February 9, 2026 | 6:30PM - 8:00PM |Mayer Family Community Hall (Lougheed Performing Arts Centre) | Free
Presented by the Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities in partnership with the Food Artisans of Camrose County and supported by the Sustainable Food Endowment.
Curious about food sustainability in our current world? Wondering what makes up our food system? Want to explore what it takes to build a thriving local food economy?
Join facilitator and social entrepreneur, Laura Howard, as she explores:
- Sustainable food systems.
- The basic principles of local food system development.
- The importance of food autonomy, food sovereignty and their connection to local, viable food systems.
- Learn about sustainable food initiatives across Canada and beyond!
Enjoy local fare, dive into the world of food systems and get inspired to get local.
February 9, 2026
6:30pm to 8:00pm
Mayer Room
Lougheed Performing Arts Centre
Presented by the Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities in partnership with the Food Artisans of Camrose County and supported by the Sustainable Food Endowment.
This event is free to attend though please register in advance.
This event is part of the Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities ‘Food Sustainability Lecture & Film Series’, a series of events focused on issues relating to food sustainability, especially as they relate to broader issues relevant to rural sustainability. More info about the ACSRC can be found at uab.ca/ACSRC
This event is made possible through a generous contribution from the Sustainable Food Endowment.
Speakers
Laura Howard
Delicata
Social Entrepreneur
http://www.delicata.caLaura has over 15 years of experience in community-based circular economies, social innovation, and social entrepreneurship—particularly as they relate to the development of local food systems.She is the Co-Founder and former Director of Partnerships and Business Development at Collectif Récolte, a Québec-based social enterprise that catalyzes innovation in the food system through impact-driven projects and enterprises. Laura is also the Co-Founder of Taking Root, a pioneer in leveraging the forest carbon offset industry to promote economic development with smallholder farmers in Central America. For this work, she and her three Co-Founders were awarded the Meritorious Service Decoration (Civil Division) in 2018. She is an Associate Faculty member at Royal Roads University, teaching in the Bachelor of Business Administration and Sustainability program. Over the course of her career, Laura has worked with agricultural communities around the world, supported the early-stage development of a FoodTech start-up focused on farm-to-restaurant sourcing, and proudly defines herself as a serial social entrepreneur. Her motivation is continuously fueled by her work with diverse food system stakeholders across Canada—and internationally—to co-create the systemic shifts needed for a more just, resilient, and sustainable future for food.
Location details
Address: Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre, 50 Street, Camrose, AB, Canada
Partners & Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
About the Sustainable Food Endowment
The Sustainable Food Endowment is a donor-funded initiative that provides support to Augustana for practical research and educational programming around food choices and food sources. The objective is to foster constructive dialogue, promote interdisciplinary and collaborative research and develop partnerships between Augustana and the surrounding communities.
For more information on how you can support learning for current and future students by creating something similar please reach out to the Augustana Advancement Office.