The Farm to Table Pittsburgh Conference — a two-day celebration of the latest products and initiatives from local farmers, food producers, health and wellness professionals and chefs — returns to its roots for its 11th annual edition, “Growing Roots for Healthy Communities,” on March 24 and 25 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

“Our first conference in 2007 focused on traditional diets and we wanted to return to that theme in 2017,” says Erin Hart, founder and executive director of Farm to Table Pittsburgh, part of the wellness program of American HealthCare Group, a Pittsburgh-based health and wellness company. “The café vendors, cooking demonstrations and a new Roots Cookbook that we're publishing will include recipes, cooking and gardening techniques from across the U.S. and around the world.”

Proceeds from cookbook sales will benefit For Good Pittsburgh, an organization working to create positive experiences for Pittsburgh area individuals by pairing them with organizations, companies and private citizens who have the resources to help them.

The conference will feature two days of speakers on a variety of topics, including Sally Lipsky of Murrysville, of Food for Health, a nonprofit service providing information about plant-based nutrition and healthy food choices.

She will be speaking on “Healthy Eating Simplified: A Primer on Plant-Centered Meals.” A cancer survivor who has embraced plant-centered meals in her own life, she will discuss how fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes and teas are the most effective foods for optimizing physical, mental and emotional health.

“Researchers estimate that up to 80 percent of our chronic disease is a result of our current lifestyle,” Lipsky says. “The standard American diet consists of high amounts of animal foods, fat, sugar and processed food — all of which are linked to obesity and chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disease and various cancers.”

She offers a few easy ways to incorporate more plant-based foods in the diet:

• Focus on one-pot meals, such as soups, stews, giant salads, pasta and grain dishes.

• Cook in quantity so you have leftovers to eat during the week and/or to freeze for later.

• Use pre-cut and frozen vegetables and fruits and pre-cooked, canned beans.

• Buy in bulk and when items are on sale. Stock staples and key ingredients.

The more consumers decrease food from animal sources and increase food from plant sources, the more they and their families will benefit, she says. A book she has written, “Beyond Cancer: The Powerful Effect of Plant-Based Eating,” is due out in June.

Also speaking at the conference on “Backyard Chickens: Knowing and Changing the Laws” will be Phil Tompkins of Freeport, co-founder of Rent the Chicken with his wife, Jenn.

“Rent The Chicken is truly families helping families bring one food source closer to the table by providing folks an opportunity to try out backyard chickens for fresh eggs with all supplies needed without a long term commitment,” he says. They serve customers in Western Pennsylvania.

Bob Junk, of Republic Food Enterprise Center in Republic, Fayette County, will discuss how his commercial kitchen and co-packing facility is helping to promote the health of the community by making local, healthy food available through farmers markets and with specialty crops grown locally.

A variety of exhibitors will have their latest products and services on display at Farm to Table Pittsburgh, including David and Sharon Carroll, whose new store, Oakmont Olive Oil Co., is due to open in Oakmont in April.

“We carry a high-quality 100 percent extra virgin olive oil, several infused olive oils as well as balsamic vinegars,” Sharon says. Current flavors include Blood Orange-infused with a hint of freshly squeezed blood orange perfect for roasting vegetables; Black Truffle, to add flavor to risotto, steak and pasta; Rosemary Infused, for marinating pork, roasting chicken, lamb or potatoes, and Basil Infused, to enhance salads, pastas and grilled vegetables.

The oils originate from a small, four-generation family farm located outside of Sparta, Greece.

The couple met the family several years ago on a cooking tour through Tuscany, where Sharon says she learned a lot about cooking with olive oil and its health benefits.

“We got to know the family that produces the Laconiko brand of extra virgin olive oil and decided to bring this wonderful olive oil to the Pittsburgh area,” she says. Laconiko is harvested and pressed in Greece, then brought to Manassas, Va., by the family to be bottled.

In keeping with the “roots” theme, this year's conference will include representatives of wineries, in addition to more than a dozen distilleries, breweries and meaderies that carry on the state's history for producing handcrafted spirits. Guests will be able to purchase products on-site and try new cocktails and spirits at the event.

Scott Neeley, owner of KingViewMead LLC, a producer of mead, wine and cider-based beverages in Pleasant Hills, will be among those who will have the opportunity to introduce guests to Pennsylvania-made adult beverages.

“As a PA Limited Winery who focuses on mead or honey wine, we love the fact that the public is getting exposed to this beverage,” he says. “Mead is the oldest known alcohol and is creating a nice niche for connoisseurs seeking something different.”

Hart says Farm to Table food vendors and restaurants will team up with participating breweries, distilleries and wineries for the first time to provide beverages and food pairings for sale in the Farm to Table Café. Children's activities will be available both days of the conference, and there will be a Wellness Lounge offering massage therapy and yoga, sponsored by American HealthCare Group.

Candy Williams is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.

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