Foundation Journal

Planning for a week-long food sovereignty conference and traditional foods celebration started in earnest at a Lawrence community meeting in July. Meeting conveners Dr. Dan Wildcat and Raven Naramore invited two dozen food and environment advocates, experts, and activists together to brainstorm ideas for the event. The Haskell Indigenous Foods Festival will take place October 17-22 on the Haskell Indian Nations University campus in Lawrence. Updated (10/17/2011) - See the Haskell Indigenous Food Festival link for the final festival schedule, including workshops and speaker biographies, to take place October 21-22 at the Haskell campus. Click on poster image for full view Representatives of Haskell Indian Nations University -- students, faculty, and alumni, along with area food growers, grocery store managers, Indian health representatives, Lawrence food policy council members, diet and health practitioners participated in the organizing meetings. I drove up to Lawren

Honey Bee on Winter Aconite. Credit: Tie Guy II/ flickr I was driving to work this morning and was fortunate to listen to a top-notch Making Contact report on the decline of bee colonies and the impact on farming. (Confession: I was late for work, so I was able to listen at a time I don't normally commute). The report so captivated me -- lots of compelling voices including a conversation with beekeeper Khalid, a Yemeni national immigrant to the US -- that I wanted to listen to the end, but needed to get to work. The report aired on KKFI 90.1 FM , but could also be heard on the Making Contact website, so I finished listening to "Bees: The Threatened Link in Food Security" report later. I heard some astonishing facts such as two-thirds of US beehives are transported to California to pollinate almond plants during the growing season. And the reporter described the bee activity in the almond groves as a "giant brothel" with their ravenous intermingling. I