The Food Lab at Stony Brook Southampton, N.Y., is hosting the inaugural Edible Business conference June 5–7, 2015. The event will bring together today’s leading thinkers in food business, media, and policy to discuss the path toward healthy regional food systems in the United States.
From farmers to food tech startups, the event aims to link all parts of the food chain. Topics covered include economic development, successful business models, latest trends, farm-to-table systems, healthy food, and more. Amanda Hesser, Food52.com founder and former The New York Times Magazine food editor, and Jessica Soffer, author of Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots, will deliver the keynote address.
The Food Lab is an education, enterprise, and media center, focused on farm-to-table business incubation and development. Executive Director Geoffrey Drummond, along with Kathleen Masters, executive director of the Amagansett Food Institute (AFI), and Brian Halweil, editor-in-chief of Edible Brooklyn, Edible East End, Edible Long Island, and Edible Manhattan magazines, are developing programs for the Food Lab.
“While there are many cooking schools and culinary training institutes for chefs and restaurant professionals, we created the Food Lab because we recognized a need to take food studies beyond the kitchen,” said Drummond in a recent press release.
“We see the Food Lab as a powerful platform to elevate all the innovative food work on the East End—from food literacy in schools to marine-friendly gardening,” said Brian Halweil in the same press release. “At the same time the center will serve as a clearinghouse and convener of food studies programs from around the world.”
“The Food Lab brings together top experienced professionals in diverse fields of food media, food systems and education, and food business practices to work with each other, our students, and the growing body of food-interested public to a higher level of understanding and involvement in today’s food systems, preparing them to fully participate in and successfully contribute to society through their interest and involvement in food,” explained Drummond in the release.
The first annual Edible Business conference will include food and drink makers, live entertainment, engaging discussions, presentations, and a meal prepared by chefs from the East End of Long Island, N.Y., where Food Lab makes its home.
The complete agenda can be viewed here. Early bird tickets are on sale now for US$150. For information about special discounts for students and seniors, check the Food Lab website or email Kathleen.Russo@stonybrook.edu.
