at the New Hampshire Fish & Lobster Festival, therewise known as the Fishtival, this event debuted in 2009 and is a special collaboration between a variety of community organizations to support the local fishing industry. This year's Seafood Throwdown at the Fishtival is happening with support from Portsmouth Farmers' Market.

Participating in this year's Seafood Throwdown will be returning winner Alec Maxon, a chef and commercial fisherman vs. Susan Tuveson of Cacao Chocolates in Kittery. Will we have some chocolate covered seafood? Hmmm...

The emcee for the event will be Evan Mallet, chef and owner of Black Trumpet Bistro in Portsmouth. Judging the Seafood Throwdown will be John Borden, a commercial fisherman, Tom Ferrini, Mayor of Portsmouth, and cookbook author Jean Kerr.

The secret seafood will be revealed to the chefs at 11:20. They will then be driven to the Portsmouth Farmers' Market to shop for their ingredients. The cooking will begin at noon when the chefs retrun from their shopping spree.

Join us again this year for a Seafood Throwdown during this day long event. More details coming soon, so check back to find out who the chefs, judges and others involved will be.

For more information on the Fishtival, please visit their website.

Come celebrate the tail end of summer with Slow Food Boston -- and help us raise money for our Terra Madre scholarship fund at the same time! Terra Madre is a bi-annual international gathering of the world's food communities in Turino Italy. Participants must be delegated and then complete an extensive application in order to attend. We have a number of lucky locals (including NAMA's Brett Tolley, Rhode Island fisherman Lou Frattarelli and Allandale Farm's Jim Buckle and Wendy Mainardi) that have been accepted -- and Slow Food Boston is promising to help pay for transportation costs.

In order to help them do so, they're planning a group potluck picnic at the lovely Allandale Farm in Brookline on Sunday, September 19th from 10AM to noon. The theme? In honor of Terra Madre, it's ITALY! So, think frittatas or other egg dishes, marinated vegetable salads, sliced tomatoes & mozzarella, luscious bread and cheeses, cured meats or late summer fruit salads.

And for the bakers out there, they'll be having a dessert contest! Specifically, crostatas, pies or tarts made from fruits of the season. Since the last one was such fun, they decided to just had to do it again! (And maybe the first winner Elizabeth Dayton will return to try to hold on to her crown...??) Finally, to round out the morning, the good folks at Allandale will be offering hayrides, introducing their chickens (wait till you check out the exotics!) and giving a brief talk on raising backyard chickens.

They'll be providing coffee, tea, water and paper products, but please plan to bring your own plates, utensils and mugs - it is much appreciated by Mother Nature. And don't forget your picnic blanket, too!

Cost for the morning's fun is only $10 per person. Please reserve your space in advance and complete payment via Paypal or by sending a check prior to the event. And MOST importantly, please email Annette telling her what you'll be bringing. We want to be sure that the spread is as diverse as it is delicious!

Seafood Throwdown goes inland! To the border of Vermont & New Hampshire on the beautiful Connecticut River Valley. Join us as we partner with the Yankee Fishermen's Co-operative and New Hampshire Sea Grant.

Details about chefs, judges and emcee will be coming soon, so keep checking this site.

These chefs can't get enough of the Seafood Throwdown! Returning for the third time, Lisa Van Sand will once again take on another chef and a mystery seafood. This time she's going up against her friend Chef Jessica O'Leary of Atlantis Oceanfront Inn. Jessica was Lisa's seus chef at last year's Seafood Throwdown.

With the harvest season in full force, the chefs will have more to choose from as they pick the farmers market for local produce and foods to complement the mystery local seafood they'll be cooking with.

As always, lots of fun as we talk about what it means to have our fish and eat it too, without putting undue pressure on the ocean and marine ecosystem while keeping our fishing communities and their economies healthy. It's not either or.

Judges will include our old friend Hallie Baker of Turtle Alley Chocolates.  More to come.

Seafood is part of this town's economy, so it makes sense that a Seafood Throwdown be part of the Sidewalk Days that features the local, Main Street economy of Gloucester. Come see Intershell's chefs cook off against Latitude 43 chef!

This Seafood Throwdown is co-sponsored by the Gloucester Division of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Retailers.

We are a small diversified farm & fishery that harvests Atlantic Sea Scallops, Maine Lobster, pure Maine maple syrup, raw Maine honey, organically grown edible flowers, herbs, vegetables, field grown perennials & cut flowers. We use ecologically safe practices & organic methods in the management of our resources. We strive to educate the public about the importance of locally grown food and harvesting sustainable resources. Educational tours & activities included for children & adults: lobster display & buoy toss, maple displays, syrup samples & sap races, edible flower wild crafting display, weed identification, planting table, intercropping display, beekeeping & green manures demonstrations. Farm is accessible to the handicapped, capable of handling bus or group tours.

Take Rt 9 to Cross Roads in Sabattus. We are the Red farm & cape at the end of Cross Roads and junction of Sutherland Pond Road.

