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Speaker Series

 

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Alisa Klein, Grow Food Northampton
Food and Farming Justice for Our Community


Join Executive Director Alisa Klein to learn about Grow Food Northampton (GFN), an organization building a racially, economically, and environmentally just local food system. Founded in 2010, GFN responds to the immediate needs of community members grappling with food insecurity, while also working on long-term solutions for our local food system. GFN provides farmland to 10 farms and runs a 320-plot Community Garden on its 121-acre Community Farm in Florence. It operates a Giving Garden that donates produce to local food pantries and community meal sites; manages year-round farmers markets; offers educational opportunities for learners of all ages; and operates Free Mobile Farmers Markets and community gardens at low-income housing throughout Northampton.

Alisa Klein brings to her work as the Executive Director of Grow Food Northampton deep connections to food justice and environmental sustainability. Growing up in an agricultural community, she tended to apple trees and flower gardens, and raised organic vegetables. As a Northampton City Councilor from 2014 – 2020, she wrote and passed legislation banning pesticide use in municipal areas. Before coming to GFN, Alisa was the principal in her own consulting practice specializing in public health and policy approaches to preventing interpersonal violence and achieving conflict resolution.

Come learn how Grow Food Northampton is creating a just and resilient local food system.

About the Series

Northampton Neighbors Speaker Series began in October 2018, featuring lively and engaging speakers on a wide range of topics. What began as monthly talks co-sponsored by the Senior Center pivoted to Zoom when COVID hit.

Since the series’ inception, we’ve enjoyed talks by  well-known novelists, photographers and visionaries, a library director and political scientist, a physician, nurse, and COVID researcher, among many others. We’ve enjoyed an eclectic and entertaining mix of presentations: Sex and jazz, white collar crime and incarceration, climate change and sports, memory and home modification are but a few of our topics.

We are guided by a commitment to present topics of particular interest to older people and those intended for a broader audience. All speaker events are free and open to anyone who would like to attend. NN also offers live transcription so you can read along with the spoken word during Zoom presentations. The series is popular and fun.

Members will be notified of upcoming talks. Not a member? Join our mailing list or check out our Calendar. View the NN Speaker Series archive on YouTube. Send your speaker suggestions to info@northamptonneighbors.org.

Please note: The primary purpose of the Speaker Series is to educate, inform, and entertain. NN does not endorse nor recommend any commercial products, processes, or services. The views, information, or opinions expressed are those of the presenter and not necessarily those of Northampton Neighbors.