University of Portland  Food for Thought Conference, April 14-16, 2011.

Food for Thought begins April 14 with a multi-media discussion about meat production with Bon Appetit CEO Fedele Bauccio, a member of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production. The lecture will be followed by a hormone-free, antibiotic-free meat tasting.

Friday, April 15, the University of Portland will host a Food Film Festival.

Saturday, April 16, features four plenary sessions about food production, sustainability, and social justice with a mix of lectures, discussions, and panels. The day concludes with a keynote address by Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food, The Omnivore’s Dilemma,The Botany of Desire, and Second Nature.  Michael will be introduced by Congressman Earl Blumenauer.

Conference registration for Food for Thought is free, and opens February 1. Tickets for Michael Pollan’s keynote speech are $20 for general admission and $25 for reserved seats; they are free for conference hosts and sponsors, University of Portland faculty and staff, and students of any college or university. Tickets go on sale February 1. Registration for free tickets also begins February 1.