 Marblehead Chefs Square Off in Seafood Throwdown Cooking Competition at the Farmers Market

Marblehead , MA –
Chefs from two of Marblehead’s newest restaurants square off in a cooking competition at the Marblehead Farmers Market July 24, 2010 from 10-12AM.  The Chefs, Barry Edelman from Five Corner’s Kitchen and Paul Riccardi (Executive Chef) and Jake Soucy (Sous Chef) from Ataraxis Tavern will each cook a dish featuring a mystery local seafood and ingredients from the Farmer’s Market. The event will be judged by Marblehead’s queen of all things culinary, Rosalie Harrington, Leigh Vincola, Director of Marketing at Edible Boston Magazine as well as judged and emceed by Rosalie’s husband and morning radio host on WRKO Todd Feinburg.

The Marblehead Farmer's Market is held at the Marblhead Veteran's School, located at 217 Pleasant Street.

The Local Food Committee of the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) invites you to our Sixth ALLocal Dinner at Boston's latest restaurant to source local food: Restaurant Laura

Join NAMA and SBN for a special evening featuring a traditional Cape Verdean four course dinner
for $45. Fishermen working with NAMA will be providing the local seafood for the night's menu.

Cape Verdean cuisine depends upon fresh ingredients sourced locally and enhanced with Cape Verdean wine, rum and other drink specialties. For those interested, during the bar time from 6 - 7 pm, there will be a tour of the owner's wine cellar, one of the best sources for Cape Verdean wines and spirits in Boston. Live Cape Verdean and Jazz music will enhance the ambiance during the dinner.

Arlindo and Laura Correia are co-owners of Restaurant Laura and Cape Verdean Liquors next door. Laura has combined her cooking experience from one of the world's top hotel restaurants with her understanding and love of Cape Verdean cuisine, a blend of Portugese and African flavors, herbs, sauces, vegetables, fruits, seafood and meat. Arlindo brings his knowledge of wines and spirits, his love of jazz and Cape Verdean music and his devotion to local community and friends.This promises to be a very special evening.

During the four course meal, Arlindo & Laura will share their Cape Verdean dining with us. Bar with Cape Verdean wine, other spirits and wine cellar tour.  Prepared with 100% New England grown and processed food.

Another World is Possible!

NAMA has teamed up with the National Family Farm Coalition to put together two panels discussing strategies for redirecting funds, socially responsible investments and credit to ensure that family farmers and community based fishers do not go out of business as the recession in our rural communities deepen.  Two 2 hour panels to beheld at Cobo Hall: O2-40 on Wednesday, June 23rd starting at 1 p.m. The discussion are broken up with a 20-minute break to enjoy the harvests of our farmer and fisher leaders:

Representatives from farmer, fisher and consumer groups will discuss the strategies available for redirecting credit to ensure that farmers and fishers are not forced out of business as the recession in our rural communities deepen. In order to retain a domestic food economy, farmers, fishers and workers must receive fair prices and fair terms for borrowing necessary capital/credit. A panel discussion will be followed by a question and answer session with the audience.

1. How Does the Concentration and Control of Capital and Subsidized Loans to Corporate Agribusiness and Aquabusiness Threaten Our Food System? What are the strategies to redirect credit to ensure that farmers and fishers are not forced out of business as the recession in our rural communities deepen?

In order to retain a domestic food economy, farmers, fishers and workers must receive fair prices and fair terms for borrowing necessary capital and credit.

20-minute break to enjoy the harvests of our farmer and fisher leaders

2. A Three-Pronged Approach To Fighting Concentration in Fishing and Farming. This includes:

• debunking the myths of efficiency;
• uplifting successful locally based, grassroots models including CSAs/CSFs, cooperatives, farmers markets, local processing plants and community gardens; and,
• strengthening antitrust laws and their enforcement; emphasize the importance of ensuring fair access to credit, capital, crop insurance and disaster assistance as discussed in session 1.

Other workshops and community art and culture programs will take place across the city. The USSF will convene social movements from across the United States and globally. Organizers are reaching out to young people, people of color, unionists, laid off and unorganized workers, welfare recipients, veterans, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, freedom fighters, collectives, and many others. For more information, visit their website.

Come and visit NAMA's booth at the Cape Cod Maritime Festival to be held on the museum grounds at the historic Hyannis, MA waterfront. Learn more about local Community Supported Fisheries and find opportunities for you and your community to get involved!

The Cape Cod Maritime Festival: 

The Cape Cod Maritime Festival held on the Museum grounds and the Hyannis waterfront celebrates the rich 

nautical history, and life on and near the sea.  

• The Museum’s own 1886Crosby catboat replica, Sarah, is available for exhibition and harbor rides. 

• Exciting ongoing exhibits, children’s programs, and special rotating exhibits take place in the museum. 

• Tall ships, boat builders, nautical craft demonstrations, local artists, environmental and educational 

activities, historical exhibits, children’s activities, musical performers, pirates and - of course – local 

seafood, surround the museum encompassing the Hyannis waterfront. 

• Events are among the most successful tools available to increase tourism. It is our goal to work with 

the business community to make the Cape Cod Maritime Festival a destination which will bring visitors 

and their friends and families back year after year. 

