SACRAMENTO TO HOST NEW FOOD & AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER 2016

Renowned food non-profit to cohost first ‘Farm Tank' event with America's Farm-to-Fork CapitalSACRAMENTO, Calif.- The Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) announced today that the organization has partnered with leading food non-profit Food Tank to bring a new, West Coast version of its popular East Coast conference series to Sacramento this September.

The annual "Farm Tank" conference will be a first-of-its kind event that features more than 70 food and agriculture experts from across the West Coast. In addition to speakers' panels, Farm Tank will include a day of hands-on learning excursions to regional farms, distribution centers, restaurants and other related sites to highlight the greater Sacramento area's key role in the country's food system.

"From the moment we took on the Farm-to-Fork program, building a corresponding conference in Sacramento was a top priority," said Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau COO Mike Testa. "Our region is leading the nation on so many fronts when it comes to food and agriculture, and we're excited to share that on a larger scale."

The inaugural Farm Tank conference will run from Sept. 22-Sept. 23 during the Sacramento region's month-long Farm-to-Fork Celebration, with the expert panels being held at the Hyatt Regency downtown. Registration is now live and speakers will be announced throughout the coming months. The conference team expects Farm Tank to draw attendees locally and from throughout Northern California.

"Food Tank is incredibly excited to partner with the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau's Farm-to-Fork program, as well as local organizations like the Center for Land-Based Learning. These two groups are the perfect partners to bring together farmers, eaters, academics, policy makers, students, and others to discuss-and develop solutions to-some of the world's most pressing food system issues. We're especially keen to learn from producers from California and across the globe who are developing solutions in fields and kitchens every day," says Food Tank President Danielle Nierenberg.

Farm Tank marks a major milestone in the expansion of Sacramento's Farm-to-Fork program. In addition to establishing the conference, the program will continue its speaker series and is working on new events that encourage conversation around the issues that impact the region's food and agricultural communities.

"The Sacramento region is doing extraordinary things and Farm Tank provides an ideal platform to showcase our strengths," said Farm-to-Fork Director Nicole Rogers. "From food literacy to food insecurity, we're helping to shape the national conversation, and we're hopeful that this conference helps to further that conversation for years to come."