Tickets required for this event

Individual Ticket: $50.00/ticket

Table of 8: $360.00

New this year: assigned seating! To sit together, guests must purchase tickets in a single transaction. You may buy 1–7 individual tickets or reserve a full table of 8

Purchase your tickets using this LINK. For individual tickets, please have each guest’s first and last name, email address, and meal choice (Regular: pork chop, squash polenta, vegetables; or Vegan: basil pesto gnocchi, roasted vegetables). If you’re purchasing a table, you’ll only need the organizer’s name and email, plus the total number of Regular and Vegan meals for your group.

Purchase tickets by January 7 at midnight. Sales will close sooner if event capacity is reached. No refunds on ticket purchases.

You will receive a confirmation email once you have purchased tickets. You will receive additional details and event reminders from Jodie Huegerich. For any questions, please contact me at jodie.huegerich@uni.edu.

Menu

This locally sourced meal will be prepared by Diamond Event Center chefs utilizing fresh, local ingredients. 

Social Hour Appetizers (Cash Bar available): A vibrant display featuring artisan breads, roasted squash hummus, apple–fig jam, miso-glazed carrots, and an assortment of compound butters.

Main Entrée: Succulent pork chop served with roasted squash polenta and seasonal roasted vegetables. Vegan Option: Basil pesto gnocchi and roasted vegetables

Dessert: Crepes with warm apple compote and finished with a drizzle of elderberry syrup.

Agenda

5:30-6:00 pm Check-in 

5:30-6:30 pm Social Hour with Appetizers and Cash Bar

6:30 pm Entree Served

7:00 pm Program 

7:30 pm Dessert and Q & A 

Speakers

Kathryn Gilbery 

Kathryn is the Local Food Access Coordinator at UNI’s Center for Energy & Environmental Education and serves the community by building and sustaining programs including: Veggie Vouchers, urban garden initiatives, incubator farms, and co-leading the Cedar Valley Regional Food & Farm Network. 

Christine Kemp 

Christine serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Peoples Community Health Clinic, Inc., a nonprofit health care organization dedicated to providing high-quality, comprehensive care to all people in the Cedar Valley. Under her leadership, Peoples Clinic has expanded its commitment to community health through innovative programs and partnerships including serving as a host site for the Veggie Vouchers Program since 2020 and establishing the Peoples Garden in 2018 to ensure seasonal, fresh produce is freely available to patients, promoting healthy eating and community engagement. Through these initiatives, Peoples Clinic advances holistic health by addressing both medical and social needs in partnership with local growers and community organizations.

Mike Cook

Mike is a third-generation farmer and retired John Deere engineer who has operated Cook Family Farm since the 1980s across Waterloo, Iowa. Cook expanded the family farm to 120 acres by adding new parcels across Waterloo and a diverse array of crops including corn, soybeans, and a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Since 2016, Mike has participated in the UNI Veggie Voucher Program, accepting vouchers from nutrition-insecure clients at the Waterloo Urban Farmers Market to purchase his fresh fruits and vegetables.  .