• Association with a positive cause. Audiences are likely to maintain a loyalty to sponsors they see 

contribute to their community or cause.  In addition to the obvious visitor appeal a Maritime Museum 

brings to our region we are becoming more and more an important community resource. Your 

sponsorship will not only defray the cost of the festival but will directly benefit the museums expansion, 

educational and outreach programs, and exhibits.  

• Brand Visibility. Our promotional campaign will consist of regional print advertising and listings in 

periodicals, daily and weekly publications. Promotion online, and on the radio will consist of calendar 

and events listings, in collaboration with our business and cultural partners. Banners, posters, and flyers 

will be well placed and direct mailed. Our Event Guide will be distributed prior to and during the event. 

Our first Seafood Throwdown in New York City!  And, we are excited to have Chef Teresa Montano of Colors Restaurant in New York City face off against members of the artist collective Spurse, in a heart-pounding race to transform a secret locally caught seafood, combined with whatever they choose from the farmers market vendors, into culinary delights. The seafood is revealed to the competitors only moments before the competition begins, and then it’s a contest of speed and creativity. Judging this spectacular competition will be Food Network Sous Chef Miriam Garron and Food Network Magazine Recipe Developer, Claudia Sidoti, Greenmarket/GrowNYC's Executive Director, Marcel VanOoyen, and Long Island fisherman Phil Karlin with restaurant owner Jimmy Carbone of Jimmy’s No. 43 giving the play-by-play of the entire event. 

This Seafood Throwdown is a little different as it kicks off a two-year tour of public events for Spurse's mobile installations, collectively called OCEA(n): Ocean Commons Entanglement Apparatus (in the absence of the concept of 'Nature'), which is on display at the Kitchen as part of Whitney Museum of Art's Independent Studies Program.  OCEA(n) designed to introduce people to the complexities of gathering and at the same time protecting living resources of the sea.  Inspired by NAMA’s book Sharing The Ocean, this installation is intended to enable educational events such as “Seafood Throwdowns” through its innovative design capable of staging a wide range of unexpected encounters. During its journey along the Northwest Atlantic coastline, OCEA(n) will wander across various geographic, ecological and institutional boundaries to revisit contemporary ideas about cultural-natural world relationships.

For this event, OCEA(n) will be moved from the exhibit hall and installed at the market as the provisional kitchen. Chefs will be assigned a team of young art patrons participating in Whitney’s Family Program to aid them in shopping and preparation. Each chef will be allowed to bring three of his/her favorite ingredients to the market.  After they discover their secret seafood, each team will get $100 to spend at the farmers market in a 20-minute shopping frenzy. The teams will then have an hour to cook and plate their creations for the judges.  Public tastings will be available.

The event is a collaboration between Spurse, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA), GrowNYC/Greenmarkets and Whitney Museum of American Art.  It promises to be a fun, educational and community-driven activity designed to link the importance of locally caught seafood to the health and resilience of our ocean: Know your seafood; know your local fishermen; and know your local fishery ecosystem and how it fares!

Download the press release for more information.

The objective of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) is to contribute, through consultation and cooperation, to the conservation, restoration, enhancement and rational management of salmon stocks subject to the Convention taking into account the best scientific evidence available to it. The Convention applies to the salmon stocks that migrate beyond areas of fisheries jurisdiction of coastal nations of the Atlantic Ocean north of 36°N throughout their migratory range.

Only Governments are members of NASCO, which has seven Parties: Canada, Denmark (in respect of the Faroe Islands & Greenland), the European Union, Norway, the Russian Federation and the United States of America. Iceland withdrew from NASCO with effect from 31 December 2009 because of financial considerations, but has indicated that it intends to re-accede to the Convention when the economic situation improves. NASCO also has 34 accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who are permitted to observe proceedings and present positions as a single body at NASCO meetings. NAMA is one of the accredited organizations, and Science and Policy Coordinator, Boyce Thorne-Miller represents us at annual meetings. This year she also served as the North American NGO representative on a review panel charged with commenting on member governments' reports summarizing their respective accomplishments with respect to minimizing impacts on wild salmon by salmon aquaculture, introductions and transfers.

The Twenty-Seventh (2010) Annual Meeting of NASCO will be held in Québec City, Canada, 1 - 4 June 2010. The meeting is open to representatives of all NASCO Parties, Governments who are not Parties to the Convention, IGOs (International Governmental Organizations), and accredited NGOs. Boyce will attend this meeting and will participate in the Special Session on Aquaculture, Introductions and Transfers, during which she and other members of the review group will present their findings.

More information about the organization and the meeting can be found at the NASCO website www.nasco.int and official papers for the meeting can be viewed at the following web address: http://www.nasco.int/2010councildocs.html .

The Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar, is listed as endangered in the US where only a few river runs in Maine are still found. Our neighbor Canada has many more salmon and a more active aquaculture industry, although the US industry is building. Salmon aquaculture poses serious threats to wild Atlantic salmon, primarily through escapes that lead to interbreeding between farmed and wild salmon and the spread of diseases, especially parasitic sea lice, between farmed and wild salmon.

For more information about Atlantic salmon, see the NASCO website and the website for our fellow North American NGO, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, www.asf.ca . And look for additional information and NASCO meeting outcomes on this websit in the future.

