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Increasing the amount of sustainably harvested fish is not only important to our efforts to build a better food system, but is integrally tied to the health of the world's oceans, lakes and rivers. I eat a lot of fish from vendors whose sustainability claims I trust, but I believe I still have a lot to learn.
If you feel the same way, here's our last call for Local Food Forum's "Better" Dialogues webinar. It's TONIGHT (Monday, June 3) starting at 7 p.m. central time, and it's free to attend.
Click the button below to register, or read on for all the details.
Do you believe that we are stewards of the oceans, lakes and rivers, as much as stewards of the land?
Do you believe that fisheries should be managed to protect all aquatic species — including those that feed us?
Do you believe we have an obligation to protect the environment everywhere?
Are fish a significant part of your diet?
If any (or all) of these is true for you, please join Co-host Chef Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Cafe and me for our next Local Food Forum “Better” Dialogues webinar, Can Sustainable Seafood Catch Up?
We will engage in conversation with two leaders who preach and practice sustainability in our world's waterways. Both of the guest experts have been recognized by the James Beard Foundation, which will hold its annual awards ceremony in Chicago on June 10.
CHEF HAJIME SATO's Sozai restaurant in the Detroit suburb of Clawson is a little off the beaten path, but his reputation as a founder of the sustainable sushi category has led the James Beard Foundation to his door. A nominee for the nation's Outstanding Chef in 2023, he is up this year for Best Chef: Great Lakes.
Hajime’s sense of adventure led him to leave Japan for a year as an exchange student in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He later relocated to Seattle, Washington where he opened his award-winning restaurant Mashiko in 1994. In 2009, Hajime became one of the first sushi chefs to commit to using only sustainable seafood. When Hajime decided in 2019 to move to Michigan, where he opened Sozai, several of his former employees took over the Seattle restaurant. He is excited to share his experience and passion for sustainable seafood at Sozai.
NIAZ DORRY has devoted the past 30 years of her life to elevating public consciousness about the need to protect the world's environmentally challenged fisheries. The coordinating director of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance since 2008, Niaz previous served with the Greenpeace organization's Fisheries and Oceans Campaign. In addition, Niaz is executive director of the National Family Farm Coalition.
Niaz will be recognized for this work when she receives the James Beard Foundation Leadership Award for Policy Advocacy in June. According to the Foundation, Niaz "has played a pivotal role in steering federal legislation towards recognizing and supporting small-scale, traditional, and Indigenous fishing communities." It adds, "Her efforts to raise awareness about the critical role of small-scale, values-based fisheries in mitigating climate change and advancing gender and racial equity have inspired more sustainable practices within the restaurant industry."
Please join us for what is sure to be an engaging and enlightening discussion on this important topic. There will be a Q&A section, so bring your questions!
The co-hosts thank their supporters from Mariano's, Chicago Chefs Cook, Chicago Market —A Community Co-op, Community Food Navigator, Landmark Pest Management and Prairie Grass Cafe.
SOMETHING'S COMING. SOMETHING GOOD.
We are sweating the final details, but very soon, I'll be announcing the biggest step forward in the evolution of Local Food Forum. I don't want to step on the big reveal, but I can tell you that Local Food Forum is about to get bigger, better and even more fun.
Stay tuned. I think you'll be amazed.
ADDITIONS TO THIS WEEK'S FARMERS MARKET LIST
Sigh. I'm only human, after all, and there were some unintentional omissions from this week's farmers market schedule, published this past Thursday.
First, we missed the season opener for Urban Growers Collective's South Chicago Farm Market on Saturday. The market is located at 9000 S. Mackinaw St. in Chicago and will be held every Saturday through the season from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Second, we missed Sunday's season opener for the Mount Prospect Lions Club Farmers Market. The market is located at the west Metra station parking lot in Mount Prospect and is open each Sunday during the season from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The following are additional openings this week:
Garfield Ridge Farmers Market, Wednesdays, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Archer & Naragansett, Chicago.
Austin Town Hall Market, Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., 5610 W. Lake St., Chicago
Sorry about the hiccups.
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