Annie Levay-Krause

Annie Levay-Krause
Director of Education,
Nutrition, Health & Wellness

I am a Food Writer, Photographer and Advocate. I was a Captain for the NY State 2011 Locavore Challenge. I lead workshops on cooking, baking, bread making, vertical organic gardening, seed saving, canning, drying and preserving, cultural immersion food classes and International Dinners that raise cultural awareness and increases ethical food donations for local pantries. I have also worked as an educator in both regular and special educational settings for the last nineteen years in both Albany and Erie Counties.

I believe that:

Food is meant to be savored. The pleasures of growing, dishing and eating food that is created with deliberateness using healthy and sustainably raised plants and animals, helps to build community, celebrate our diverse cultures and revel in the bounty found regionally. When we talk about sustainable food, we are talking about nutritious food that is as good for the earth as it is for our bodies. It is raised and harvested utilizing methods that have a positive impact on our local ecosystems while promoting biodiversity and sustainability. Food is a universal right, not a privilege. Ethically raised and harvested foods should be accessible to all. Socioeconomic status, race, region and other divisive demographics need to be recognized and overcome. Ethical foods are raised and produced by people who are treated with dignity and who are justly compensated for their labors.