March/April 2010

Exhibits
Hungry Planet Related Programs
Special Events
Science and Culture
Family Programs

museum info: 612-624-7083
registration: 612-624-9050
www.bellmuseum.org

EXHIBITS

Hungry Planet: What the World Eats
Through May 23, 2010
The grocery lists and dining tables of people around the globe are the subject of this provocative exhibit based on the national best selling book by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio. Hungry Planet combines mesmerizing photos with hands-on displays that explore issues of food in the 21st century - what people eat and where it comes from, as well as how different cultures approach the growing and processing of food. For more information on the Hungry Planet exhibit click here.

From Hybrid Corn to Honeycrisps: University Agricultural Success Stories by Photographer David Hansen
Through May 9, 2010
For more than 100 years, the University of Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station has improved food and food production in Minnesota and around the world. University agronomists and horticulturalists are testing new plant varieties for hardiness, disease resistance and other qualities. And University livestock researchers lead the world in the discovery of reproductive technologies and improvements in food-animal health and nutrition. Since 1978, David Hansen has documented experiment station success stories through his vivid and award-winning photography.

HUNGRY PLANET RELATED PROGRAMS

Tour the University of Minnesota's Dairy Barns
Saturday, February 27, 2010, 9 a.m.
University of Minnesota Dairy Barn, St. Paul Campus
Cost: $9; $7 members; $5 children under 12
Registration required. Call 612-624-9050.
Follow milk's journey from cow to carton on a tour you won't forget. Meet the cows and calves of the University's dairy herd on a tour with members of the University's Animal Science Graduate Student Club. Visit the milking parlor, explore state of the art equipment, learn what dairy cows are fed and how they're cared for. Tours also will be offered Tuesday, March 23; Saturday, March 27; and Saturday, April 24.

Film: The Gleaners and I
Thursday, March 4, 7 p.m.
Free
The Gleaners and I captures the many aspects of gleaning and the numerous and sometimes unexpected people who hunt for food, knickknacks and personal connection. The screening and post-film discussion are sponsored by the University's Agri-Food Reading Group.

Exhibit Walkabout: Food Systems and Food Safety Around the World
Thursday, March 11, 2010, 7 p.m.
Free with museum admission
Join professors Jean Kinsey and Francisco Diez-Gonzalez for an exhibit tour focused on what people around the world choose to eat and why. Kinsey is director of the University's Food Industry Center and studies consumption economics and consumer food consumption behavior and trends. Diez-Gonzalez is an expert on food and food safety. Find out the difference between fresh vs. packaged food, and explore your options and the choices people make around the world.

Meat and Dairy
Thursday, March 18, 7 p.m.
Free with museum admission
Learn about the world of meat and dairy production with Department of Animal Science professors Noah Litherland and Ryan Cox. They'll discuss the history, ethics and production of animal products around the world.

Tour the University of Minnesota's Dairy Barns
Tuesday, March 23, 6:30 p.m.
University of Minnesota Dairy Barn, St. Paul campus
Cost: $9; $7 members; $5 children under 12
Registration required. Call 612-624-9050.
Follow milk's journey from cow to carton on a tour you won't forget. Meet the cows and calves of the University's dairy herd on a tour with members of the University's Animal Science Graduate Student Club. Visit the milking parlor, explore state of the art equipment, learn what dairy cows are fed and how they're cared for. Tours also will be offered 9 a.m. Saturday, March 27; and Saturday, April 24.

Sustainable Farming Panel
Tuesday, March 23, 7 p.m.
Free with museum admission
Why is sustainability important for land and for people? What is being done in Minnesota to help reduce environmental degradation? Why should we care? Join Jim Riddle, organic farmer and an organic agriculture coordinator for the University plus other local farmers as they share their stories of farming using organic and sustainable practices. They'll tell us about the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Norman Borlaug Celebration
Thursday, March 25, 7 p.m.
Free with museum admission
Celebrate the life and accomplishments of the University of Minnesota Nobel laureate and father of the "Green Revolution," Norman Borlaug. University international students will discuss food and food traditions in their country prior to screening of Freedom from Famine: The Norman Borlaug Story.

Film: The Real Dirt on Farmer John
Thursday, April 1, 7 p.m.
Free with museum admission
The Real Dirt on Farmer John tells the true story of an unusual Midwestern farmer who stands firm for his principles amidst a failing economy, vicious rumors and personal violence. The screening and post-film discussion are sponsored by the University's Agri-Food Reading Group.

