Pat Inman's blog

Several conference attendees have requested symposium sessions in which special interest groups can present their work. If groups are interested in such a session please note this intent when submitting your abstract. It will be possible for you to propose between 3 and 5 separate papers during a period of 1.5 hours in parallel session. This provides an opportunity to showcase the work of your organization as well as organize future work with potential members.

Dear Colleagues,

We are in the process of putting together a publication that is part of a PASCAL book series concerned with universities and regional engagement to be published by the University of Manchester Press.  The series as a whole has already been approved by the publisher, and the first three books have been completed by the authors/editors.

Communities organize around many things but the most natural focus for collaboration is food.  Food is not only life sustaining but provides seeds for local economic development.  A community-based food-systems approach has the potential to simultaneously address issues of food security, public health, social justice, and ecological health in local communities and regions, as well as economic vitality of agriculture and rural communities.