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Food for Thought
OUR CULINARY CULTURE
» Thursday 19 June 2008 | 4:30 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing the people and ideas featured in Okanagan Arts. Join us as we
explore the often fertile, and sometimes troubling, role that the culinary plays in our lives and culture, with Cathyrn Wellner, Don Elzer, and David Bond.
» This is a free event. Refreshments will be available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
Sponsored by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Books, UBCO-FCCS, and in support of Project Literacy Kelowna
THE LAND THAT FEEDS US:
Experts Examine Our Right to Eat Well
 Food, how it's made, and where we get it, has become a hotly debated topic. From growing fears surrounding tainted meat and vegetables, to the inaccurate labelling of food products, and the increasing interest in locally-produced food -- food safety, security and sustainability have hit the high note on the public agenda, and at the mealtime tables of concerned citizens.
But what does this mean in the Okanagan Valley where the agriculture may be rich, but agricultural land is increasingly under threat of being turned over from food crops to vineyards, golf courses and housing developments?
This Thursday, June 19 at 4:30 pm at the Bohemian Café, the Okanagan Institute Express examines these and other food-related issues with Food for Thought: Our Culinary Culture. Featuring three of the most forward-thinking people in our region - cultural ecologist Don Elzer, sustainable food advocate Cathryn Wellner, and David Bond, former chief economist of the Hong Kong Bank of Canada and current executive director of the Association of Grape Growers.
 Don Elzer has spent 25 years assisting businesses, communities, government, individuals and organizations to develop tourism, learning and cultural initiatives throughout BC and Canada. He has contributed to more than 50 strategic planning projects in Canada and the United States including the Okanagan's Cultural Corridor Project and national initiatives with the Canadian Tourism Commission. A syndicated columnist in more than half a dozen Canadian newspapers and magazines, Elzer is on demand for his insightful knowledge of both consumer and cultural trends.
Elzer fears that Okanagan residents are in danger of handing food production and distribution over to purely commercial interests. "It's our challenge here today, to discover the taste of the land, and to appreciate that taste as a precious resource unique to this "place". We need to foster what we have, and ensure that it's sustainable for our common good.
 Cathyrn Wellner retired this week as leader of the Food & Health Project with Interior Health. As a community development consultant, she received accolades for her work on the award-winning HEAL (Healthy Eating and Active Living in Northern British Columbia), a diabetes prevention program that takes a population health approach. A former cattle rancher in the Cariboo, Wellner has spent more than 20 years as a professional storyteller touring Canada, the U.S., Europe and the U.K. In 2006 she was a featured presenter at the 58th Annual Conference on World Affairs. Cathyrn is a passionate advocate for food safety and common sense.
Keeping land for food production isn't a simple matter, says Wellner. Sky-high land values have put farming at risk. She advocates the creation of municipality-owned land leased to farmers, among other solutions. "We've got to get serious about food, and we can't penalize our farmers for that," says the former cattle rancher. "I woke up one day and realized I was subsidizing the food system. That isn't right."
 David Bond was born in Hamilton Ontario and earned his doctorate in economics at Yale University. The former chief economist of the Hong Kong Bank of Canada, he has served in various federal government departments including Consumer and Corporate Affairs, Statistics Canada and the Ministry of State for Economic Development. He settled in the Kelowna area and now serves as executive director of the Association of BC Wine Growers. He also serves on the board of the BC Wine Institute and the Canadian Vintners' Association. A witty and erudite thinker and speaker, David's broad-based knowledge and experience is matched by his passion for the arts and ideas.
Bond says the valley is a hot bed for culinary tourism and the harvest to our economic prosperity is ripe for the picking. "Tourism in the Okanagan used to be peaches and beaches, but nowadays it's a different orientation that's taking place towards the wine and cultural events and we've improved on that tremendously."
These three dedicated, passionate and intelligent people bring their considerable experience to bear on these issues. They propose a number of things that we need to think about, propose to our legislators, and promote in our communities to ensure that our food future is as rich as the soil that produces it. Sustainability is in all our best interests. Join us for an engaging, exciting and lively presentation.
Food for Thought: Our Culinary Culture is a free event, and takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 45th event the Okanagan Institute has held since the Express series got underway in July 2007. Since that time, the series has played host to many Okanagan luminaries, including former deputy secretary general of Amnesty International Derek Evans, artists Lee Claremont and Gary Pearson, BC Book Award nominee Don Gayton, CBC Literary prize winner poet Harold Rhenisch, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, architect Jim Meiklejohn, and others from a variety of creative fields.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE CLICK HERE
Okanagan Institute at the Bohemian Café A hearty feast of lectures, presentations, workshops and showcases celebrating our culture and community. Produced by the Okanagan Institute in association with Wheat King Publishing magazines: Okanagan Arts and Okanagan Arts. Express is sponsored in part by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Books, UBCO Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, and supports the work of Project Literacy Kelowna.
The Okanagan Institute is a group of creative professionals that have gathered around the goal of providing events, publications and services of interest to enquiring minds in the Okanagan. We partner with individuals, organizations, institutions and businesses to achieve optimal creative and social impact.
Our mission is to ignite cultural transformation, catalyze collaborative action, build networks and foster sustainable creative enterprises. We invite the participation by all members of the creative community.
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