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Come to the Table Conference 2017

Conference Schedule

8:00-8:40 – Check-in and Registration
8:45-9:15 – Welcome and Orientation, Interfaith Prayer (Grand Ballroom 3)
9:15-9:45 – Keynote by Jason Brown, NC farmer and former NFL player (Grand Ballroom 3)
10:00-11:30 – Session 1 Workshops
11:45-12:15 – Break &Lunch Pick-up (Grand Ballroom 1)
12:15-1:15 – Community Conversations Over Lunch
1:15-2:45 – Session 2 Workshops
3:00-4:30 – Session 3 Workshops
4:30-5:00 – Conference Wrap-Up with Fruits of Labor Singing Ensemble (Grand Ballroom 3)

Logistical Details

Registration to the conference includes full-access to conference sessions, a boxed lunch, access to community conversations, and complimentary parking. We will also have coffee and snack stations available throughout the day.
Attention Attendees! Pick your badge and conference folder at the registration desk starting at 8am. Please arrive early and bring your printed ticket to avoid long lines and help us expedite the registration process. If you chose the “pay at the door” option, please be sure to bring a pre-written check, credit card, or cash and visit the Cashier before visiting the check-in table.

Parking: The Durham Convention Center is located at 301 West Morgan St, Durham, NC 27701 on the corner of Morgan and Foster Street. Parking is available across from the Durham Convention Center at the Durham Centre Deck located at 300 Morgan Street and the Chapel Hill Street Garage Deck located at 326 E. Chapel Hill Street (Lots D and A on this map). We will have parking vouchers available in your conference folders, which can be redeemed at the parking lots upon your exit. Handicapped parking is available on Foster Street near the entrance to the Marriott Hotel. The Marriott Hotel entrance is also the wheelchair-accessible entrance for the Convention Center.If you have any questions, do let us know.
Contacting Event Staff: If you need to reach a conference staff member during the event call (919) 542-1396, ext 204. (This number will forward calls to event staff mobile phones.)

Conference Agenda

Keynote Speaker

We are pleased to welcome Jason Brown as this year’s keynote speaker! Jason left a successful career as a lineman in the NFL to become a farmer in eastern North Carolina. After his departure from professional football, Jason moved back to the state and purchased a 1,000-acre farm in Louisburg. He and his wife Dr. Tay Brown have dedicated themselves to aiding in local hunger relief efforts. Their farm, First Fruits Farm, has made national headlines for its donation of hundreds of thousands of pounds of food to those in need. >> Read Jason’s full bio.

Conference workshop tracks include:

  • Building Strong Foundations—skills and core knowledge for community work and hunger relief
  • Theology and Food—interfaith conversation from our community of practice on broadening our lens for food and faith
  • Farmer Voices and Cooperative Development—voices from the field, stories from farmers less visible in the food system, and cooperative projects
  • Getting Food to the Table—a closer look at production and process in food system: issues affecting farm workers and food workers
  • Deepening Our Work—a systemic look at root causes of why people are hungry
  • Express Yourself—cultural and faith practices to sustain our work: hands-on workshops with opportunities for creative expression in song, visual art, etc.
  • Disaster Relief—resources, tools, and information on disaster relief
  • Policy—a dual look at agricultural policy and hunger relief

Click on the buttons below for details about the conference program, workshops and speakers:

Supported by

The Duke Endowment has generously provided sustaining support to the Come to the Table Project and Conferences since 2007. We are deeply grateful for a relationship with funders who share a commitment to our mission and whom we consider partners in the work.

Farmers in the potential path of Hurricane Ian — remember, cameras before chainsaws. Please be safe. Crisis Hotline: 866.586.6746. Learn More