by Kathleen Nay
“With nearly a dozen conferences taking place in and around Boston this month, how should I choose which one(s) to go to?” If you’ve been asking yourself this question, you’re in luck. Kathleen Nay has the rundown of food and nutrition conferences, seminars and lecture series to check out.
Graduate school is about learning a subject deeply, engaging in research, networking and thinking about the future, whether that’s our future careers or the future of our field. An excellent way to participate in all of these endeavors is to attend conferences that offer meaningful opportunities to make connections with other professionals while observing the work and research up close. As it happens, this April and May are chock-full of conferences, seminars and lecture series about food, environment, nutrition and labor, all taking place in New England or the Northeast. Maybe you recently attended the Just Food? Forum or the Boston Food Tank Summit on April 1, and you’re raring for more. Here’s your official Conference Calendar for the rest of April and May.
April 3, April 26 and May 8: Harvard Lecture Series, “The Future of Food: Climate, Crops and Consequences”
Times and locations vary; Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Hosted by the Harvard University Center for the Environment, this lecture series will highlight interactions between agriculture and climate. On Monday, April 3, Michael K. Stern, CEO of the Climate Corporation, will give a talk entitled “Trends and Challenges in Global Agriculture: The Opportunity for Digital Ag.” On Wednesday, April 26, listen as Wrigley Fellow David Lobell speaks on “Improving Agriculture in a Warmer World.” Finally, on Monday, May 8, Lisa Ainsworth, a professor with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and USDA ARS researcher, will conclude the series with a discussion about “Understanding and Improving Crop Responses to Global Atmospheric Change.” Learn more about the Harvard University Center for the Environment and watch past recorded lectures from the series here.
April 5 – 7: New England Farm to Institution Summit
Leominster, MA
Cost: Registration now closed
The New England Farm to Institution Summit promises two exciting days of learning from and sharing with hundreds of farm-to-institution advocates. The Summit will focus on farm-to-school, farm-to-campus, and farm-to-health care programs. While registration for this event has already closed, it’s worth putting on your calendar for next year! You can learn more about the Summit, speakers, and host organizations (Farm to Institution New England, Health Care Without Harm, and USDA Farm to School) here.
April 6: Venture Capital Investment for Food
6:00 – 8:30 PM, Boston, MA
Cost: $25 General Attendance
Branchfood hosts a networking event and panel discussion that will bring venture investors across the food and food-tech industries together to discuss financing food businesses, opportunities for innovation, market trends, and how to launch a successful food startup. Panelists will include Marcia Hooper, Partner at investing firm HooperLewis, Alex Whitmore of Taza Chocolate, and Nick Mccoy, Managing Director at Whipstitch Capital. Attendees will have the chance to network with industry mentors and investors, and to stay for a food tasting. Get the evening’s schedule, registration, and parking information here.
April 7: Tufts Food Systems Symposium
10 AM – 2 PM, Medford, MA
Cost: Free, with registration
The first-ever Tufts Food System Symposium’s theme is “Intersections of Waste and Food Insecurity.” It will feature keynote addresses from Doug Rauch, former president of Trader Joe’s and founder of Dorchester’s Daily Table, and Sasha Purpura, executive director of Food For Free. These will be followed by a panel discussion with Boston-area advocates, students, and faculty. Attendees are invited to take place in table conversations over lunch, provided by Tufts Dining. A poster session and mini-expo will conclude the afternoon. Participants are asked to register at the Food[at]Tufts website.
April 7 – 8: Graduate Student Research Conference
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, Jaharis Building, Boston, MA
Cost: $15-25 Early Bird Pricing ends April 3 at 5 PM; $25-35 for day-of registration
The 10th Annual Graduate Student Research Conference presents this year’s theme, “The Future of Food and Nutrition.” Graduate students from varied disciplines will gather to present original research relating to food systems and nutrition science. Helena Bottemiller Evich, senior food and agriculture reporter at POLITICO, will give the keynote address, followed by a panel discussion including Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning professor Julian Agyeman, SR Strategy president Sylvia Rowe, and Richard Black, a 25-year veteran of the nutrition field. Participants are also invited to attend a post-conference reception for refreshments and networking. To register or read more, visit the Graduate Student Conference website.
