TedxTC Event: Food: Only If, If Only.

It's spring in Minnesota. We are tending to our rural fields and community gardens, shopping the farmers markets in the cities and suburbs, and eating while the eating's fresh! Thus the timing for the next TedxTC event, Food: Only If, If Only, which poses the question, "What are your thoughts on the future of food?" More details follow on the three local thought leaders on this topic below, but consider this a heads up that you, too, can be a part of this conversation. After all, the time is ripe for us to engage in this kind of discussion! (Pun, what pun?)

TEDxTC Food: Only if. If Only.

New to TEDxTC; Two showings! 5 PM and 7:30 PM, Tuesday, June 7th, 2011.

Reception opens at 7 PM for 5 PM Attendees, and opens at 9 PM for 7:30 PM Attendees.

Our speakers:

LaDonna Redmond:

LaDonna is a long-time community activist who successfully worked to get Chicago Public Schools to evaluate junk food, launched urban agriculture projects, started a community grocery store and worked on federal farm policy to expand access to healthy food in low-income communities. In 2009, Redmond was one of 25 citizen and business leaders named a Responsibility Pioneer by Time Magazine. Redmond is a former Food and Society Policy Fellow. She is currently leading efforts at Minneapolis based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to identify research gaps related to health in the food system, and connect researchers with those facing inequities in the food chain, including farmers, farm and food workers, and consumers.

Winona LaDuke (Anishinaabe)

Winona is an internationally renowned activist working on issues of sustainable development, renewable
energy and food systems. She lives and works on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota. As Program Director of Honor the Earth, she works nationally and internationally on the issues of climate change, renewable energy, and environmental justice with Indigenous communities. In her own community, she is the founder of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, where she works to protect Indigenous plants and heritage foods from patenting and genetic engineering.

A graduate of Harvard and Antioch Universities, LaDuke has written extensively on Native American and environmental issues. She is the author of five books, including Recovering the Sacred, All our Relations and a novel, Last Standing Woman.

Kevin Ryan

Kevin is a Manager in the Strategy and Innovation group within General Mills. He holds a master's degree and a PhD from the University of Illinois as well as a graduate degree in gastronomy from the University of Adelaide in a program sponsored by Le Cordon Bleu. Using a mixture of anthropology, sociology and years of experience in the "fuzzy front end" of innovation, Kevin explores the strange and fascinating world of predicting the future of food.

Please note: TEDxTC will open registration / badge pick-up at 4:15pm for the 5 pm Showing and 6:30 pm for the 7:30 showing to allow for a smooth registration process. The event begins promptly. Seating is on a first come, first served basis, so arrive early for best seating options. Both show times offer a reception post show.