Webinars
Our webinar series from Food Waste Prevention Week partners provides incredible opportunities for learning and networking.
Last year, over 2000 stakeholders from across the food industry and environmental action landscapes came together to learn from grass roots organizations, governmental, non-profit, and private industry presenters.
All webinars are free of charge.
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Please note, the webinar list is being updated regularly. Check back for additional opportunities to learn and engage with others.
Monday, March 24, 2025
The Great Food Waste Expedition School Food Waste Audit Workshop & Campaign​
We will walk through best practices for conducting a school food waste audit, moderated by Mary Jane Chandler from World Wildlife Fund with presentations from Melissa Terry from University of Arkansas and SJ Schanwald from World Wildlife Fund.
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9:00-10:00 am PT/ 12:00-12:50 ET
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Monday, April 7, 2025
NourishNet Educational Tools for Pantries and Universities
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Are you a food donation distributor? Do you work or volunteer in food pantries and would like to empower your visitors with skills and knowledge that help them store food properly, repurpose leftovers, optimize their grocery shopping, and more? Do you work directly with food surplus donation recipients in colleges and universities? This webinar is for you!
NourishNet is a multidisciplinary team of UMD experts and external partners creating tools and programs to prevent food waste and expand access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food for people experiencing food insecurity by optimizing connectivity between producers, donors, charitable food service organizations, and consumers.
Members of the NourishNet team will share key highlights from our consumer education pilot trial, along with educational tools designed to reduce and prevent food waste at the consumer level. Our approach includes in-person, direct education, and targeted activities geared towards two specific sectors of the food ecosystem: 1) food pantry clients and 2) college students.
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April 7 | 10:00-10:50 pm PT/ 1:00-1:50pm ET
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Prevención del desperdicio de alimentos en Gresham, Oregon) - Food Waste Prevention in Gresham Oregon (English Translation)
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The City of Gresham's Solid Waste and Sustainability team will present their work on food waste prevention and explain how food waste is connected with climate change.
Únase al equipo de Residuos Sólidos y Sustentabilidad para un seminario web gratuito sobre prevención del desperdicio de alimentos. Conozca el trabajo que está realizando nuestro equipo y cómo el desperdicio de alimentos está relacionado con el cambio climático. Este es un seminario web gratuito, presentado únicamente en español. Regístrese antes de las 5:00 p. m. del dia 4 de abril.
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April 7 | 12:00-12:50 pm PT/ 3:00-3:50pm ET
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A Case Study on Food Waste Management at a Municipality
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Join us for a dynamic workshop to empower communities with actionable strategies for implementing food waste management solutions. Drawing from successful programs happening in Stamford, Connecticut, we’ll share insights and operational tips for making an impact via residential drop off, in-vessel composting, and other methods to reduce food waste and environmental impact.
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Speakers:
Dan Colleluori, Director of Recycling and Sanitation, Stamford, CT
Marjorie Spitz, Co-Founder of Table2Ground™, Co-Founder of the Long Island Organics Initiative, Member of East Hampton Sustainability Committee
April 7 | 1:00-1:50 pm PT/ 4:00-4:50pm ET
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What happened when K-12 educators, high school students, and life-long learners took the Make the Most of Food Challenge with a Veggie Twist?
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Teams of households that participate in our off-the-shelf climate action project for students - the Make the Most of Food challenge - reliably reduce discarded food by about 50% - saving money, eating better, and contributing to the #1 solution to climate change according to Project Drawdown. But what if we want to add other worthy goals, like contributing to the #2 solution - plant-rich diets? In February 2025 Recycle Leaders and Maryland Institute for Entrepreneurs and Business Consultants recruited a team of k12 educators, high school students, and life-long learners to help us test a new datasheet in our first ever pilot that attempts to tackle these two challenges together, together! Hear directly from them what we learned! Learn more at https://www.recycleleaders.com/make-the-most-of-food.
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Beth Gingold, Recycle Leaders
April 7 | 3:00-3:50 pm PT/ 6:00-6:50 pm ET
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Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Creating a Glide Path for Municipal Action: An Overview of Model Ordinances and Executive Orders on Food Waste Reduction
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Food waste reduction can help municipalities meet their climate and waste reduction goals by diverting organic waste from landfills and incinerators, where it contributes significantly to methane emissions. Community Composting can also advance a range of economic, social, and environmental benefits for local residents--from providing job training and education to improving local soil health.
