As we in the U.S. have shifted into a further mechanized world and moved into urban and suburban areas, we have separated ourselves from our food web and the impacts it has on our communities. On March 26th, Ganei Beantown: Beantown Jewish Gardens will be hosting the Boston Jewish Food Conference—Community Networks: Exploring our local food web. This day-long event will facilitate discussion of “food sourcing, distribution, and consumption, as well as the role of culture, institutions, and our homes” through several workshops and a Community Celebration. Our own Education and Outreach Program Administrator, Shoshana Blank, will be speaking on a panel about the individual actions and organizational changes within Tufts University to reduce food waste.

This conference is a wonderful opportunity to explore the ways we and our local communities are involved in our larger food and agriculture systems. Nourishing ourselves from within these systems impacts the ecosystem of many parts of our country and is a large source of greenhouse gases and fossil fuel emissions. We are a part of this system, and as a community, can work to create positive, sustainable change.