February 18, Saturday, 89 Chestnut Street, Toronto

$65 (after Feb. 5, $85) COG members $55 (after Feb. 5, $65) Rates for students, seniors and unwaged: call 416-466-4420

To register and for an agenda and more information: http://www.cogtoronto.org/COG_Toronto/Conference_2012.html

If you value your food, you won't want to miss this conference. Why do organic strawberries cost so much? What is the difference between conventional and organic pricing? Will boycotts change the agricultural system? Can organic food be part of the solution to cancer? Are there organic fish? Hear these panels and the story of how one 30 something writer from NY City lived her own story and became a farmer. Join us for practical answers to serious questions that won’t be green washed. It’s not about the money; it’s about your health and the future.

Topics include: Is Organic Too Extreme? Something Fishy Here, - GE Salmon, Your Food - Your Health, Our Organic Neighbors, Is Organic for Everyone, Growing Desserts, Organic for Schools, Deconstructing Organic Pricing and more.

With a purchase of a conference ticket, you also have the opportunity to purchase a ticket to the previewing of a new play, Seeds, about the legal battle between Percy Schmeiser and Monsanto based on court trial transcripts, interviews and media material. Produced by Crow's Theatre and starring Eric Peterson, this play is sure to be engaging and thought provoking. Saturday, February 18, 8 pm, Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Distillery District, 55 Mill St., Toronto.

Vandana Shiva in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick Feb 24-27

February 24, Wolfville, NS: Dr. Vandana Shiva will attend The Valley Sustainability Showcase at the Wolfville Farmers Market from 2:30pm-4:30pm. This event brings together vendors from the Wolfville, Kentville and Windsor markets as well as a showcase supporting community resiliency and sustainable initiatives currently active in Nova Scotia. Local politicians, business persons and educational faculty from Acadia will be present at this exhibition of the Annapolis Valley’s dynamism. This event is free and open to the public but donations are encouraged. For more information please contact Dr. Edith Callaghan at (902) 585 1012.

February 24, Wolfville NS: Dr. Vandana Shiva will attend a fundraising dinner at Tempest Restaurant (117 Front Street, Wolfville) This dinner is open to the public and will be a vegetarian 4 course meal with local wine. Host chef is Slow Food Nova Scotia leader Michael Howell. The dinner is $59.95 + HST and will support Navdanya and Slow Food’s 1000 Gardens in Africa Project. Please contact the restaurant directly to make a reservation at 902-542-0588 or info@tempest.ca.

February 24, Wolfville, NS: Dr. Vandana Shiva will give an address at Horton High School in Greenwich, NS entitled 'The Future of our Food.' This presentation is hosted by the Horton Environment Club. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Box of Delights in Wolfville, NS and are $25 for adults and $5 for students. All proceeds support Navdanya and the Peoples Policy on Global Seed Sovereignty. For more information please contact Dr. Edith Callaghan at (902) 585 1012.

February 25Truro, NS, Seedy Saturday from 11-11:30am. The theme of the discussion will be on Seed Sovereignty. Location: St. Andrew United Church (55 King St., Truro, Nova Scotia), Seedy Saturday will go from 10am-2pm. For more info on the Seedy Saturday contact Mark Austin at m.austin[@]xplornet.com.

February 251-3pm at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College auditorium, with an address on farming sustainabably, sponsored by ACORN. Tickets are $10. http://acornorganic.org/vandanashiva.html

February 25 public lecture at 7pm at the Sharon United Church in Tatamagouche, NS. Theme: 'Securing a Food Sovereign Future.' Seating will be on a first come first serve basis (seating capacity is 300 people). Cost is by donation, with all donations in support of the People’s Global Seed Sovereignty Project ($10 to $50 welcomed).

February 26 A Conversation with Dr. Vandana Shiva at Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB. 7pm-9pm. Further details TBA.

February 27, Halifax Vandana Shiva and Guests: A Feast of Conversation about Women, Men and Food. 9:00AM – 12:00PM (seating for 200, arrive early!) Mount St Vincent University, Multi-purpose Room, Rosaria Centre, Halifax, NS. Suggested minimum donation $10. Funds support the Navdanya organization. For more information, contact janet.rhymes@oxfam.ca.