13th Annual Forum

Growing Our Local Food Economy


Sunday, August 9, 2009

Shelburne Farms Coach Barn

Come celebrate the successful farmer-chef partnerships that thrive in Vermont and help enrich our local communities! This annual event, held at Shelburne Farms’ Coach Barn on the shore of Lake Champlain, offers the rare opportunity to mingle and break bread with farmers, growers, chefs, and neighbors all interested in insuring a fair and sustainable food system for our future.

Forum Photo

Ticket Sales: Join the Vermont Fresh Network and get your tickets today!
• VFN partners and supporting members can purchase tickets at a discounted member price of $50 beginning June 1.
• Tickets for the general public go on sale on June 29 and are $70.

To purchase tickets, please call 802.434.2000.
This event always sells out!

2009 Forum Program:
• 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Educational Workshops - Vermont Wine and Cheese Pairings and Understanding Pastured Pork Workshop registration requires an additional fee, participation in the Forum is not necessary.
• 5:00 p.m. Reception with passed Hors d'oeuvres and Vermont artisan cheeses
• 6:15 p.m. Woody Tasch, keynote presentation
• 7:15 p.m. Walk-around dinner provided by 20 of the best chef and farm partnerships in Vermont
• 8:00 p.m. Ice Cream Bash graciously dished up by Strafford Organic Creamery

Woody Tasch Woody Tasch
Woody Tasch is Chairman and President of Slow Money, a 501 c 3 formed in 2008 to catalyze the flow of investment capital to small food enterprises and to promote new principles of fiduciary responsibility to support sustainable agriculture and the emergence of a restorative economy. Tasch is Chairman Emeritus of Investors' Circle, a network of angel investors, family offices, and social purpose funds and foundations that has invested $133 million in 200 early stage sustainability-promoting ventures and venture funds, since 1992. He is a frequent speaker at various socially responsible business and sustainable agriculture venues, including Social Venture Network, SRI in the Rockies and Terra Madre. He is the author of the recently published Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered.


VFN Forum Group Photo

VFN has been honored by many remarkable keynote speakers who have generously given their time and talents to this event.
Past Speakers include:
Dan Barber, executive chef/co-owner of Blue Hill - 2008
Gary Paul Nabhan, author, lecturer and conservation scientist - 2007
Michael Ableman, farmer, writer, photograper - 2006
Odessa Piper, pioneer chef and advocate for direct farmer and chef relationships - 2005
Christopher Kimball, television host, editor and publisher (Cook's Magazine, Cook's Illustrated, Cook's Country and America's Test Kitchen) - 2004
Alice Waters, chef, author, internationally renown local food advocate - 2003
Eliot Coleman, farmer and author - 2002