Chatham Fish Pier
9:30 a.m. BLESSING OF THE FLEET - A celebration, and blessing, of Chatham’s local fishing fleet.

Chatham Community Center
12:00 p.m. MARITIME FESTIVAL BEGINS - Explore the Row of Resources, dig into some food from George's Fish Market, Red Nun Bar & Grill, Harmon's Clam Cakes & more, and check out the kids' area, which includes a Moonbounce, face painters, jugglers, Roaming Railroad rides & balloon animals!

1-2:00 p.m. WALLY the GREEN MONSTER from FENWAY PARK!

2:30-5:00 p.m. FISHERMEN’S OLYMPICS
Watch as the fishermen compete in the fast paced (often hilarious) Fishermen’s Olympics as they show off their fishing skills against one another! There will be rope coiling, shucking, survival suit competition, and even some sumo wrestling – you will not want to miss this!

5-7:00 p.m. THE TOTAL STRANGERS
Grab a Cape Cod beer and join us for music and dancing under the tent with the local, fun-loving band The Total Strangers! Hunky and friends are sure to end the evening with some great music and lots of energy!

For more information, visit their website.

Brought to you by...

Join us in Detroit for a panel discussion at this year's conference focused on adding seafood to the cafetaria menu.

Bringing Local Foods to Schools, By Land and By Sea

Amanda Beal, Cultivating Community / Maine Eat Local Foods Coalition
Brett Tolley, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance
Jessica Libby, Port Clyde Fresh Catch
Amy Winston, National Farm to School Network

By introducing a series of innovative projects currently underway
in New England, presenters will illustrate and lead discussion on how
the Farm to School movement can be strengthened by building alliances
between farming and fishing communities; thus, providing youth in
coastal communities fresh local foods from both land and sea.

Farm to Cafeteria programs are taking root in schools, hospitals colleges, day cares and other institutions. Come to Detroit for the 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference to learn how you can start and scale up a program in your community. Check out their website for updates.

Come hear community food industry leaders talk about the issues of raising and bringing high quality food to market and learn how they affect farmers, producers, merchants; and learn more about the produce, seafood, beef and poultry that is raised here.

Panelists:

David Warner, City Feed and Supply
John Lee, General Manager and Jim Buckle, Farmer, from Allandale Farms
Niaz Dorry, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance
Jamie Lionette, Owner of (formerly) Lionette's Market
Ridge Shin, Hardwick Beef

Moderated by Ilene Belahzar, Edible Boston Editor/Publisher

Transforming Ideas into Action
The 2010 Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference will bring together thousands of community and business leaders, union members, environmentalists and elected officials to transform our ideas into action and to build a new, green economy that creates good jobs, reduces global warming and makes America more energy independent.

Mark the date and plan to join us for three days of keynote addresses, informational workshops and this year’s Green Jobs Expo.

We're very proud of working with the Maine Council of Churches on their Fishes and Loaves project, a study and reflection about how our oceans and fishing communities are being affected by environmental changes.

Starting April 28 and through the month of May, congregations in Kennebunk and Bar Harbor will engage in a month long study of the ocean and the activities that affect its health.

Details for Bar Harbor events:

Wednesdays, April 28 – May 19 6:30-8pm

St. Saviour’s Episcopal Church

41 Mt. Desert Street, Bar Harbor, Maine

April 28 & May 5: Award-winning Film “A Sea Change” (shown over two weeks with discussions each week)

May 12: Film “Fishing Voices” /Speaker: Robin Alden, Executive Director, Penobscot East Resource Center, focusing on stewardship of the resource and challenges for Maine fishermen in today’s market.

May 19: Film “A Leap of Faith”/Speaker: Aaron Dority, manager for the Downeast Sentinel Fishery Project, focusing on creating balanced supply and demand for local seafood and community-supported fisheries for the greater Bar Harbor area

Details for Kennebunk events:

Wednesdays, April 28 – May 26 6:30-8pm

St. David’s Episcopal Church

138 York Street (Rte 1 South), Kennebunk, Maine

April 28 & May 5: Award-winning Film “A Sea Change” (shown over two weeks with discussion each week)

May 12: Film “Fishing Voices” /Speaker: Niaz Dorry, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance Director, focusing on stewardship of the resource and challenges for Maine fishermen in today’s market

May 19: Film “A Leap of Faith”/Speaker: Brett Tolley, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance community organizer, focusing on community-supported fisheries in Maine and the potential for a CSF in the York County area

May 26, 5-6:30pm: Chowder Supper, featuring local seafood

For more information, please contact the local churches involved and the Maine Council of Churches.

Celebrate the earth, its ocean and those who bring us food from the ocean on April 20th at Nourish Restaurant in Lexington, MA.

Make your reservations today! Make your reservation today for the Sustainable Local Fish dinner at Nourish Restaurant. Meet six local fishermen and fisherwomen and learn about why they fish, what inspires them, what fishing means to them and how they are working to make sure they put food on our table while leaving the smallest foot print on the ocean.

