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RSSNorthland College brings organic farmer, author to Ashland
October 26, 2009
Author and sustainable farming advocate Michael Ableman will speak in Ashland on Thursday, November 12th 2009 at 7:00 p.m. as part of Northland College’s Van Evera Lecture Series. He will give a free public presentation titled “Feeding the Future: Stories and Images from the New Frontiers of Food and Agriculture” at 7:00 in the Presbyterian Congregation Church located at 214 Vaughn Avenue in Ashland. No reservations are required.
On Saturday November 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ableman will participate in “Feeding the Future: Sustainable Agriculture in the Chequamegon Bay,” a summit at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at The College. (Click Here to view Summit Agenda) Featuring discussion sessions hosted by regional speakers, the summit will address a wide range of issues related to sustainable agriculture, including building local food systems and developing community gardens. The summit is free and open to the public, and includes an optional lunch of locally produced and organic food for a small fee. Pre-registration is required, reservations can be made by calling (715) 682-1489, before November 6.
Ableman, a pioneer in sustainable agriculture, is the founder and executive director emeritus of the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens, a non-profit based on one of the oldest organic farms in Southern California. His travels to mainland China in 1984 inspired his first book, “Good Earth: A Celebration of Growing Food Around the World.” The book is considered to be one of the first to capture visually the changes taking place in agriculture and food systems worldwide. He has authored three critically acclaimed books, including “On Good Land: The Autobiography of an Urban Farm,” and “Fields of Plenty: A Farmer’s Journey in Search of Real Food and the People Who Grow It.”
Ableman’s unique approach to sustainable agriculture as a writer, photographer and farmer made him a perfect candidate for the 2009 Van Evera Lecture. “Defining sustainable agriculture is a complex task, and only by approaching it from multiple disciplines can we begin to understand the whole system,” said Clare Hintz, Sustainability Coordinator and Environmental Educator at The College. “Ableman’s visit represents the best of Northland’s academic program: the intersection of student learning and community dialogue around sustainable agriculture issues in the Chequamegon Bay.”
Ableman has received numerous awards related to his work in sustainable agriculture, including the 2001 “Sustie” Award, Eating Well magazine’s 1995 Food Hero Award, and the 1997 Environmental Leadership Award from the governor of the state of California. His photographs have been exhibited in galleries around the country, including the Oakland Museum and the Field Museum of Chicago. He currently lives and farms with his wife and two sons on Saltspring Island, British Columbia.
The William P. Van Evera Endowed Lectureship Fund was created so that every year Northland College could host an eminent authority to give a public lecture and to lead a seminar to engage students, Chequamegon Bay area citizens, and appropriate faculty. Designed to bring these groups together around a particular environmental issue, the Van Evera Lecture and Seminar was established “to bridge teaching and research with application and action.” For more information about this event, please contact the Van Evera Lecture Coordinator by calling (715) 682-1489.
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