Please join the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to learn about the suite of governance tools they have developed to reduce the time and effort required of municipalities to adopt ordinances, executive orders, and policies to reduce food waste. In addition, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) as well as a local government representative will discuss use of these off-the-shelf tools in practice, including an in-depth look at a new ELI/NRDC/ILSR model ordinance on community composting that will be released this Spring. The new model ordinance aims to reduce operational barriers (including permitting) and provide support for community composting through education, technical assistance, and financial assistance.
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April 8 | 10:00-10:50 pm PT/ 1:00-1:50 pm ET
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Using Them Up: How The World Makes Leftovers Taste Like New
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Jacquelyn Ottman, a pioneer in green marketing and author of three personal culinary histories, will present inspiration rooted in global food cultures for transforming leftovers deliciously. Relevant to professional chefs and home cooks, educators, and policymakers, and food manufacturers.
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April 8 | 11:00-11:500 pm PT/ 2:00-2:50 pm ET
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Is your food fair? How a worker-led consumer campaign transformed U.S. agriculture
Millions of consumers purchase fresh food every day without knowing where it comes from. Though many consumers may consider whether a farm is organic or family owned in their buying decisions, many fewer consumers ask themselves whether their food is "fair." Join the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in a discussion on the experiences of farmworkers and the quest for Fair Food.
The Campaign for Fair Food was launched by farmworkers in Immokalee, Florida in 2001 to increase consumer awareness of the working conditions on U.S. farms. Farmworkers have historically been one of the most vulnerable classes of workers, with limited labor protections and frequent experiences of abuse such as wage theft, violence, and sexual assault. The Campaign for Fair Food gained national recognition and support amongst a wide variety of consumers including students, people of faith, and community organizations. Over the past 24 years, the Campaign has prompted 14 major corporations to participate in the Fair Food Program, ensuring protections, better conditions, and a Fair Food bonus for thousands of farmworkers across the United States.
Coalition of Immokalee Workers
​April 8 | 12:00-12:50 pm PT/ 3:00-3:50 pm ET
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Food Storage Tips & Creative Cooking
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We will be talking about creative ways to store your food to expand shelf life in your fridge, pantry or counter. We will discuss compatibility, humidity, and temperature. We will also include recipes utilizing ends and stems and creative ways to incorporate food scraps in recipes.
​April 8 | 9:00-9:50 am PT/ 12:00- 12:50 ET
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How to Engage Community to Prevent Food Waste
We will present our technology-driven food recovery and community empowerment model. We wilI cover the following topics with our "Rockstar" panelists:
1) Community Food Rescue - A brief overview of Food Rescue US and our app presented by National Site Coordinator Haley Schulman
2) Site Director Experience - How Food Rescue US Sites create flexible food recovery systems that work for their communities, featuring our Food Rescue US - Western Suffolk Site Director.
3) Licensee Experience - How can existing non-profits in the food recovery space use the Food Rescue US app to engage their communities? Featuring Rich Armenia from Feeding Charlotte.
4) How to activate food recovery in your community - How to start your own community food recovery program through our 90-day onboarding program.
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​April 8 | 9:00-9:50 pm PT/ 12:00-12:50 pm ET
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Tips, Tricks, and Solutions for Leveling Up Home Composting
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Led by educator and Garden of Oz co-founder Kate Stevens, this webinar will provide an introduction and overview to home composting methods: from traditional piles, to bokashi composting, upcycling and more. New composters and experienced composters alike will walk away with new ideas to make composting faster, easier, and most sustainable.
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Kate Stevens, Garden of Oz
​April 8 | 1:00-1:50 pm PT/ 4:00-4:50 pm ET
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Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Rethinking Food Waste Globally in Traditional Markets
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Food waste in traditional markets remains a pressing challenge, driven by inefficient supply chains, poor storage facilities, aesthetic standards, and lack of awareness. This webinar, "Rethinking Food Waste in Traditional Markets," will explore innovative, practical, and scalable solutions to reduce food loss, particularly at the supply side and points of sale. Through expert discussion and interactive dialogue, participants will gain insights into research insights, market-driven interventions, and policy frameworks that can prevent food waste. By the end of the webinar, attendees will have a deeper understanding of sustainable practices that address food waste and contribute to more resilient food systems.
