Columbus, Ohio – OFA – The Association of Horticulture Professionals announces today that Sam Kass, White House Assistant Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, will be a keynote speaker on Monday, July 16 at the OFA Short Course, the largest all-industry event in the North America. Kass will bring an enthusiastic message about gardening and planting home-grown fruits, herbs, and vegetables. This spring, several OFA member companies, including breeders and garden centers, launched new or expanded offerings in the edible plant category to meet the increasing demand by consumers. This is good news for the industry and supports an effort to improve the health and well being of kids and adults.
Kass said, there is a “…national conversation that has been started about the need for all of us to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and ensuring that everyone has access to fresh produce in their neighborhoods – key components of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative which is an effort to tackle the problem of childhood obesity in this country.” Gardening is an integral part of the program.
According to the Let’s Move! program, over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America is overweight or obese. Michael V. Geary, CAE, chief executive officer of OFA said, “The horticulture industry can play an important role in helping to solve some of society’s greatest problems. Plants are more than just pretty. Research has shown that plants, flowers and trees, are important to our health in a variety of ways.”
Kass will be the second keynote speaker at this year’s OFA Short Course. On Sunday, July 15, Joe Lamp’l (a.k.a. joe gardener®) will speak about ways to find and influence the ever elusive consumer in today’s market. You can see and hear Lamp’l on Fresh from the Garden on DIY Network, GardenSMART on PBS, and his latest series, Growing a Greener World, also on national public television. Lamp’l also shares his know-how on NBC’s Today show, ABC’s Good Morning America, and more. Both events are open to all Short Course attendees. For press credentials, please contact Laura Kunkle at Lkunkle@ofa.org.
About Sam Kass: In 2009, Kass joined the White House Kitchen staff under Executive Chef Cris Comerford’s leadership as Assistant Chef and, in 2010, became a Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives. In this role, he works with the First Lady on her Let’s Move! initiative to reverse childhood obesity within a generation. Let’s Move! is an effort to engage every sector of society in ensuring the Nation’s children grow up healthy and live the vibrant lives they deserve.
Kass has had a long interest in sustainable and nutritious ingredients and helped First Lady Michelle Obama create the first major vegetable garden at the White House since the 1890s. To date, the garden has yielded nearly 2,000 pounds of produce that has been used to feed event guests, staff, and the First Family at the White House, with further harvests donated to local food shelters.
A Chicago native, Sam graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in U.S. History. During college, he took a job cooking at the restaurant 312 Chicago under Chef Dean Zanella, an experience that set him on his current path. While finishing his final college year abroad Sam was trained as a chef by one of Austria’s greatest chefs, Chef Christian Domschitz in Vienna.
About the Organization: OFA – The Association of Horticulture Professionals is the leading horticulture educational association in the United States. It is a not-for-profit, all-industry organization and its core purpose and mission is “to support and advance professional horticulture.” Industry segments served include: breeders, garden centers, greenhouses, nurseries, retail and wholesale florists, and interior plantscapers. OFA is especially known for its outstanding publications and its annual OFA Short Course, U.S. horticulture’s premier convention and marketplace. The next Short Course will take place on July 14-17, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio USA.
Source: OFA – The Association of Horticulture Professionals