Spend time with:

• Ed Barrett of Marshfield, Massachusetts
• B.G. Brown of Gloucester, Massachusetts
• Shareen Davis of Chatham, Massachusetts
• Carolyn Eastman of Seabrook Beach, New Hampshire
• Paul Metivier of Salisbury, Massachusetts
• Lou Frattarelli of Bristol, Rhode Island

Brought to you by NAMA and Nourish Restaurant.

Make your reservation by calling Nourish at (781) 674-2400.

Purpose: The goal of this public meeting is to discuss how the Northeast region as a whole can improve the collection of social and economic data about marine fisheries and its incorporation into fisheries management.

Participants:
This public meeting will be geared to a multi-stakeholder audience of fishermen, scientists, fishery managers, students and others with an interest in the social and economic impact of fisheries management.

Registration: Registration is $20. Break refreshments, lunch and a parking permit are included.

A registration fee waiver is available to commercial fishermen. Contact Ken La Valley 603-862-4343 or Rachel Feeney 603-862-2276 for more information.

Organizing Committee:

• Ken La Valley - NH Sea Grant and UNH Coop. Ext.
• Rachel Feeney - Northeast Consortium
• Dan Georgianna - UMass SMAST
• Earl Meredith - NOAA/NEFSC
• Eric Thunberg - NOAA/NEFSC
• Curt Rice - Retired Fisherman, NAMA Board
• Angela Sanfilippo - Mass. Fisherman's Partnership

Event Sponsors:

• NH Sea Grant
• Northeast Consortium
• Northeast Cooperative Research Partners Program

For more information, please visit the symposium website.

How to Make Smart Choices about Putting Meat and Fish on Your Table

$5 per person

A panel of local producers will explore how raising meat and fish sustainably can benefit animals, the environment, and consumers seeking better tasting food. Learn practical tips for choosing and sourcing meat and fish for your carnivorous kitchen, and bring your tough questions to a Q&A with panelists.

A mini farm market featuring sustainable meat and fish from our panelists will be available for ticket-holders after the panel.

Featuring Jerry Peele of Herondale Farm in Ancramdale, New York; Craig Haney of Stone Barns Center in Pocantico Hills, New York; and Justin Libby of the Midcoast Fishermen’s Cooperative and Port Clyde Fresh Catch in Port Clyde, Maine. Conscious consumer advocate and author, Alexandra Zissu, will moderate. Alexandra will be available to sign copies of her new book, The Conscious Kitchen, following the program.

Advance registration is required, so visit their website for more information. Call 914 366 6200 x151 to reserve your tickets.

5th Annual Local and Sustainable Foods Conference: Building Urban/Rural Alliances and Mud Season Dinner Saturday, April 10th at St. Mary’s Nutrition Center in Lewiston, ME.

This year’s conference will explore key issues facing Mainers working for positive change in local and regional foodsheds. Through workshops, discussions, and facilitated planning sessions conference participants will help create a set of Action Plans to guide our growing movement towards an equitable food system with justice and dignity for all.

Sunday, April 11th Food Policy Mini-Conference 10am – 2pm
St. Mary’s Nutrition Center, Lewiston, ME.

For more info call (207) 692-2571 or visit their website.

Greening the Community: Green economy, organic environments and healthy people 

The 28th National Pesticide Forum
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
April 9-10, 2010

• Pesticide-free communities
• Opportunities for a green economy
• Organic lawns and community spaces
• Pesticides and health
• Great Lakes and water
• Much more

For more information, visit Beyond Pesticides.

NAMA is once again teaming up with the Sustainable Business Network for the next ALLocal Dinner. This time at The Independent.

On Monday, March 15th, The Independent in Union Square in Somerville is carrying the ALLocal Dinner torch.

Currently, restaurant manager Jess Willis is scheming with her chef, local farms and possibly Organic Renaissance to locate locally grown and sourced food at a particularly difficult transition time between winter crops and spring sowing.  With fish as a daily specialty at The Independent, and NAMA donating the seafood for this particular event, we are betting fish will be an entree along with a vegan option.  Dave of Dave’s Pasta attended the ALLocal Dinner at nourish Restaurant and SBN has challenged him to seek out the local flour available in Maine and more recently in western MA so that he can possibly provide not just fresh, but truly local pasta made locally grown ingredients.

For more information, please visit SBN's website.

This is the largest event of its kind in New England – one dedicated to offering fishermen, clammers, lobstermen, aquaculturalists and other related seafood industry participants an opportunity to meet on neutral ground with fisheries managers, state representatives, Congressmen and Senators.  In addition, there are family programs, a Trade Show, a Seafood Reception highlighting Maine’s seafood, a Banquet/Dance on the last night, as well as a benefit auction to raise money for kids from seafood families.

NAMA's booth will be in the main lobby of the Samoset Resort.  We'll also be a part of the By Land & By Sea discussion on Friday @ 9 a.m. and the experimental summer shrimp fishery discussion at 1 p.m.

100% of the proceeds from the Forum's Friday night auction are given out to kids from Maine seafood families – and that is an unusual event in today’s tight economy!  Anything donated to the Maine Fishermen's Forum auction would be greatly appreciated – especially by the kids who, with hope and blessings, will do Maine and its citizens proud in their future endeavors.

