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In early November, friends, partners and members of the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council came together for our first annual GATHER event. We enjoyed an in-person, outdoor meeting and party on one of the last warm nights of the autumn season. The support of our co-sponsors, Gorman Heritage Farm, La Soupe and HighGrain Brewery, and the energy of our Council made the event a decided success!
Before the celebration, which was hosted at Gorman, we held the November bi-monthly council meeting on-site. It was the first full Council meeting offline in over a year. At the meeting, we discussed the Council's current workstreams and projects, and affirmed our clarified vision to set us up for 2022.
After the meeting, Nicole Gunderman, Interim Director of Gorman Heritage Farm, guided us on a tour of the grounds, where our Director, Michaela Oldfield, got to hang out with one of her favorite donkeys, Stormy.
More people arrived as the celebration portion of the evening kicked off, and the food came out. GATHER attendees enjoyed three types of soup donated by La Soupe and four types of beer donated by HighGrain Brewery.
Our event co-sponsors are all Green Umbrella members. Is your organization?
And get in touch if you have an idea for collaboration.
As we ate, drank, and caught up, Michaela and Council member Alan Wight shared a few announcements. Alan updated us on the progress of the Cincinnati's Foodshed atlas project, which incorporates participatory mapping, art and design, geography, history, and more to reflect our regional foodshed's past, present and future.
Michaela also honored our Volunteer of the Year, Susan Jorgensen. Susan has served the Council for several years, and her contributions include the research and writing of the State of Wasted Food Report, published in 2019. This past year, Susan led the efforts to create a new website for the Food Policy Council (you're on it right now!).
Be like Susan! Share your talents to help us build a food secure community.
Michaela then announced our new partnership with La Terza, through which you can buy delicious, single origin coffee to support the Food Policy Council, and, at the same time, support a local coffee roasting business and a woman-owned farm in Honduras.
Throughout the evening, about 50 of our council members, partners and friends came through the event. We hope it will be the first of many annual GATHER celebrations together. Check out some more photos below, taken by Green Umbrella Events Co-Op, Claire Greweling.