2017 Conference: Just 2 Short Weeks Away!

Please come join us as we explore ways to grow a healthier local community

Farm to Table 2017

This year’s Conference is packed full of so much local goodness!  Our theme will focus on growing roots for healthy communities and is a cornucopia of information presented by expert participants focused on food as “the great connector.” Cultural origins, diverse preparations, and local ingredients come together in Conference programming in the form of seasonal cooking demonstrations, gardening classes, a variety of expert speakers- from chefs to nutritionists, mind-body-spirit wellness seminars, and more.

“This year’s conference is all about celebrating the diversity of our local ingredients and multi-cultural cooking methods that make eating local fun, educational, enriching- and most importantly, a way to communicate. Food is the great connector, connecting us to our history, to the earth, and to each other. Food is also central to building community, revitalizing neighborhoods, and bridging gaps that may separate us.”

says Erin Hart, Director, Health Benefit Services, American HealthCare Group/ Founder, Farm to Table Pittsburgh.

Speakers, Speakers and more Speakers!

Beginning on Friday at 10:30 am and continuing through Saturday afternoon, Farm to Table Pittsburgh has an amazing group of presenters lined up to educate, inform and inspire on getting back to our cultural roots!  You won’t want to miss these educational presentations from regional and national experts speaking on topics such as “making local, healthy food available to everyone”, “learning to live a less toxic life” “culinary tourism”, “producer grant programs”, “living with food sensitivities”, “Farm to School initiatives” and so much more!

Doors open 30 minutes before the speakers start on Friday to give you a chance to preview our vendors.   See the full Speaker list here!

Featured Events at the Conference

Project Lunch Tray Showcase

Come join us on Saturday as months of preparation and learning culminate in the Project Lunch Tray Finals!

Project Lunch Tray is a Community Kitchen Pittsburgh program which encourages kids to think outside the (lunch) box and teaches students to create fresh and affordable meals through hands-on food education.

Teams of students from 17 area schools were paired earlier this year with Chef Mentors to create healthy, delicious and kid-friendly school lunch recipes.  On March 4th, the teams competed at the Smallman Galley using the culinary skills they had learned over the past 6 months in order to create the ultimate school lunch.

On Saturday, the student’s lunches will be professionally prepared by their mentor chefs, presented by the students and judged on nutrition, scalability, and cost-per-plate.

Farm to Table Café

Brought to you through sponsorship by Republic Food Enterprise

New this year; we are thrilled to announce our first ever Farm to Table Café!

For 2 full days, we are shutting down the convention center concession stand to give you the opportunity to not just sample, but to buy, fully plated meals (and did we mention locally produced alcoholic beverages?) directly from our amazing farmers, chefs, CSA’s and wellness professionals!

This is such a great opportunity to try new menu items, learn more about how to integrate specialty diet items easily into your daily meal planning and gain inspiration on how to incorporate real, fresh local food into your prepared at home foods.

You’ll have the opportunity to visit with our vendors to learn more about their specialties, engage with them on all things local and healthy, and fuel your body and spirit with locally produced prepared food and alcoholic beverages!

Pathways to SmartCare Wellness Lounge

Brought to you through sponsorship from Pathways to SmartCare

Pathways to SmartCare is the Wellness Division of American HealthCare Group, and serves a variety of groups like Schools, Employers and Affordable Housing residents through Supportive Services.

The Wellness Lounge is your place to explore the mindfulness connection between the food we eat and how we treat our bodies – it’s all connected!  Massage Therapists, Yoga Instructors, Holistic Health providers, and related businesses will be available to answer questions and demonstrate how to incorporate wellness into your everyday practices.

“We aim to empower group members to “Make Smart Choices” with their health care dollars.”

– Liz Kanche, Director of Wellness, Pathways to SmartCare

Friday Night Local Food Tasting

Friday, March 24th, 5-8 pm

Join us from 5-8pm on Friday evening after the conference ends for an intimate gathering of farm exhibitors and like-minded locavores. This relaxed get together features local food, wine, and beer samples.  This year experience live and local music during the tasting.  Enjoy the sounds of Hill Jordan and Slide Worldwide during the Friday Night Food Tasting this year.  Hill Jordan played last year and made the event a blast.

2nd Annual Farm to Flask Craft Mixology Event

Saturday, March 25th, 4-6pm

Join us for the newest event at the Farm to Table Pittsburgh conference!

The Farm to Flask Local Spirits Mixology event wraps our 2-day conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.  We bring together the growing list of local craft distilleries, wineries, and microbreweries for one last hurrah.

This event features a variety of large-portion samples from some of our favorite local distilleries and wineries.

Teachers Invited + Earn Act 48 credits

We’d also like to give a special shout out to PAEYC who will give 6 hours of ACT 48 credits each day to school & daycare employees who attend the conference!

Complimentary registration for teachers provides entry for two to the Conference. Use promo code: TEACHLOCAL at checkout.

Registration Prices

Register at the door or online.  Registration starts at $20 for a one-day admission.  Learn more on our ticketing website: Register for event

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Get event updates on our Facebook Event page: Growing Roots for Healthy Communities