GAMBIER, Ohio, June 3, 2005 (AScribe Newswire) -- When it comes to building a local food system, helping to sustain family farms, and changing the way college students think about food, Kenyon College is emerging as a leader in the field. This summer, the College will open a dialogue with a national audience about these topics as it hosts the second annual National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, June 16 through 18.

The conference will promote ways in which colleges and other institutions can buy food from local farmers. Titled "Putting Local Food on the Table: Farms and Food Service in Partnership," the event is designed to bring family farmers together with institutional food distributors, buyers, and preparers.

Kenyon's own Food for Thought program brings central Ohio products to the campus dining halls. Across the country, institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes, in addition to schools and colleges, are exploring similar arrangements.

According to Howard Sacks, director of the College's Rural Life Center and one of the conference organizers, these initiatives benefit all involved. "Consumers gain access to a great variety of fresh, nutritious foods and farmers benefit from a dependable market for their goods. At a time when Americans are increasingly concerned about health issues including obesity and heart disease, these efforts can also educate us all about the food we eat."

Programs like Food for Thought, Sacks adds, can have wide-ranging impact in the community. "We're using our program as an engine for economic and social sustainability in Knox County. Promoting the purchase of local foods keeps food dollars within the community and maintains an agricultural way of life that residents value."

The National Farm to Cafeteria Conference will offer an array of workshops, presentations, and field trips, as well as a film festival. The keynote speakers are Marion Nestle, author of "Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health," and David Kline, author of "Great Possessions: An Amish Farmer's Journal."

The National Farm to Cafeteria Conference is sponsored by the Community Food Security Coalition, Farm Aid, Kenyon College, the Center for Food and Justice, Food Routes, and the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association.

Registration, a schedule of events, and additional information about the conference is available online at www.foodsecurity.org.

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CONTACT: Shawn Presley, 740-427-5592, presleys@kenyon.edu

One of the nation's leading liberal arts and sciences colleges and home to the Kenyon Review, Kenyon College offers 1,600 students a challenging educational experience enriched by a culture of friendship. Graduates of the College have included actor and philanthropist Paul Newman and author E. L. Doctorow.