What We Eat and How to Grow It and A Farm for the Future
Thursday, April 8, 5:30 and 7 p.m.
Free with museum admission
A special evening devoted to a range of food issues. At 5:30 p.m. join Al Levine, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences' dean and expert on nutrition and aging, and anthropology professor Bill Beeman for a museum tour focused on what and how much we eat. Stay for a 7 p.m. discussion of sustainable alternatives to conventional agriculture with Kathryn Draeger, director of Minnesota's Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships program, and Jim Kleinschmitt, with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Rural Communities Program. The evening concludes with a screening of A Farm for the Future, a BBC-produced documentary that investigates how to turn a typical family farm of today into an efficient farm for the future.

Sustaining Our Food Systems
Thursday, April 15, 7 p.m.
Free with museum admission
Join director of the Food and Society Fellows Program at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Mark Muller, in a discussion about how we can promote a food system that is healthier, more prosperous, more resilient, and more sustainable.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Minnesota Native Plant Society Annual Meeting
Saturday, March 27, 2010, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $40 Native Plant Society members; $50 non-members.
Advance registration required. Call 763-599-3114.
This annual symposium is a treat for anyone - expert or amateur - with an interest in Minnesota's native plants and natural history. This year's focus will be on Minnesota's sand dune ecosystems. Learn about dune biology and natural history, the plants and animals that inhabit them and current issues and threats to these special places. For details, visit www.mnnps.org/events/symposium.html.

Hungry Planet:What the World Eats Authors Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio
Saturday, April 24, 7 p.m.
Cost: $15 members, $20 non-members
Best-selling photographer Peter Menzel and writer Faith D'Aluisio will take the audience on a visual tasting tour of the world's dinner plates with photos from their books Hungry Planet, Man Eating Bugs and Material World. Learn what inspires their travels and why food is such an important part of their work. Get a sneak peek of their new book coming out this fall.

SCIENCE AND CULTURE

Café Scientifique: Food Safety and Food Defense
Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater
Tickets: $5-$12. Call 612-825-8949 for reservations
What's really in the food on your plate and where did it come from? Examine food's role in public safety with Koel Ghosh, a research fellow at the Food Industry Center in the University's Department of Applied Economics who studies food safety, food health and food defense. From accidental contamination to deliberate food terrorism, we'll look at ways food impacts our health and safety.

Café Scientifique: Gathering Wild Foods in the City
Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater
Tickets: $5-$12. Call 612-825-8949 for reservations
Harvesting wild plant food in urban areas such as parks, empty lots, backyards, and green spaces is gaining in popularity. University research fellow Michele Schermann and her colleague Marla Emery, a research geographer with the U.S. Forest Service, will discuss what they have learned working with the Hmong community in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and about foraging on public and private lands and roadsides for wild, edible plants. They'll also explain which harvestable plants are good to eat - including invasive species - and where they can be found. Think garlic mustard mashed potatoes and dandelion pie!

Café Scientifique: Going Local
Tuesday, May 18, 2010, 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater
Tickets: $5-$12. Call 612-825-8949 for reservations
Interest in local foods has been growing rapidly, but local foods still account for a only small portion of food purchases. University Applied Economics Professor Robert King will share findings from a coordinated series of case studies designed to improve our understanding of local food supply chains and the prospects for their growth.

CHILDREN AND FAMILY PROGRAMS

Nature Tots: Food: Colors, Shapes, and Sizes
Thursday, March 4, 2010, 10 a.m. to noon
Ever wonder why fruits and vegetables are brightly colored and tasty? They've adapted to appeal to the creatures that eat them and spread their seeds. Learn about fruit and vegetable shapes and have fun making beautiful wrapping paper with real fruit and vegetable stamps.

Nature Play: Fruit Printing
Saturday, March 13, 2010, 1 to 3 p.m.
Get a guided tour of Hungry Planet exhibit and play in the exhibit's food market. Learn the history of ancient foods like corn, rice and wheat and how humans went about domesticating animals. Afterward, create a beautiful print from real fruit and vegetable stamps.

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Location: The Bell Museum is located at the corner of University Ave. & 17th Ave. SE in Minneapolis, on the University of Minnesota campus.

Children under 3 & U of M students/staff/faculty: free
Free admission for all visitors on Sundays

Program Registration Policy:
We accept payment for programs requiring advance registration by Visa, MasterCard and Discover. We can't reserve places without payment. Phone registrations require credit card payment. Send check or money order to the Bell Museum Registration Office, 10 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104.

Museum Information: Call 612-624-7083.
Registration: Call 612-624-9050.

Receive discounts on programs by becoming a Bell Museum member.