SCCF’s Evening at the Homestead on Wednesday, Mar. 4, will feature an enlightening lecture by Jackie Vitale, Chef-in-Residence at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, as she explores how our food system impacts the changing climate, from seed to supermarket; fridge to landfill.

“Our energy and transportation industries get most of the attention when it comes to climate change, but the food system also plays a large role in our warming planet,” says Vitale. “We’ll also learn about the historical and economic roots of our current industrial system, and present possibilities for a brighter future.”

Presented in partnership with FISH of SanCap and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, the lecture is the third in a series titled, “Cooking for the Planet: Healthy, Affordable and Climate-Friendly Kitchen Techniques.”

“We’ll cover science, economics, history, and politics, but the focus will be on positive and practical solutions we can all bring back to our own kitchens,” says Vitale, whose one-year stint as Chef-in-Residence will culminate in June.

Inaugurated in 2016, the Chef-in-Residence (CIR) program at the Rauschenberg Residency is an annual opportunity for a chef to participate in an active artists’ community while also focusing on community outreach to help the Foundation strengthen its relationships with organizations across the region.

The CIR program aligns with the Foundation’s focus on environmental conservation and stewardship, and social activism stemming from Robert Rauschenberg’s longstanding concern for the safekeeping of the environment and his love of food and cooking for family and friends.

The CIR prepares meals for the artists in residence, while continuing to implement and maintain sustainable practices; build on and continue partnerships with local farmers, purveyors, and community; reduce waste; and integrate produce grown on the residency land and garden.

Located on Robert Rauschenberg’s former property on Captiva, the Rauschenberg Residency welcomes 70 artists each year to live and work in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment. The property spans 20 acres and includes nine buildings, a 3,600-square-foot vegetable garden, and 12 beehives.

To register for the Evening at the Homestead: Food & Climate Change, please go to Eventbrite/SCCF. Tickets are $10 and seats are limited. Doors will open at 6pm for light bites and refreshments. The lecture will begin at 6:30pm in the pavilion at the Bailey Homestead Preserve, 1300 Periwinkle Way.