We are writing to invite you to a very special evening that is part of the upcoming Farms, Food & Health Conference. On September 27, 5–9:30 p.m., three of the conference keynote presenters will share the stage at Hagerty Center, each addressing one of the pillar topics of the program.

Take a look at our Q&A interviews (links below) with the evening’s three speakers to give you a sense of their messages.

Dr. Stephen Rivard will discuss the importance of organic farming and share an innovative way to rapidly expand land available for organic farming.

Dr. Drew Ramsey will discuss how our diets and the microbes in our bodies can affect our moods and happiness.

Dr. Oran Hesterman will explore our nation’s need for a system that better ensures all people have access to healthy, nutrient-rich food.

A Q&A session will follow the speakers and is sure to be lively, well-informed and fascinating.

The keynote evening event is open to the public and tickets are $25. Seating is limited, so we encourage you to order ahead of time online, but if tickets are still available night of, they will be sold at the door.

(Tickets at farmsfoodhealth.org. Click “Register: Expo&Keynote”)

LINKS TO KEYNOTE SPEAKER Q/A INTERVIEWS

Dr. Stephen Rivard
How does your support of organic food tie to your medical understanding?
I came to see that food was the focus of most of our illness. As I had watched the health of the general population evolve over 30 years—now 40 years—of medicine, I had witnessed the fact that we are actually sicker now than we were when I first started. And the cost of health care has gone up exponentially. Read Dr. Rivard’s q/a.

Dr. Drew Ramsey

Give us an overview of the gut-brain connection that is such an important part of your work.
You can’t really have a healthy brain without a healthy gut. Your gut houses the largest store of genetic material in the body and is essential for your immune system. We also know this on an intuitive level. If our stomach is not well, we don’t feel well, period. Read Dr. Ramsey’s q/a.

Dr. Oran Hesterman
Since you published your book, Fair Food, eight years ago, what has changed in the world of food equity? Is it better? Worse? Status quo?
By no means can we claim victory in creating a sustainable food system for all. But I am very optimistic. I see many solutions happening. What’s taking hold are solutions that don’t try to solve just one single problem. They try to address a number of issues at the same time so they can bring multiple stakeholders together. Take the 10 Cents a Meal program, pioneered at Groundwork. That brought many stakeholders together to provide fresh, healthy food for kids in school and to support local farmers at the same time. It was a win-win approach. Read Dr. Hesterman’s q/a.