LOCAL FOOD EVENTS SPROUT UP
IN EUGENE THIS FEBRUARY
You might hear the cluck of chickens in certain Eugene backyards. As for tur-
keys, forget about it: Raising turkeys, as some backyard farmers may know, is
prohibited in the city code.
As more people get behind raising, growing, eating and drinking local, an issue
like fowl ownership inside city limits becomes a greater part of the conversation.
Next week, look out for several events focusing on local food, including a food
law symposium at the UO School of Law on Feb. 6 and the Local Food Connection
conference at LCC on Feb. 2, which will include the debut of The Fully Fermented
Tour.
The food law symposium, entitled “Cropping Up: Exploring Food Rights in
Your Backyard and Around the World” will address topics ranging from urban
farming to international food rights.
Alexandra Hoffman, a second-year law student and co-organizer of the food
law symposium, says she encourages community members to attend in order to
help spark conversations with local officials, legal experts and food advocates.
“The way the panels are structured is very Q and A,” Hoffman explains. Attendees,
she says, will learn “why the rules are the way they are and what they can do to
change it.”
Local panelists for the UO event include Bill Bezuk, owner of The Backyard
Farmer in Eugene; Kristie Brown, land use analyst for the city of Eugene; and
Harper Keeler, director of the Urban Farm at the UO, as well as various experts
in food rights and food law. The $5 admission for community members includes
breakfast, lunch and appetizers, with a happy hour to follow.
The keynote speaker is Eric Holt-Giménez, the executive director of Food First
and an international food advocate, and he says his talk will focus on food rights.
“The food poor people in this country are forced to eat is unhealthy,” Holt-Gimé-
nez says. The reason behind this, he argues, is “the capitalist food system, which is
governed by profit motive.” He notes the local food movement is gaining support,
but more work must be done. “There are structural injustices that will have to be
addressed,” he says.
Over at LCC, the Local Food Connection conference on Monday, Feb. 2, in-
cludes workshops on topics like regional food branding, local food purchasing and
agri-tourism.
The Fully Fermented Tour, a walking tour exploring local wine, beer and cider,
will happen in conjunction with the conference. The tour is a project of Oregon
Folklife Network and will take participants behind the scenes with local businesses
that work with fermentation. “The best way to learn is by asking the people who do
it,” says Josh Ehlers, organizer of the event.
The stops on the tour are Oregon Wine Lab, Territorial Vineyards and Winery,
WildCraft Cider Works, Hop Valley and Oakshire Brewing. The cost for the tour is
$60. Conference participants have priority, though Ehler says they plan on making
the tour a regular event.
For more info on the tour see wkly.ws/1wv; for the LCC Local Food Connec-
tion Conference go to localfoodconnection.org and check out wkly.ws/1ww for the
UO’s food law conference. — Daemion Lee
Friday, February 6, 2015
Doors open 6pm, * Show 7-9pm
Cozmic Pizza
199 W Eighth Street
presents
Tickets are $15 at the door or
$13 in advance from
CozmicPizza.com and at the
Cozmic Pizza box offi ce.
Stories from the Dark Side of Dating
An evening of personal stories on the theme of what happens
when dating goes hilariously awry.
Proceeds benefi t Planned Parenthood
Advocates of Oregon, which helps
keep Oregon the No. 1 state for
reproductive freedom!
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P HOTO: TODD COOPER
DORIAN CROW OF WILDCRAFT CIDER WORKS
PREPARES TO PRESS APPLES AT THE EUGENE CIDERY
eugeneweekly.com • January 29, 2015
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