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Busara Center for Behavioral Economics​​
April 9 | 6:00-6:50am PT/ 9:00-9:50am ET
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DNC Demonstrates Food Rescue as a Climate Solution
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During the 2024 DNC in Chicago, Chicago-based consultancies Bright Beat and Purpose partnered with the Democratic National Convention Committee, Host Committee, City of Chicago, local venues, community organizations, and food donation tech partners to successfully rescue over 27,000 lbs. of food (23,000+ meals!), avoiding the creation of over 93,000 lbs. of CO2 and showcasing the magnitude of opportunity and responsibility to legislate, require and operationalize food rescue and other resource recovery activities.
April 9 | 8:00-8:50am PT/ 11:00-11:50am ET
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About That Date: What You Should (but might not) Know About “Expiration Dates"
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Food date labels - often mistakenly called “expiration dates” - create confusion about what foods are good to eat and are a leading contributor to around 6 million tons of food waste in the U.S. annually – just shy of 7% of all wasted food that occurs in our country (ReFED).
In this webinar, Spoonfuls and the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic will bust the persistent myths around “expiration dates” on food, and set the record straight. We’ll discuss:
- The origins of food date labeling, including how a lack of federal regulation and the resulting state patchwork of date label legislation, causes consumer confusion and, more importantly, significant food waste;
- The impacts of that wasted food - on people, the planet, and on your wallet! - and what attendees need to know to make decisions about date labels on food in their home, using Spoonfuls’ own guidelines as a resource;
- The current policy landscape around improving date label standards and opportunities to support those efforts.
More about Spoonfuls: Spoonfuls, a Massachusetts-based food recovery organization and the largest food recovery operation in New England in terms of pounds recovered and towns and people reached, distributed more than 5.5 million pounds of food in 2024 – much of it close- or recently past-dated. Come learn from the Spoonfuls team how they work to maximize this still-good food to feed people — and how you, too, can rethink date labels in a quest to maximize the food you have.
More about the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic: Provides guidance on cutting-edge food system issues. For nearly a decade, its team has been working on the issue of standardization of date labeling as a waste reduction measure. Research shows that current date labeling practices that lack federal standardization along with a patchwork of state labeling laws confuse consumers, stymie industry coordination, and result in billions of dollars of food waste each year. FLPC contributes reports, legal guides, surveys and advocacy to much needed food date label reform.
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Liz Miller, Senior Community Relations Manager, Spoonfuls
Akif Khan, Clinical Fellow, Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic
​April 9 | 9:00am-9:50am PT/ 12:00pm-12:50pm ET
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Food Waste & Climate Change
This webinar explores the connection between food waste and climate change, highlighting how reducing waste at home can lower greenhouse gas emissions. We’ll cover where food waste happens, the environmental and economic impact, and why certain foods are wasted most. Topics include understanding expiration dates, meal planning, proper food storage, composting, and food donation. We’ll also share real data on food waste diversion efforts at Fresno State and how attendees can get involved in local food recovery and sustainability initiatives.
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California Climate Action Corps- Fresno State
​April 9 | 11:00-11:50 am PT / 2:00-2:50 pm ET
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Innovative Strategies for Reducing Food Waste on University Campuses
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A panel discussion sharing best practices for food waste reduction on university campuses. Topics to include: Campus Move Out Food Drive with Move For Hunger, several initiatives through Food Recovery Network, composting, the Clean Plate Challenge, and annual StewardSHIP week, among others.
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Chris Harasta - Binghamton University Isabella Stratta - Georgetown University Sean Cornell - Shippensburg University ​​
April 9 | 1:00-1:50pm PT/ 4:00pm-4:50pm ET
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Thursday, April 10, 2025
Your Food Waste Glow Up: Know When to Prevent, Donate, Feed Animals, or Compost.
An exploration of organizations and jurisdictions on their food waste reduction journey. Including tips for prevention and effective solutions for surplus edible food donation. Learn best practices for safely diverting inedible nutrients to local farmers for animal feed, and finally, learn when composting is the best option.
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​April 10 | 9:00-9:50 am PT/ 12:00-12:50 pm ET
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The Path to Sustainability
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Food producers and processors often have many questions when incorporating sustainability into their business: Where should you start? Who can you reach out to for assistance and guidance? What are some practical solutions that won't negatively impact your operations or bottom line? To answer these questions and more, the Brass Tacks Initiative has put together a panel of experts from Innovative Waste Recycling who will provide valuable insights, practical strategies, and success stories to inspire and guide you in preventing food waste and adopting sustainable practices.
