Input's Editor will interview a national food journalist at the 2021 Local Food Forum & Expo

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Community health. Climate change. Food insecurity. Rural decline. Social inequity.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, these long-overlooked challenges erupted in cities around the world. While each of these issues may be daunting on its own, each is also deeply connected to an underlying—often-forgotten—common denominator: Local food.

As a veteran freelance journalist covering food systems across the U.S., Lela Nargi reports on farm-to-consumer relationships, food supply chains, technologies, climate change, food justice, and rural economies. She will be the keynote speaker for the upcoming Northeast Indiana Local Food Forum & Expo on Monday, September 20, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

The day-long event is hosted by the Northeast Indiana Local Food Network and features a full schedule of educational breakout sessions and networking opportunities around the concept of local food.

After doors open at 8 a.m., the opening remarks and keynote begin at 9 a.m. During this time, Input Fort Wayne’s Managing Editor, Kara Hackett, will host a conversation with Nargi, expanding on Input’s food reporting and exploring how local food systems affect the health, wealth, and wellbeing of Northeast Indiana communities.

In addition to the live event at PFW, the keynote will be recorded for later viewing, along with two breakout sessions on “Farm to School” and “a Local Look at Climate Change & Food Systems.”

For more details about the event and registration, visit the Northeast Indiana Local Food Network’s website.

Tickets can be purchased for $25-$100 now through Sept. 17.