For more information, please visit the Maine Fishermen's Forum's website.

Auburn - First Universalist Church, 169 Pleasant St
Bangor - Beth El Synagogue, 183 French St
Belfast - Unitarian Universalist Church of Belfast, 37 Miller St
Brunswick - St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 27 Pleasant St
Damariscotta - Great Salt Bay School, 559 Main St
Farmington - Fairbanks School Meeting House, 508 Fairbanks Rd
Hallowell - St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 18 Union St
Norway - Christ Episcopal Church, 35 Paris St
Portland - Woodfords Church, 202 Woodford St
Rockland - First Universalist Church, 345 Broadway
Waterville - Barrel's Community Market, 74 Main St
Wells - Laudholm Farm, Laudholm Farm Rd

For more information and an updated list, visit the MOFGA website.

Gone Fishing: Chef Gilson of Garden at the Cellar (left), Michael Piazza of Michael Piazza photography, Brandon of Garden at the Cellar and Leigh Vincola of Edible Boston onboard the Toby Ann before heading out for their fishing trip.Localvore Brunch @ The Garden at the Cellar
Come celebrate this inaugural brunch at the Garden. Local food! Brunch!

This is a rare treat to support Localvores and tasting Chef Will Gilson's handywork.  A James Beard award winning chef, Will Gilson went out fishing on the F/V Toby Ann last summer to catch the fish he cooked for his dinner at the James Beard House last summer.  We can't wait for this Sunday!

This event is a fundraiser for the Boston Localvores.

Check out the menu.

Garden at the Cellar is located at 991 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA‎.  For more information, please visit the Localvore's website.

Join NAMA's director Niaz Dorry, February 1st, on the role of direct marketing in sustainability of the ocean and fishing communities.

For more information, please visit the Seafood Summit's website by clicking on this link.

Join NAMA for a panel discussion on Community Supported Fisheries (CSF) on Saturday, January 30 during the East Coast Commercial Fishermen's Expo sponsored by the Maryland Waterman's Association.  The three day event will be held at the Ocean City Convention Center.

For more information please contact Kelly Barnes at 800-421-9176 or visit the Maryland Waterman's Association's website.

Somerville Climate Action, Transition Somerville, Boston Locavores and Groundwork Somerville present Farm Share Fair followed by the screening of the film "The Power of Community."

Bring your checkbooks so you can sign up for shares in a Community Supported Agriculture or Community Supported Fishery, learn more about local foods and enjoy a great, informative film.

79 Highland Avenue in Somerville, MA

Free Admission.

A summit for family farmers, community gardeners, concerned citizens, activists, advocates, parents food experts, policy makers, environmentalists, nutritionists, educators, urban planners, urban designers, government, community, business and civic leaders, educators, elected officials, city government leaders. The goal of this Summit is to increase engagement and action around our food system’s role in climate problems and solutions. Sponsored by Manhattan Borough President - Scott M. Stringer, Just Food and New York University.

Plenary Speakers:
Anna Lappé, Founder, Small Planet Institute
Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies & Public Health, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University

A FOOD DRIVE WILL BE SPONSORED BY NYU’S CAMPUS HARVEST FOOD DRIVE.
PLEASE BRING HEALTHY FOOD FOR DONATION TO CITY HARVEST.

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For more information, please contact Office of the Manhattan Borough President at 212-669-2094. kspaulding@manhattanbp.org or their website.

• Why regional?
• What does a regional food system look like?
• What do we want?
• What will it take to get there?
• Who needs to be at the table?
• What are our realistic milestones?
• What do we need to know, measure and monitor?

What: The 17th conference and annual meeting of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG)

When: November 13-14, 2009

Where: Desmond Hotel and Conference Center, Albany, NY

Who: Food system advocates, policymakers, planners, researchers, Extension and other educators, farmer groups, food businesses, farm support organizations, consumer groups, students.

For more information, please visit the conference website.

Learn the importance of eating locally and how to source your family's meals with nutritious, locally grown and raised products such as grass-fed beef, organic vegetables, sustainably harvested fish, and cage-free chickens and eggs. Representatives from community farms, family-run operations and New England fisheries will take your questions and provide insight into the benefits of supporting local agriculture and direct farm-to-consumer relationships.

Panelists include:

• Niaz Dorry, Northwest Atlantic Marine Association
• Melanie Hardy, Land's Sake Farm
• Jen Hashley, Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds
• Angela Sanfilippo, Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association
• Christy Foote Smith, Drumlin Farm

For more information, please go to www.wccakids.org or contact Jean Arturi at jcarturi@yahoo.com.

RELOCALIZATION = Building the Resilient, Healthy, Just, Diverse, Sustainable, Local, People-Powered Communities of our Future

Join NAMA and other conference co-sponsors for a day of inspiration, information, sharing, speakers, panel discussions, workshops, tabling, great local food, music, fun, and transformative action.

NAMA's coordinating director, Niaz Dorry, will be facilitating a panel discussion on The Economics of Localization in addition to presenting on the Local Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security/Health panel.

For further information, please visit the conference website.

