Eco Meet CLE -  Our Local Food System

Eco Meet CLE - Our Local Food System

Author: Diane Bickett and Greg Rotuno November 7, 2023 Duration: 49:24

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In this episode, we bring you the conversation from Eco Meet CLE,  a sustainability event held this October at Great Lakes Brewing Company. The theme of the evening was local food. Over 100 people joined us for food, beer, and a conversation about our local food system with a panel of guests that helped us explore the meaning of the term food system, the various roles within that system, and ways we might make it more local, more accessible, and more inclusive.

In this recording, we first hear Lexi St. Denis, the local and responsible food coordinator for Great Lakes Brewing Company, describe her job and the farmers she works with. After that, we hear from Dr. Darcy Friedman, a renowned researcher and the Director of the Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health at CASE. Dr. Friedman moderated our panel of 3 speakers that included Zainab Pixler, the Local Food Systems Strategy Coordinator for the City of Cleveland Department of Public Health; Annabel Khouri, the owner of Bay Branch Farm in Cleveland and a member of the USDA Farm Service agency committee; Jennifer Lumpkin, founder of My Grow Connect, an organization that works to connect the community with agriculture and member of the Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition.

We've set the table for some intriguing topics - everything from food sovereignty to wealth building for BIPOC growers. And we examine solutions that Cleveland can adopt to improve its local food system, address disparities, and improve health in our communities. So pull up a chair. There's plenty to digest on this episode of Eco Speaks CLE.

Thank You, Sponsors!
Great Lakes Brewing Co - Brewing Good
Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health - CWRU
Conserva Irrigation of Northern Ohio
Graziani Multimedia
1 PM One Planet Media
Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council
RET3 Job Corps
Lettuce Tree Farms
Blue CSR Strategies
Rust Belt Riders
Collaborx
Food Strong
BRITE Energy Innovators
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress



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There's a quiet but powerful movement happening across Northeast Ohio, where innovative minds are reimagining how we live and work in balance with our environment. ECO SPEAKS CLE sits down with these local sustainability leaders-the entrepreneurs, scientists, community organizers, and business owners-who are putting these ideas into practice right here. Hosted by Diane Bickett, this podcast goes beyond theory to explore the tangible projects and personal stories shaping a more resilient region. You'll hear conversations that feel like a discovery, uncovering the work of people and organizations dedicated to making our cities greener, our economies more circular, and our connection to Lake Erie and the surrounding landscape more thoughtful. It’s not about distant concepts, but the actionable steps and sometimes messy, real-world challenges of building a sustainable future locally. Produced by Greg Rotuno, each episode is an invitation to learn from your neighbors and to see the familiar places you live and work through a new, hopeful lens. Tune in to this podcast for genuine dialogue that connects the dots between society, culture, and nature, offering a sense of place and purpose for anyone curious about their role in our shared ecosystem.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 85

ECO SPEAKS CLE
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