2015 Eastern Region Session Descriptions

Come To The Table Conference

Lumberton, NC

Friday January 23, 2015

Session Descriptions

Acquiring and Distributing Food: Learn how hunger relief agencies in Eastern North Carolina and their faith partners acquire and distribute food.  Hear how a regional food bank and our state’s school child nutrition and summer food programs, in partnership with local congregations, tackle the challenge of acquiring and distributing food to relieve hunger for families and children. Discover how your church’s food ministry or organization can become a partner and play a critical role in the distribution of food.

• Lorenzo Pringle – Executive Director, Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeastern NC
• Sandra Kirkney – Helping Other People
• Cynthia Ervin – School Nutritional Program Consultant, NC Dept. of Public Instruction, Child Nutrition Services

Organic Vegetable Growing Techniques for Community Gardeners: Learn basic organic gardening practices for growing vegetables in a community garden. Topics covered will include garden planning, soil health, crop rotation, composting, weed control and the use of green manure crops to maintain soil fertility while considering the small plot sizes of many community gardens.

• Joni Young Torres – Community Garden Technician, Pitt County Cooperative Extension

Beyond Hunger Relief: Barriers and Opportunities in Farm Based Food Access Initiatives: RAFI and the Resourceful Communities Program have partnered on a multi-year participatory research project to better understand barriers, opportunities and trends in food access initiatives that prioritize fresh, local food. In this session participants will learn about creative, community-based projects in NC that use innovative approaches to alleviate hunger and food insecurity in their communities. The session will highlight specific opportunities for the faith community to support innovative and transformational food access work in North Carolina.

• Francesca Hyatt – Program Director, Beyond Hunger Relief, RAFI Facilitator
• Jesalyn Keziah – Community Food Coordinator, Resourceful Communities

Community Gardens as a Health and Healing Place: Community Gardens are producing more than just food. Hear how some local churches are using their community gardens as a way to sprout new relationships that build community and bridge several divides.

• Volley Hanson – Pastor, Lutheran Methodist Ministry Partnership, Pee Dee Indians
• Linda Tyndall – Health, Wholeness, and Restoration Ministry, Faith Community Church

Building and Using Greenhouses/Hoop House Tunnels: This workshop will feature content on the use of greenhouses and hoop house tunnels that serve as an aid to extend the growing season, leading to increases in food production and sales for farmers and gardeners.

• Larry Chavis – Hawkeye Indian Cultural Center

Local Food Councils as a Tool to Address Food Insecurity: Presentation on Local Food Councils and the opportunity that they represent in generating solutions locally that address hunger and access to sustainable local food.

• Mac Legerton – Center for Community Action & NC Feast Down East
• Larry Chavis – Hawkeye Indian Cultural Center & Hoke County Food Council

How Different Denominations Are Responding to Hunger & Poverty: Different denominations have developed unique responses to address the links between hunger and poverty affecting so many of our fellow North Carolinians. This session will share how some denominations are responding to this challenge, as a part of their missions-related work, as well as how they are providing resources to their member churches which address food insecurity.

• Rick Jordan – Cooperative Baptist Fellowship North Carolina
• Grace Hackney – Life Around the Table United Methodist

Youth Development- Different models utilizing sustainable agriculture and farming to empower at risk youth with knowledge and skills to achieve self-reliance, economic stability, and community service.

• Maria Hitt – Project Coordinator, NC Community Gardens Partners
• Richard Joyner – Conetoe Family Life Center
• Noran Sanford – Growing Change

How We Can Eat Better and Live Life Abundantly: Several churches in the eastern part of the state have been involved in the Partners and Wholeness program through the NC Council of Churches. Hear stories from some of the churches that are participating in this program with their regional consultant Joy Williams about how they have made dietary and lifestyle changes. Grant money for the local churches through the Health & Wellness Program, will also be discussed.

• Joy Williams – Partners in Health & Wholeness, NC Council of Churches
• Pastor Cary Rogers – Director, Pathway to Peace Ministries
• Kip Godwin – Food Ministry Coordinator, Old Zion Wesleyan Church

Organic Vegetable Growing Techniques for Community Gardeners (repeated):  Learn basic organic gardening practices for growing vegetables in a community garden. Topics covered will include garden planning, soil health, crop rotation, composting, weed control and the use of green manure crops to maintain soil fertility while considering the small plot sizes of many community gardens.

• Joni Young Torres – Community Garden Technician, Pitt County Cooperative Extension

Where Do We Grow From Here?  Advancing our Eastern NC Region and Working Together Statewide: Building on the momentum generated by the conference, this open discussion will organize around the issues of food insecurity and building local and regional food systems.

• Scott Marlow – Executive Director, RAFI
• Mac Legerton – Center for Community Action & NC Feast Down East