Food Waste & Rescue
In a wasteful, fast paced, quick service culture, what can we all do to divert food from the waste stream that ends in a landfill? It all starts in the kitchen and ends in community efforts to repurpose food. This session explores ways to limit food waste – while making a difference in our community and for our environment.
Moderator
Erin Hostetler
Program Coordinator – Rivendell Farms of the Carolinas
Erin Hostetler is a Charlotte native, farmer, community builder and all around do it yourself’er. At Rivendell Farms of the Carolinas (RFC) she is leading efforts to create change within her local foodshed. Erin has been a PCG Professional Member for two years. Before joining RFC, Erin worked as the Farm Manager at the Friendship Gardens Garinger Urban Farm and as the Assistant Cheesemaker at Bosky Acres Goat Dairy. Erin is on the Board of Directors for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Food Policy Council and runs a small business called The Patio Farmer, tending pygmy goats, chickens, and a vegetable patch on their urban homestead in North Charlotte.
Panelists
Alisha Pruett
Founder – The Bulb
Alisha Pruett has worked within social services or over 11 years. Alisha obtained her BA in Psychology at Hunter College, City University of NY and furthered her education in non-profit management and media studies at Queen Mary University of London. Through her work in helping veterans experiencing homelessness in Charlotte, NC, she became more aware of the food insecure areas and individuals experiencing barriers to resources on a whole and formed The Bulb, an organization to provide access to fresh produce as well as education on how to cook and budget for a healthier lifestyle. She is a board member of Charlotte Mecklenburg Food Policy Council.
Travis Myers
Executive Chef – Willow’s Bistro
Chef Travis Myers is a good ‘ol boy from Davidson County with strong southern roots. His passion for locally sourced food and the influences gained through travel have fused into an elevated southern cuisine. On his externship with The Culinary Institute of America, he worked for Charlotte’s pioneer farm-to-table Chef Tim Groody at Sonoma’s Bistro. Fresh out of CIA, he took the reins of River Birch Lodge in Winston Salem, NC. In late 2015, he left the Lodge to operate and reinvent Willow’s Bistro, located in the heart of Winston-Salem. Travis is a PCG Board Member and leads the PCG Triad Sister Guild. He lives for seed saving, all things pork, biscuits, collards, a good ol’ tomato sandwich, and aged rye whiskey.
Jo Covington Harashima
Board Member – Mecklenburg County Solid Waste Management Advisory Council
Jo Covington Harashima has a passion for learning about our natural world and how we can all learn and benefit from it. Her focus is exploring ways to conserve our natural resources and reducing waste, especially food waste. In addition to her work on the Solid Waste Advisory Council, Jo serves on Board of the NC Herb Association and is a sales and marketing representative for several local companies. She practices her passion at home – gardening medicinal plants for food and medicine, as well as composting her own food waste using vermiculture and compost bins to use in her garden.
Amy Keister
Senior Vice President of Sustainability & Retail Solutions – Envision Group, Compass Group North America
Amy Keister played an integral part in shaping Compass Group’s global sustainability strategy. This groundbreaking strategy has actionable targets intended to positively impact people and planet, drive growth and future-proof the business. She is a founding member of Stop Food Waste Day, a global day of action to raise awareness of the issue surrounding food waste with solutions for individuals and organizations. Amy sits on the board of The Center for Environmental Farming Systems, a partnership of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and North Carolina State University.