Louisiana Food Access Summit set for Nov. 7 in B.R.

About 300 farmers, nonprofit organizations, policy-makers, school officials and others are expected at a daylong food access summit on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Annrose Guarino says organizers hope to improve communication among people who produce food and those who distribute it. She says the summit will include sessions on school and community gardens, food stamps and farmers markets, use of local foods in school lunch programs, developing local food policy councils, farm-to-school programs, and implementing a hunger-free Louisiana plan. Speakers will include state Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain; U.S. Department of Agriculture Regional Administrator Bill Ludwig; state Rep. Scott Simon, whose bill established a state Sustainable Local Food Policy Council; and LSU AgCenter Vice Chancellor Paul Coreil. The daylong summit will run 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $26. You can check out a complete list of events and get all the registration info here.