A whole day of events; stimulating presentations in the morning, a delicious soup and salad farm lunch using all local produce and a variety of excursions in the afternoon.

Speakers and chefs include:

Eliot Coleman & Barbara Damrosch

Terry-Anya Hayes

Ingrid Bengis-Palei -"Tales of a Fishmonger - How It All Started and Continues"

Aaron Dority and Ginny Olsen

To learn more, please visit their website.

Boyce Thorne Miller, NAMA's sciece & policy coordinator, will be one of many scientists presenting at the Gulf of Maine Symposium this week. The event is organized by Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine (RARGOM), in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada St. Andrews Biological Station (DFO SABS), the Gulf of Maine Institute (GMRI), the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS) and the Gulf of Maine Census of Marine Life (GoMA/CoML) program.

Wondering who won the Throwdown!?  Click here to view photos of the event.

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association's Common Ground Country Fair is all about what's local to Maine.  This year, local seafood will take the stage at the Fair with a Seafood Throwdown featuring Chef Kerry Altiero of Café Miranda in Rockland and Chef Michael Greer of Badger Café in Union. Seafood Throwdowns are a community driven event to raise awareness about the environmental and economic benefits of locally caught seafood and community based fishermen.

At the Seafood Throwdown, Chefs Altiero and Greer will find out what the secret seafood ingredient of the day is, and then will be given $25 and 15 minutes to use the farmers market area of the fair as their pantry. They will then have one hour to prepare, cook and plate their dish for three judges. The chefs will also prepare enough to offer tastings to select group of fairgoers who received tickets at the beginning of the event.

Café Miranda has been operating since 1993, and was one of the first supporters of Port Clyde’s Fresh Catch Community Supported Fishery. The Badger Café is a casual cafe that supports small, local businesses for their fresh meats, cheeses, beer, wine, vegetables, and breads.
Join us at the Country Kitchen Demonstration Tent at 10am on Saturday, September 26th. You won't want to miss it!
About Common Ground Country Fair, September 25th - Sept 27th: The Fair allows fairgoers to make connections with a rapidly expanding base of organic farms in the state of Maine. Hundreds of vendors, exhibitors and demonstrators, more than 1,000 volunteers, and tens of thousands of fairgoers will gather to: share knowledge about sustainable living; eat delicious, organic, Maine-grown food; buy and sell beautiful Maine crafts and useful agricultural products; compete in various activities; dance; sing and have a great time. For more information, visit their website.

For more information, visit the New England Regional Fishery Management Council web site.

NAMA, Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association and Cape Ann Farmers Market bring you Seafood Throwdown, a fun, educational and community driven activity that promotes the ecological and economic benefit of locally caught seafood.

Seafood Throwdown was the brainchild of the partnership between the Cape Ann Farmers Market and the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA) as a way of promoting locally caught seafood and gauging the community’s interest in Community Supported Fisheries (CSF). Tailored after the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model, a CSF brings freshly caught local seafood to our kitchens while providing fishermen with a better price on less catch. CSF members give the fishermen financial support in advance, and in turn the fishermen provide a weekly share of locally caught seafood to their shareholders.

The Maine Fare Festival is a Celebration of Maine’s Culinary Resources Bringing Together Food Lovers, Chefs, Gardeners, Food Writers, Farmers, and Food-based Enterprises. For more information, visit their website.

You are invited to bring all your questions about restoring lost fishing rights through permit banking, catch shares or quotas, "days at sea", groundfish, and Community Supported Fisheries (CSFs) to a presentation by Penobscot East Resource Center.

The speakers will be Aaron Dority, Director of the Downeast Groundfish Initiative at Penobscot East Resource Center with fisherman-scientist Ted Ames, whose fisheries research has been recognized with a MacArthur "genius" Fellowship.

Recent changes in fisheries management are providing an opportunity that could return fresh fish to our towns. The speakers will focus on the innovative work that Penobscot East is doing to ensure a future for eastern Maine fishing communities, while supporting the dock-to-consumer supply of fresh, locally caught seafood for area residents.

The talk is sponsored by Blue Hill Co-op Community Market and Cafe.

Join us this summer as we highlight the local flavors of Essex County with three unforgettable dining experiences. With three local farms as the backdrop, we invite you to celebrate local farms & artisans with an evening of fine food, music & revelry.
Dinners are open to the public and will commence at 6:00 pm. Limited to 100 guests. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to American Farmland Trust as well as the Essex National Heritage Commission.
Tickets are $80/ea and will include a 4 course meal, cocktails & entertainment. Wine and beer will be offered by Jewel Towne Vineyards, Turtle Creek Vineyards and Mercury Brewing Co.

