I’m writing from LimmudNY, a volunteer-led, pluralistic conference of Jewish learning.  For 800 people.  At a resort in the Catskills.  Feeding 800 hungry Jews is no easy task.  And food at conferences, perhaps not especially but definitely including Jewish conferences, tends to be dismal, heat-and-serve fare.

For the last two years, there has been a small, but increasing effort to bring some organic, locally grown food to Limmud, in addition to it being glatt kosher.  Two years ago, Hazon worked with two of our local partner farms (Adamah, and The Garden of Eve) who donated eggs, winter squash and potatoes - though could only provide enough to feed 150 of the participants, and only for one meal.

This year, there was a volunteer committee designated to expand our efforts to bring local, and at least organic, trans-fat free, wholesome food to Limmud (as Hazon did at our Food Conference in December).  And the result?

At a panel called Food Fight, which included the head of the catering company providing Limmud’s food, the owner said something shocking.  He said that the cost/person to come to Limmud was something around $500.  He claimed that if all the food they served had been organic, it would have cost over $1000/person.  He was “more than happy” to offer organic food at Limmud, if Hazon or someone else could “find farmers to donate their produce.” 

With all due respect, I find the dollar amount he quoted hard to swallow - organic food is generally more expensive, but certainly not $500 per person more expensive.  Additionally, I’m not sure why (or if) the committee asked that ALL of the food served during Limmud be organic or local.  It would have been both a welcome and significant gesture for the catering company to serve ONE mostly organic or locally-sourced meal over the entire weekend, and put in the effort to inform the participants - not only that they were eating organically or locally in addition to kosher, but informing them about where they could get the same food for themselves.

I was also upset that the caterer suggested that the responsibility of the additional cost should rest on the farmers.  I appreciate that he has a bottom line to worry about, but it is concerning that - as someone who deals with food every day - he had very little concern for the farmers’ bottom line.  He seemed to not acknowledge that food comes from farmers first, long before it comes to him processed and packaged from distributors.  Cutting off support to the farmer’s, eventually cuts off the food.     

LimmudNY also has limited funds - and every year they gracefully pull off an incredibly complicated conference.  That said, I think they are the ones (not just the volunteers, but the staff and particularly the board) who are ultimately responsible for the quality and ethical integrity of the food served to participants.  Alongside the volunteers, I encourage LimmudNY to make food a priority in 2008.  Hazon would be more than willing to help on the educational and informational end, and to find a few local farmers to sell (not donate) their local, organic produce at a reasonable rate. 

But I encourage LimmudNY to find sponsors to help offset the price of purchasing at least some percentage of local and organic food - just as they find sponsors to help offset the price of lower-income participants.