The sun is waning quickly – actually, it’s fully concealed behind the grey clouds as a soft blanket of snow falls on Isabella Freedman.  Still, I’ve been running around all day and Shabbat is only a few minutes away, so a full post of today’s conference highlights will have to wait.

But today was, in a word, incredible – from the truly holy experience of the goat schecting this morning, to a talk about Congress’s role in the Food Bill, to a hands-on session where participants made their own urban-worm composting bins, to a discussion of the shmitta year from the farmer’s perspective, to a presentation of the changing symbolic role of bagels in American Jewish life, to a keynote presentation by Chef Dan Barber (yep, my fave ethical celebrity chef) about food miles and changing the way we eat from the community outward.

Now, as the snow continues to fall, the energy is shifting – the Chanukah candles are coming out (for those of you who want a visual, imagine four long tables lined with foil and covered with an assortment of glowing, flickering menorahs), and people are readying themselves for Shabbat and two more days of delicious food for thought.

Thanks to everyone for your comments on the first Food Conference post – I look forward to updating you tomorrow night!

Happy Chanukah and Shabbat Shalom!