Local food entrepreneurs talk food security Jan. 16

Juneau’s dependence on imported food puts the community in a risky food security position. Learn about local food entrepreneurship in Juneau and discuss efforts being made to support local food entrepreneurs. A panel of vendors from Juneau’s online farmers market, Salt & Soil Marketplace, will talk about their businesses and vision for food security in the region. Juneau Food Producers and Food Security takes place Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Chambers.

The session, sponsored by the Juneau Commission on Sustainability and UAF Cooperative Extension, is for the entire community. Panelists include Colin Peacock, Market Coordinator at Salt & Soil Marketplace; Lia Heifetz, Local Foods Director at Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition; Kylie Wray of Panhandle Produce; Kalia Buerger of Alaska Probiotics and Matt Kern of Barnacle.

Juneau Food Producers is part of a discussion series on Food Security for the Capital City, which kicked off last fall. Through talks and discussions, the Juneau Commission on Sustainability is examining how the capital city can become more self-sufficient when it comes to local food supply and less dependent on importing. Past topics included community gardens, composting and livestock keeping.

The Juneau Commission on Sustainability was established in 2007 to research and advise the City and Borough of Juneau on community sustainability. The commission consists of nine Assembly-appointed public members, one Assembly member and one Planning Commissioner. Commission duties include coordinating sustainability initiatives, making recommendations to the Assembly on policies and programs that promote sustainability, and acting as a liaison between the public and the Assembly on sustainability-related issues.

For more information, contact Tim Felstead, Community Planner and CBJ staff liaison to the Juneau Commission on Sustainability, at 586-0466 or [email protected].