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April 10| 8:00-8:50 am PT/ 11:00:11:50 am ET
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​Challenges with surplus food recovery at the K-12 public school level?
Tips for how we divert 1.2 million lbs. annually
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In August 2023, Guilford County, NC launched the nation's first SHARE program to serve all public schools in the district, redirecting 1.2 million pounds of surplus food each year.
This webinar will take you through our multi-year journey—the challenges, the wins, and what we’ve learned about navigating the complexities of public school systems. Schools are highly regulated and financially intricate, making even "simple" programs feel overwhelming. But persistence pays off!
If you’ve made it through the system, you deserve a medal. If you’ve faced barriers, don’t give up—food recovery in schools is too important to ignore. I’ll share tips, strategies, and fresh ideas to help you work effectively within any school district.
Let’s rethink school food recovery—together!
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​April 10 | 11:00-11:50 pm PT/ 2:00-2:50 pm ET
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Scoring for Sustainability: A food recovery partnership with Gillette Stadium, Food Recovery Network, and Hellmann's Mayonnaise
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We will present a case study on the food recovery activation that took place at the December 1st Patriots game. Our presentation will feature event images, key insights on large-scale food recovery, and our organizations’ commitment to sustainability. Most importantly, we’ll share valuable lessons learned from this impactful food rescue effort.
Overview of the December 1st Food Rescue Program
At the Patriots home game on December 1st, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, in partnership with Food Recovery Network and Gillette Stadium, launched a food recovery initiative to reduce food waste.
Rescue efforts focused on leftover prepared foods—including sandwiches, salads, fruit, pasta, and desserts—collected from premium areas before and after the game. Volunteers from Food Recovery Network, Brown University’s FRN chapter, and Gillette Stadium staff worked together to package and label the food.
In total, over 500 pounds of rescued food were donated to the ELISHA Project in Providence, Rhode Island, helping to feed those in need while advancing sustainability goals.
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​April 10 | 12:00-12:50 pm PT/ 3:00-3:50 pm ET​
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Friday, April 11, 2025
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Making the Business Case for Food Waste Prevention at Events 
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Preventing food waste at your events makes good business sense! During this panel, experts from different sides of the industry will share their wisdom and expertise on how implementing zero food waste initiatives at your next event can positively impact your bottom line.
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Suzanne Morrell, Moderator, Creating Environments, Emily (Milly) Milton, Ascendance Sustainable Events, Jane Marie Russell, Food Rescue US- South Florida
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Sustainable Events Network of Florida and the Carribean
April 11 | 9:00-9:50 am PT/ 12:00-12:50 pm ET
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Event Flyer ​
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Encouraging A Zero Waste Kitchen
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Join us for an engaging session that explores how reducing food waste is a fundamental component of creating sustainable food systems. You'll discover the surprising environmental footprint of wasted food and learn practical, budget-friendly strategies to transform your kitchen practices. This webinar offers actionable behaviors that both minimize waste and maximize your food budget—skills that benefit both the planet and your wallet. Perfect for anyone interested in sustainable living, budget-conscious
cooking, or food system sustainability.
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​​April 11 | 8:00-8:50 am PT/ 11:00am-11:50pm ET
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Unlocking Food Waste: An Economic Opportunity
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Discover how the food waste crisis isn't just an environmental problem—it's a massive economic opportunity waiting to be seized. This eye-opening session reveals how the average American family throws away an estimated $1,800-$3,000 annually in wasted food, while businesses unknowingly discard potential profits daily.
We'll explore the surprising economics behind food waste prevention, showcasing how targeted policies and smart investments are creating innovative business models and delivering impressive ROI. From household savings techniques to corporate waste-reduction strategies that boost bottom lines, you'll gain practical insights into transforming what was once considered "waste" into tangible economic value.
Join us to learn how communities, businesses, and policymakers are turning food waste challenges into profitable opportunities that benefit everyone's balance sheet.
