Tag: Germinating Conversations

Categories
Events News Releases

Farmers, Hunters, and Urban Eaters to Gather for Conversation About Food and Faith

Germinating Conversations: Eating Together at the Table takes place on World Food Day

Eating is one thing that all people have in common, but what do we eat when we are together? Who grows it? How did it get to our table? What was the impact on the land? Does the food nourish us? Is there enough? Does it taste good? How might these questions be informed by our faith?

These questions will be part of a roundtable conversation at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) with food growers and eaters who think hard about these questions.

Titled “Germinating Conversations: Eating Together at the Table,” the conversation takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 16 in CMU’s Great Hall (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). The event starts at 7:00 PM and all are welcome. Admission is free.

It’s the fifth in the Germinating Conversations series on food, faith, eating, and the land presented by a partnership of CMU, the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba Peace Program, A Rocha Prairie Canada, and Food Matters Manitoba.

1237099_10151862489501866_1361437829_nThe conversations invite growers and eaters to the table to listen to one another, and are intended to help bridge divides among people of faith.

Kenton Lobe, instructor in International Development Studies at CMU and one of the event’s organizers, says that Germinating Conversations aims to promote an understanding of how land stewardship and food ethics are understood in both urban and rural contexts.

“As farmers markets expand and the interest in ‘eating local’ surges, there remains a tension between those who grow food and those who eat it,” Lobe says. “Germinating Conversations explores what it means for people of faith to eat. How does one’s understanding of food as a gift from God impact daily decisions in the supermarket and in our kitchens?”

Lobe will facilitate the Oct. 16 conversation along with Deanna Zantingh, a student from CMU’s Graduate School of Theology. The panel will include Ron Krahn, a third-generation grain farmer from Rivers, MB; Terry Mierau, an opera singer-turned-chicken farmer from Neubergthal, MB; Tina Hildebrand, a cattle farmer from the Pembina Valley; Aaron Epp, an urban eater who has lost 100 pounds over the past two years through diet and exercise; Melanie Unger, Spiritual Life Facilitator from CMU; and Matthew Dueck, a CMU student, urban farmer, and avid hunter.

“Germinating Conversations: Eating at the Table Together” is the second of seven Face2Face events CMU will host during the 2013-14 school year. The Face2Face series of conversations with CMU faculty designed to engage the community on a wide variety of current events and issues at the intersection of faith and life. For the complete Face2Face schedule, please visit cmu.ca/face2face.

“Germinating Conversations: Eating at the Table Together” falls on World Food Day, an annual event meant to encourage attention to agricultural food production, and strengthen international and national solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

Categories
Events General News News Releases

Conversations on Food, Faith, Eating, and the City

December 5, 2012 – On World Food Day 2012, Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) was excited to co-host the second event in the Germinating Conversations series on Food, Faith, Eating, and the City. The series is a partnership between CMU, the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba Peace Program, and A Rocha Prairie Canada.

The October 16 event presented perspectives from five different urban dwellers, reflecting on their faith and how that impacts their food choices. They all answered the question: As an eater, what do you wish food growers understood about how you buy and eat food?

“We wanted to include diverse perspectives – from people who subscribe to the 100 Mile Diet to people who are fast food regulars,” said Kenton Lobe. “The idea was to bring these people together with food growers and other consumers and to create an environment for listening and learning.”

Deanna Zantingh, a CMU student, was one of the presenters. “As a rural farm girl turned urban eater, I have come to appreciate both sides of this complex conversation. My presentation was based on my ‘Alice in Wonderland’ experience of existing in two very different worlds that don’t always understand each other. Going in, my hope was to function as a bridge builder and lay a foundation for truthful engagement that incorporated all stakeholders – eaters and growers – without backing away from tough issues. I walked away very encouraged.”

Another presenter, DeLayne Toews, works at CMU Farms and Winnipeg Harvest. He shared his journey to incorporate the principles of Micah 6:8 – “…to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” – in all areas of his life, including how he eats. “I’ve come to see that the food I eat is a way that I can live these passages out,” he explained. “For me, food has become one of those places where I can grasp how faith interacts concretely in my everyday life. I try to beenvironmentally and socially responsible in my choices, buying locally and directly whenever possible, and looking for products that are organic and fair trade. That said, there is so much to learn from nearly every place on the spectrum. God is at work at many places in the food system.”

“It was so encouraging to see the dialogue that came out of this event,” Lobe continued. “After the presentations were over, I watched as one of the Province’s largest conventional farmers and an organic 100-mile eater got into a really friendly conversation. It was wonderful to see.”

The event’s organizing partners are working to make the presentations available online and are considering future events. Visit www.mccmanitoba.ca for details.

A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as two graduate degree programs. CMU has over 1,600 students, including Menno Simons College and Outtatown students, and is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

Article written by Lindsay Wright for CMU.

 

 

Categories
Events General News News Releases

CMU Co-hosts Germinating Conversations Series

October 15, 2012  – On October 15, 2012, the second event in the Germinating Conversations series on Food, Faith, Eating and the City will be hosted in Winnipeg by a partnership of Canadian Mennonite University, the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba Peace Program, and A Rocha Prairie Canada.

The conversations invite growers and eaters to the table to listen to one another, and are intended to help bridge divides among people of faith. The desire is to promote an understanding of how land stewardship and food ethics are understood in both urban and rural contexts. Following the first converstation in Winkler in spring, this event will focus on perspectives of urban eaters and attempt to address challenging food issues such as satisfying food desires, contradictions seen in consumer practices, and how Christian faith impacts the selection and preparation of food.

“As farmers’ markets expand and the interest in “eating local” surges, there remains a tension between those who grow food and those who eat it,” says CMU Instructor Kenton Lobe, one of the event organizers. “Germinating Conversations explores what it means for people of faith to eat. How does one’s understanding of food as a gift from God impact daily decisions in the supermarket and in our kitchens?”

The public is invited to hear what five urban dwellers from different walks of life have to say about their food choices. Free to the public, the event will be held in the CMU Great Hall at 7:00 p.m., 500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg.

A previous Germinating Conversations event, held in Winkler, MB on March 21, explored the perspectives of rural food growers.

For event information, contact Kenton Lobe at kalobe@cmu.ca