Sustainable food habits discussed by award-winning author in C of I lecture
2011. 03. 14.
The College of Idaho will wrap up a winter speaker and film series celebrating “2011: The Year of Idaho Food,” with guest speaker Ann Vileisis. The critically-acclaimed author will lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, at Langroise Auditorium. The lecture is open to the public and will be followed by a book signing and a reception featuring food from local farmers. Vileisis also will be available for one-on-one interviews with the media between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
“Our students are increasingly aware of the importance of local food sources,” said Rochelle Johnson, a professor of Environmental Studies at C of I. “Ann Vileisis' work explains why much of our population purchases food without knowing where that food comes from and reminds us of the important connections between farms, food and community.”
Vileisis' lecture will explore themes from her book Kitchen Literacy: How We've Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes From and Why We Need to Get it Back, including how America arrived at its current food production and consumption system and what can be done to improve it. The lecture is the finale of an on-campus speaker and film series organized by C of I professors Johnson, Don Mansfield and Jim Angresano. The series is part of the state-wide initiative “2011: The Year of Idaho Food,” a grassroots effort created by the Treasure Valley Food Coalition to highlight the variety of foods grown in Idaho and the social, economic and environmental significance of those foods. Last week, the Idaho State Legislature passed a resolution officially declaring 2011 the Year of Idaho Food. For more information, visit www.nwfoodnews.com.
The reception following Vileisis' lecture will feature a local food menu offering the products of approximately ten Treasure Valley farms, prepared by Bon Apettit.
Founded in 1891, The College of Idaho is the state's oldest private liberal arts college. It has a century-old tradition of educating some of the most accomplished graduates in Idaho, including six Rhodes Scholars, three Marshall Scholars, and another ten Truman and Goldwater Scholars. The College is located on a beautiful campus in Caldwell, Idaho. Its distinctive PEAK curriculum challenges students to attain competencies in the four knowledge peaks of the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and a professional field, enabling them to graduate with an academic major and three minors in four years. For more information on The College of Idaho, visit www.collegeofidaho.edu.