2013: FOOD SUMMIT & 4th ANNUAL SUSTAINABLE LIVING CONFERENCE MARCH 1st, 2nd & 3rd
~ SETTING THE TABLE ~
Join us for our most exciting conference yet March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at the beautiful United Methodist Church just off the square in Oxford, Mississippi! Every year we improve and expand on past conferences. This year's conference is going to be our best yet. Join us Friday as we ask the question, How do we get healthy food to Mississippians from the field to the table? Policy makers and producers, join a public that is demanding healthy options. Meet author, food activist, and community organizer Mark Winne, Friday's keynote speaker. Saturday is full of the hands-on and instructional sessions in four strands: Nourishing Kitchen, Home Grown, Smart Living, and Make and Take. We have an amazing line-up of presenters and an exciting keynote speaker, Mary Berry, daughter of the world renowned Wendell Berry. Stay Sunday for one of two Field Trips: Farm and Garden, or Home and Health, where you will get to experience real-life examples of sustainable living. Find Out More More information to come, STAY TUNED!
Accommodations: For a list of Hotels and Oxford Bed and Breakfasts Click Here. We have a block of rooms reserved at the Hampton Inn Conference Center, but it will require a car ride to conference events downtown. Hampton Inn Oxford- Conference Center: (662) 234-5565 103 Ed Perry Blvd - Oxford, MS 38655 · Please have all of your guests reference the “Gaining Ground Conference” block when making their reservations. · Please have your rooming list in by February 1, 2013. · Please also make your guests aware of the February 1, 2013 group cutoff date. All unreserved rooms will be released at this time. · All individual reservations are subject to a 48 hour cancellation policy. Your guests will be responsible for the first night’s rate on any unneeded rooms not cancelled by 6pm 2 days prior to arrival. Visit these organizations and vendors at the conference Saturday! The Berry Center
Covenant Creek Farm Yokna(patawpha) Bottoms Farm
ANNUAL SUSTAINABLE LIVING CONFERENCE
GainingGround will host our annual Sustainable Living conferences each spring during February or March in a Mississippi city near you and we hope you plan on attending one if you have not done so already. These conferences are extended learning opportunities to exchange ideas, influence policy, network with environmental innovators, and experience on-site sustainable projects. We strive to explore the latest in sustainable strategies, best practices and to share new ways to make our lives and our communities healthier, safer and smarter.Over the years, we have enjoyed giving participants the opportunity to exchange their ideas and further their knowledge.Every year we continue to learn and grow ourselves as both the needs of our state and the aim of the organization continues to evolve. Please take a moment and click the links below for the agenda from each of our previous conferences.
2010 - Starkville, MS (MSU Campus, Bost Conference Center) - Mississippi Homegrown
* Click HERE to see photos from 2010
* Click HERE for our Sustainable Community Planning Agenda
2011 - Hattiesburg, MS (Westminster Presbyterian Church) - Better Lives, Better World, Sustainable Works
* Click HERE to watch a video recap of 2011
2012 - Raymond, MS (Eagle Ridge Conference Center) - Saving Dollars, Making Sense
* Including a Farm to School Summit and an
Introduction to the MS Sustainable Agriculture Network
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I think the conference went really well. I enjoyed it. It inspired me and I learned a lot! The only negative thing that I would say is that there were other sessions that I really wanted to attend but I couldn't because of the structure. Maybe there could have been an hour of mini-sessions where people could walk around to different booths for info. It's great that ideas of self-sufficiency, sustainability, permaculture, alternative energy, health for people and the environment, working with nature (instead of against it), are gaining ground in Mississippi. It's comforting that there are people to connect with that have concerns about and desires for a sustainable future. I just hope we're not too late. There was great spirit among the group at the conference, and I liked seeing the wide diversity of the people who attended. My expectations were exceeded for this conference. I'm plesaed at the number of talented people in the group. It was a well conducted conference; we enjoyed our time with the people we met. The food was GREAT! I hope that we can all work together to educate all the people of the south that there are other ways to live then the way we currently are. GGSIM is bringing together and galvanizing a community of people who have felt alone in their pursuit of a better world. This is a rich gift to Mississippi and its future as we are all stronger working together. Eating wild plants, loved it! Wish I could have gone to ALL of the workshops! I thought it was really cool that you even made sure to encompass stuff like yoga and breastfeeding as natural ways to promote good health. I enjoyed the community involvement and the variety of exhibits. The fact that it happened and the people ... those who made it happen, those who came ... Bob's wildflowers, Annette's aromatic energy cleanser, Blue's family story about the 11 elderly siblings ... I enjoyed networking and understanding the food labels which portray "organic". The relaxed atmosphere was great. I also enjoyed the diversity of the other conferees, and the topics covered. I appreciated the intense interest of the participants. The best was the fellow who did the talk on biodynamic gardening! We enjoyed meeting like-minded people in the area and the tours on Sunday. Variety of presentations: bees, mushrooms, edible native plants, biodynamics ... so much to learn and now do! |





