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​April 11 | 8:00-8:50 am PT/ 11:00am-11:50pm ET
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Creating Private & Public Partnerships to Address Organic Waste
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In just four months, the Long Island Organics Initiative (LIOI) has expanded into a dynamic collaboration of 40+ stakeholders—including researchers, solution providers, program leaders, concerned citizens, collection services, municipalities, and elected officials. Together, they are tackling the complex challenge of organic waste on Long Island. Join us for an insightful discussion on how to forge impactful public-private partnerships, overcome common barriers, and implement actionable strategies to drive real change in food waste management.
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Speakers:
Michael White, Winters Bros and the Interim Director of the Waste Reduction and Management Institute (WRMI),
Gloria Frazee, East Hampton Compost and ReWild Long Island, East Hampton Sustainability Committee
Marjorie Spitz, Co-Founder of the Long Island Organics Initiative, Member of East Hampton Sustainability Committee, Co-Founder Table2Ground™
​April 11 | 10:00-10:50 am PT/ 1:00pm-1:50pm ET
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From Waste to Wellness: Leveraging Nutrition and Cooking for a Healthier Future
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In celebration of Food Waste Prevention Week, we invite you to a webinar where we will explore how food is essential not only for health and well-being but also as a powerful tool to reduce food waste and strengthen food security within our communities.
Through this space, we will learn practical strategies to optimize food use, improve home nutrition, and understand the impact that our food choices have on sustainability. Additionally, we will reflect on the importance of food as a key factor in disease prevention and in building healthy habits for the whole family.
Join this conversation with experts in food security and nutrition, and discover how we can create positive change from our homes and communities! Simultaneous interpretation EN, FR and SP provided.
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​April 11 | 11:00-11:50 am PT/ 2:00pm-2:50pm ET​
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Aging Well and Optimal Health: Role of Nutrition with Dr. Emily Ho, Endowed Chair and Director of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
​Join us in a presentation by renowned expert, Dr. Emily Ho, Director of the Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) where she will introduce us to what Nutrition experts at the LPI have identified as the10 vitamins and minerals that are needed the most for optimal health. Many people in the U.S. do not consume enough of these in their diet.
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​April 11 | 11:00-11:50 am PT/ 2:00pm-2:50pm ET​
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Kitchen Improv: Leftover Remix
Caroline Howe is DC's Food Policy Director by day and a senior faculty member at Washington Improv Theater by night! With these powers combined, she's leading this webinar on Kitchen Improv to help you make magic with what's in your fridge. While the last two years have focused on managing pesky produce challenges -- wilty greens, excess herbs, and half-consumed cans of coconut milk / chickpeas / curry paste -- this year, Leftover Remix will focus on how to transform Monday's leftovers into Wednesday's new creation. Bring a willingness to open your fridge or to share your most recent disappointing leftover conundrum, and together, we'll make something new to surprise and delight you and/or your most demanding eaters!
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​April 11 | 3:00-3:50 pm PT/ 6:00-6:50pm ET​
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​​​​Saturday, April 12, 2025
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Worm Farming for a Greener Future: Sustainable Composting with Red Wigglers
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Join us for an engaging webinar on worm farming and how it can help reduce waste, improve soil health, and support sustainable living. Designed for environmentalists and eco-conscious individuals, this session will cover:
✅ The basics of vermicomposting and how worms break down organic waste
✅ Choosing the right worms (red wigglers) and setting up a worm bin
✅ Best practices for feeding, maintaining, and troubleshooting your worm farm
✅ The environmental benefits of worm composting, including waste reduction and soil enrichment
✅ How to harvest and use nutrient-rich worm castings (vermicompost)
Whether you’re new to worm farming or looking to refine your composting methods, this webinar will provide practical tips and expert insights to help you create a thriving worm farm. Let’s turn food waste into valuable compost—naturally!
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April 12 | 11:00-11:50 am PT/ 2:00pm- 2:50pm ET
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Before You Compost That....
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Deep inside the heart and mind of the best hardcore composters there is a voice that from time to time finds de gumption to pursue their best clients and peers to upgrade a certain item(s) thrown into the compost bins and elevate it into a sublime and gourmand recipe. Join us for a keen conversation to share anecdotes where items discarded as compost by some, and rescued by others to create a dish worth it to be shared, tasted, and replicated. All eaters and storytellers that embrace food waste prevention and creative cooking are invited!
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April 12 | 1:00-1:50 am PT/ 4:00pm- 4:50pm ET
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