9th Annual Sustainable Communities Symposium

September 25 - 26, 5:00 PM

High Country Citizens’ Alliance (HCCA) will host the 9th annual Sustainable Communities Symposium on September 25 and 26, 2008. This year's symposium will focus on sustainable agriculture, with the goal of empowering Gunnison Valley residents to implement and sustain local agriculture programs on an individual and community level. The two-day event will be held on both ends of the valley, with an evening event in Crested Butte on Thursday, September 25, and a daytime event in Gunnison on Friday, September 26. There will be a film screening, wine and cheese reception and keynote speaker on the evening of September 25. The following morning will open with presentations by panels of national and local experts, after which participants will enjoy a locally produced foods luncheon and go on tours of local farms, ranches, greenhouses and gardens, all of which produce foods using sustainable methods.

Our Keynote Speaker is Brook LeVan, director of Sustainable Settings in Carbondale, Colorado. Sustainable Settings practices agriculture geared toward a high altitude, semi-arid climate, drawing from a broad range of methodologies, including agro-ecology, bio-dynamics, biomimicry, indigenous techniques, permaculture and holistic management. Mr. LeVan will be speaking Thursday evening at the Crested Butte Center for the Arts. He will discuss what Gunnison Valley residents can do here and now to implement sustainable, local food production.

We will also host John E. Ikerd, author of Crisis and Opportunity, as a featured panelist, Friday morning, September 26, at the Aspinall Wilson Center on the Western State College campus. In Crisis and Opportunity, Ikerd outlines the consequences of agricultural industrialization, then details the methods that can restore economic viability, ecological soundness, and social responsibility to our agricultural system, ensuring sustainable agriculture as the foundation of a sustainable food system and society.

HCCA is excited to have organic farmer and international speaker Jim Goodman participating as a panelist. Jim was formerly a successful conventional farmer and saw firsthand some of the failures of intensive agriculture. As his farm shifted to an organic farm using sustainable methods, it became apparent that working with nature made more sense and than fighting it. Jim will share some of these experiences and lessons at the Symposium.

In addition to national-level speakers, Symposium guests will also enjoy an informative and empowering panel discussion comprised of local experts and food producers. These local speakers will include Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) planners and growers, farmers and ranchers.

The ninth annual Sustainable Communities Symposium presented by High Country Citizens’ Alliance promises to be a fun, interactive, educational and delicious event suitable for all ages. The Symposium will provide answers and ideas to ensure a healthy and economically viable food production future for the Gunnison Valley.

The Symposium is currently seeking volunteers to help during and prior to the event. If you have any questions on the Symposium, or would like to volunteer, please contact Chris Menges at 970-349-7104 or chris@hccaonline.org.

Please find more information on our speakers and the schedule of events on our website www.hccaonline.org

For more information, contact: High Country Citizens' Alliance