For more info

How often can say you’ve eaten a fish caught specifically for your dinner? Chef Will Gilson, a JBF Award semifinalist this year, is doing just that for this special farm-to-table meal. And, NAMA is proud to be workking with him on procuring the seafood he'll be using for his meal to help further promote the ecological benefits of locally caught seafood.  Will & his team will be fishing for the striped bass this Friday onboard a Gloucester based, small-scale boat, the Toby Ann, that fishes for striped bass as a way of supplementing his income and taking pressure off other species.  Gilson’s seasonal, New England–inspired cuisine embodies the locavore movement—almost all of his ingredients come from his own farm.
For more information, full menu and reservations click here

A series of informal events about fish, fishing, culture, and food to accompany the exhibit, Net Worth: The Rise and Fall of Maine’s Fin Fisheries.
Community Supported Fisheries: A New Trend
THURSDAY, JULY 23, 6PMMembers $5/Non-members $7
Many of us have heard of, or even participated in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) projects: local farms providing meat and vegetable production to share-owning individuals and families. Now this concept has been taken to sea with fishermen! Learn how this program got started and how it has grown on our own coast with Jennifer Plummer, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance’s Community Supported Fisheries Coordinator.

For more info go to www.mainemaritimemuseaum.org

Join NAMA at the Ipswich Seafood Throwdown during the Ipswich Goes Green Festival.
This ultimate seafood cookoff, sponsored by the Cape Ann Fresh Catch community supported fishing and Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance. Ipswich celebrity judges will select the top Chef in a fun, educational and community driven event that promotes the ecological and economic benefit of locally caught seafood.

Going head to head will be Chef Chris DeStefano from Christopher's Table and Chef Ray Morley, from Ipswich Bed and Breakfast and Ipswich Selectman. Chrissi Pappas of Ipswich Shellfish Fish Market and Leigh Vincola of Edible Boston will judge the Throwdown while Pat McNally of the Ipswich Selectman will emcee the event.

For more information, visit the Ipswich Goes Green.

The annual Slow Food and Wine Festival has been expanded into an East Coast Slow Food and Wine Festival with participation and attendance from Slow Food Chapters along the East Coast. The event will be held at Hopewell Valley Vineyards, which is surrounded by views of farmland and vineyards and is strategically located halfway between Boston and Washington, D.C. and near New York City, Philadelphia, Northern New Jersey and Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The 2009 Slow Food and Wine Festival features the best restaurants and the most celebrated professional wineries of the area. Attendees can sample dishes prepared with the season's locally grown vegetables, fruits, seafood, chicken, meats and more dished up by some of the most exciting chefs in the State. Participating restaurants will be announced in the near future on this site. For more information, visit their website.

The Bayside World Market & Fair features world music, dance, food, flea market goods, arts, crafts, children's activities, immigrants' journey stories and seminars for new Americans. For more information, visit their web site

Maine’s largest one day festival! The Old Port Festival features multiple stages of music, Maine-made arts and crafts, great food, shopping, and fun! Find out more!

Rising to the Challenge: Entrepreneurs Building Living Economies

Join independent business owners, local government officials, and community leaders to learn how Local Living Economies are transforming communities around the world.

Registration is now open for the 2009 BALLE conference in Denver, Colorado.

To learn more about the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) visit their website.

The Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center will host a day long “Demonstration Day” on Saturday, May 9, from 10 pm to 5 pm.

Join NAMA to hear readings from Sharing the Ocean: Stories of Science, Politics, and Ownership from America’s Oldest Industry, enjoy samples of local seafood caught by local family fishermen and discuss the future of our fisheries. The readings will take place at 11am.

The Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association will offer seafood cooking demonstrations under the big tent at 2pm. Join them for helpful cooking tips and tasty samples of local Gloucester seafood.

Other events scheduled throughout the day include an Historic Postcards Slide Show, live music by Not That Blonde, and children activities such as fish printing. Visitors can also explore a simulated shipwreck with Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary maritime archaeologists and observe a boat being hauled out of the water on the center’s 19th century marine railway. Plus many more events and activities.

The Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center is located at 23 Harbor Loop in Gloucester, overlooking Gloucester’s industrial Harbor. Open 7 days a week from May 7 thru October, 10 am – 5 pm. Admission is $5/adults, $2/children, $10 family maximum. For more information, call 978-281-0470 or visit their website.

The Brooklyn Food Conference will bring together a uniquely broad and diverse community of activists and interested persons to discuss and learn more about the critical food issues of our time and what role we as neighbors can play to address them. We will create a Brooklyn base for the food movement, advocating for Food Democracy in our neighborhoods and everywhere in the world. Food Democracy is here defined as a just, sustainable, healthy and delicious food system.
Co-sponsored by the Park Slope Food Coop (PSFC), World Hunger Year, Caribbean Women’s Health Association (CWHA), Brooklyn Rescue Mission and Brooklyn’s Bounty, this one-day, Brooklyn-wide conference will educate Brooklynites about what we at the grass roots can do to address our broken global food system. Why do we have food shortages and skyrocketing prices? How are high rates of obesity and diabetes related to cheap prices for corn, sugar, and other subsidized commodities produced by agribusiness and added to our food by big food manufac­turers? We’ll learn how the food system impacts social justice, human health, and environ mental sustainability. We’ll also discover local, regional, national, and inter­national organizations working to change the system by providing healthy, environ­mentally sustainable food and protecting those who produce it.
For more information, check out the Brooklyn Food Conference website.

This national environmental conference will focus on environmental and public health, organic agriculture, domestic fair trade, organic lawns and landscapes, and much more. Visit the conference website for more information.