April 10: Nature Research Seminar
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Sackler 114, Boston, MA
Cost: Free
Sir Philip Campbell, Editor-in-Chief for the international weekly scientific journal, Nature, will speak about management challenges for principal investigators and researchers looking to publish their work. Topics will include working with editors, post-publication pressures, lab integrity, data management, reproducibility, mentoring, best practices and more. Sir Campbell’s 50-minute presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. Read more about the event from Tufts’ Vice Provost for Research.
April 21: 8th Annual WSSS Symposium
9:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Medford, MA
Cost: Free to Tufts students, faculty and staff; $10 for non-Tufts affiliated attendees
Each year, graduate students in the Water: Systems, Science and Society (WSSS) certificate program host a Symposium about water topics. This year’s theme is “Untapped Potential: Making Water Markets Work for All” and will focus on possible public-private solutions for regional water-based issues. Attendees will hear from speakers working in public, private, and non-governmental sectors, and research-track WSSS students will present their work at the lunchtime poster session. In fact, WSSS invites all students working on water-related research to participate in the poster session. Cash prizes will be awarded! To enter, submit your abstract using this form no later than April 7. Check out the Tufts Institute of the Environment website for registration info and to see a list of speakers and schedules.
April 23: AllLocal Dinner at Mei Mei Restaurant
5:30 PM, Boston, MA
Cost: $55 – $65
For something a little different to break up your busy conference calendar, consider attending an AllLocal Dinner at Mei Mei Restaurant near Fenway. AllLocal events raise awareness about the benefits and challenges of seasonal cooking while promoting local agriculture and highlighting New England’s regional food system. Attendees will hear from Chef Irene Li and a local farmer, while enjoying eight family-style dishes and locally crafted libations. Mei Mei Restaurant is committed to sourcing local, pasture-raised, and humanely slaughtered meats and sustainably grown foods from family-based producers. Proceeds from the dinner will support the Boston Local Food Program. For details about the dinner and to buy tickets, visit the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts’ events page.
April 25: Food Hub Forum
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, Boston Public Market, Boston, MA
Cost: Free to students and seniors; $25 General Admission
For anyone interested in urban agriculture and regional distribution, the Boston Public Market’s Food Hub Forum is a must-attend event. Topics will include urban hubs, regional food systems, the history and future of Boston’s market district, economies of local restaurant and food retail businesses, and incubator services. Attendees are invited to partake in libations and networking after the event. Find full details and register here by April 22.
April 28 – 29: New England Meat Conference
April 28, 10:00 AM – April 29, 3:00 PM, Manchester, NH
Cost: $45 – $349 (several packages offered)
The New England Meat Conference brings farmers, processors, butchers, value-added producers and chefs together to discuss the economies, infrastructure, and potential for growth of the New England meat industry. Topics will include production, processing and pricing, whole-animal purchasing, emerging markets, inventory management, scalability, and more. Attend educational sessions, network with industry stakeholders at the trade show, and attend the Meat Ball, a competition where chefs will offer live demos. Registrants can opt to attend one or both days. Special pricing is available for students. More information at the New England Meat Conference website.
And if meat isn’t your thing…
May 20 – 21: Reducetarian Summit
May 20, 8:00 AM – May 21, 6:00 PM, Manhattan, NY
Cost: $99 Advance Student Admission; $199-399 General Admission
The central question of this first-of-its-kind event is, “How do we as individuals, organizations, communities, and societies work to systematically decrease meat consumption?” Join and share with more than three dozen high-profile food industry leaders in workshops, breakout sessions, panel discussions, and delicious meals. Topics will include the impacts of animal agriculture, using strategic communication tools to change attitudes and behaviors, the politics of meat, strategies for internalizing the external costs of factory farming, and more. For a complete list of presenters and moderators and to register, visit the Summit’s website.
Are there any conferences, seminars, or similar events missing from this list? Let us know in the comments below!
Kathleen Nay is a second-year AFE/UEP student. You can catch her volunteering at the Food Tank Summit on April 1, in attendance at the Tufts Food Systems Symposium on April 7, and at the Food Hub Forum on April 25.
