First Cultivate + Connect Event Brings Together Food System Champions Across the Region

Contributors: Maddie Chera, Charlie Gonzalez, Anna Parnigoni

Green Umbrella’s Food Policy Council and the Common Orchard Project hosted a celebration at Urban Artifact’s The Reliquary on September 19th focused on the intersections of food, climate, and community. It was wonderful to see over 125 passionate local food champions come together to celebrate the impactful role we each play in creating a resilient regional food system here in Greater Cincinnati. The evening buzzed with energy as attendees cultivated new connections and participated in an interactive photo activity that mapped each of our vital roles in the regional food system—Farmers, Processors, Distributors, Consumers, and Waste Managers. These roles reflect a simplified version of our comprehensive, interconnected food system, and illustrate the circularity in that food system, as we attend to all aspects of the cycle from production through the lifecycle to organics processing.

As they mingled, guests enjoyed food and drink from 18 local businesses (check out the evening’s delicious menu!). One of the goals of the event was to provide an exceptional culinary experience that allowed each attendee to sample food from a variety of entrepreneurs who work tirelessly every day to nourish our communities. We hope you will support these businesses, too, when you cater your next event.

Sharing Experiences & Advocating For Change

As guests took their seats for the event’s main program, they enjoyed family-style dishes and beautiful centerpieces from ByCofi using Wildwood Flora flowers. The program featured Cincinnati City Council Member Anna Albi and five storytellers involved in our programs: Becky Richey, Anna Haas, Fran Knox Kazimierczuk, Polly Campbell, and Levi Grimm.

Council Member Albi highlighted the unexpected connection between youth gun violence and nutrition insecurity that inspired her to engage in food access work in Cincinnati. Richey, Haas, and Knox Kazimierczuk used their unique experiences working across the food system to highlight the importance of collaboration and commitment to community, and encouraged the audience to get involved. Campbell, a longtime food writer, spoke to change and continuity in our regional food system over the decades, and Grimm, the youngest speaker, encouraged listeners to embrace an entrepreneurial spirit in the face of complicated problems and use creativity and hope to work on solutions. It was all inspiring!

Common Orchard Project director Chris Smyth highlighted the dedication of our food system champions in building a resilient and well-fed region. Smyth described the purpose of the event as “celebrating the food that is created here, in our region, acknowledging that we are under constant cultivation and hopefully we are growing a more just, equitable, and tended-to world.”

Food Policy Council director Maddie Chera highlighted how Green Umbrella and its members link long-term climate strategy to the daily realities of nourishing families and the urgent need for sufficient food.

It’s not one or the other, climate or nutrition, long-term or short term, equity or prosperity. With food, it’s all of the above.

Chera shared the incredible climate impact that growing, distributing, and eating local food has in our region. Using Green Umbrella’s Local Food Climate Impact Calculator, the Common Orchard Project and Green Umbrella members, Rich Life Farm and Fungi, Sleepy Bee, and What Chefs Want!, found they saved over 232K kg of CO2 emissions by growing, distributing, and eating local food. That’s equivalent to over 50 gas-powered cars off the road! (If you want help figuring out your emissions savings through local food or food waste diversion, reach out to our Food Policy Council today!)

Cultivating Connections

We observed so many reignited and new connections at the event. Council Member Albi’s office connected Data Bloom with Cincinnati Zoo to utilize the Local Food Impact Calculator and better communicate greenhouse gas emissions savings of their hydroponic production. An NKY member of the Organic Association of Kentucky connected with a nutrition educator from UKY Cooperative Extension. And attendees heard in the concluding remarks that Urban Artifact is now setting up GoZero composting for their entire operations after using the service for this event. And so much more!

What connections did you make? How can Green Umbrella continue to cultivate connections for you? Email us to let us know!

Thanks & See You Next Year

A huge thank you to our event sponsors, Cincinnati Metro, Urban Artifact, and Edible Ohio Valley, whose support was instrumental. Our gratitude also extends to Robeson Marketing for the fabulous photography. And last but certainly not least, we thank all attendees for bringing your passion, filling the room with vibrant energy, and being a part of and supporting this important work we do.

We’ve compiled an album of photos and invite you to download any you’d like to keep or share. (And send us or tag us in any of yours!). Lastly, stay tuned for next year’s Cultivate + Connect! We can’t wait to see you there.

More Information & Resources 

• Green Umbrella to host Cultivate + Connect, celebration of food system champions
• Cultivate + Connect Program Slide Deck
• Learn More About The Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council
• Learn More About The Common Orchard Project
• Register For An Upcoming Green Umbrella Event! 

All proceeds from Cultivate + Connect support Green Umbrella’s critical food systems work. If you were unable to attend, you can still support us by making a donation at greenumbrella.org/donate.