Get Food Smart TN Launched at TRC

There was lots of excitement last week at the 28^th Annual Tennessee Recycling Coalition Conference in Franklin, Tennessee. The theme, “Recycling Comes Full Circle”, was shown in the panels, breakout sessions, pre-conference workshop, and programs unveiled. Of the many things, the Office of Sustainable Practices (OSP) presented food waste as a problem, but one that we can all work together to overcome.

The conference started with a canning workshop, put together by Brook Powell, along with Jenny Jackson with Wilson County Co-Op, and Pamela Sites with Rutherford County Extension Service. The pre-conference workshop on reducing food waste and preserving food was held Sunday, August 13, 2017. It was a “hands on” workshop, where attendees learned time honored practices on how to can and freeze foods and then took home their canned and freezer goods. Squash pickles were prepared and canned and strawberries were prepared for freezing.

Canning and freezing books were also given to attendees so they could repeat the process at home. It was an informative and fun workshop, and a great way to meet other conference attendees. It also set the tone of the conference for people on how we are treating food.

OSP also made an exciting announcement at the luncheon on Monday, August 22^nd, unveiling a new program, Get Food Smart TN. This is a statewide initiative with the mission to “promote using food wisely and enhancing the sustainability of Tennessee’s food resources.” Director Lori Munkeboe and Creative Services Consultant Ashley Cabrera with OSP presented the program, unveiled the logo, mission statement, and temporary webpage and discussed the work it took to launch the program. It has taken the hard work and partnership of OSP, Policy and Planning, and many others to make Get Food Smart possible.