Hundreds Attended Foodways Outdoor Festival 2023

More than 500 people attended the April 15 outdoor festival of the sixth annual Kalamazoo Valley Foodways Symposium, which Kalamazoo Valley Community College and its Kalamazoo Valley Museum hosted at the college's Food Innovation Center in downtown Kalamazoo. Event organizer Hristina Petrovska, food systems program coordinator at Kalamazoo Valley, called the turnout amazing.

"To build a strong and resilient food system, we need a strong and resilient community," Petrovska said.

"Celebrating together is one way to cultivate that. Bringing together farmers, local food vendors, music, educational opportunities and family-friendly activities cultivates a sense of belonging and camaraderie. We are part of a community college, and the 'community' is a big part of it. We want people to know that this space exists for them."

With the theme of food and media, activities included seed sculpture making, a foraging walk, bike tune-ups and more. In the greenhouse, attendees could pot herb seedlings to take home. Outside, there were composting workshops and cooking demonstrations. Food vendors sold coffee, carrot cupcakes and hand pies, and a food truck featured Mexican cuisine. For dessert, students from Kalamazoo Valley's Student Culinary Club had blueberry peach tarts available for a small donation.

While eating, visitors were treated to the musical stylings of Larry Sumner of Big L, plus Code Blu and of Cosmic Knot, whose music features sounds created by plants. Meanwhile, inside the Food Innovation building, visitors learned about food photography from local artist and Kalamazoo Valley faculty member Aubrey Jewel Rodgers. Local chef and food historian Channon Mondoux spoke about how media has influenced her cooking career.

The Foodways Symposium was founded to provide historical, cultural and practical insights into the region's food and food systems, and serve as a yearly convening point for students, professionals and the community to come together to build a strong and resilient food system. It is a collaboration between Kalamazoo Valley Community College and the college's Kalamazoo Valley Museum, with support from the KVCC Foundation.

This year, the symposium was a two-day event. It started on April 10 with a virtual keynote address by food media authority Emily Contois, Ph.D., where she explored "Food Media: Forging Past, Present & Future Connections." Nearly 40 people participated, engaging in a discussion about how media and food intersect in our culture. Contois is assistant professor of media studies at The University of Tulsa, where she is Faculty in Residence.

Visit www.kalamazoofoodways.org for more information about this year's event. Also watch the website for updates about the 2024 Foodways Symposium, which will celebrate the cuisines and cultures of the African continent.

Check out photos from the event at https://bit.ly/Foodways2023.