Media Release

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - The public is invited to attend the Alachua County – City of Gainesville Food Security Summit on Wednesday, November 10, 2010, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Trinity United Methodist Church (4000 NW 53rd Avenue, Gainesville). The summit is free and open to the public. Lunch with organic, local foods will be provided for attendees who register before the event.

The Summit will feature an update on the implementation of the 2009 Gainesville-Alachua County Hunger Abatement Plan (click here to view), a presentation by the Alachua County Healthy Communities Committee, and a presentation of the recently completed report by Florida Organic Growers entitled "Community Vision for Food System Development in Gainesville-Alachua County: A Local Food Action Plan" (click here to view). Following these presentations will be a discussion of the creation of a food policy council.

Julie Paradis, Administrator for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, is the keynote speaker at the Summit’s stakeholders’ luncheon.

The Summit is co-sponsored by Alachua County and the City of Gainesville.  Partners in organizing and supporting the Summit include the Alachua County Healthy Communities Initiative, Alachua County Medical Society, Alachua County Nutrition Alliance, Florida Farm Bureau, Florida Institute for Workforce Innovation, Florida Organic Growers, Inc., School Board of Alachua County, the University of Florida Office of Sustainability, and United Way of North Central Florida.

Attendees of the Food Security Summit should RSVP by November 8th. Click here to RSVP.