The Piedmont Culinary Guild has released the lineup for its 2020 Food & Beverage Symposium, which will take place on Sunday, March 15. The annual conference examines the local food economy, from farms to restaurants and markets. Tickets for the event, which takes place at Johnson & Wales University in Uptown, are $85. Tickets include breakfast, lunch, and a cocktail reception following the symposium.

More than 40 industry professionals — including myself — will be part of the discussions and sessions, which include topics such as kitchen mental health, pasta-making, and how to secure investors. I’ll be moderating a panel on how to retain kitchen staff — as a result of research for this story on wages — as well as taking part in a panel on food media. Subjects will fall into four tracks: Culinary, Agriculture, Business, and Wellness.

“Our goal as an organization is to continue to connect the local food chain and secure our food shed, preserving the flavors of the piedmont for the future,” PCG Executive Director Kris Reid said in a release. “I’m looking forward to another symposium where we learn, share and grow together as a community together.”

There will also be a morning-long session hosted by Aux Bar chef Steven Goff and Meredith Leigh, who has written books on butchery and sustainability. The butchery class will include a demonstration of whole-hog butchery, as well as tips on how to use various cuts of meat and minimizing waste. Attending the butchery class costs an additional $40.

Dan Kittredge, founder and executive director of the Bionutrient Food Association and a farmer who promotes a focus on nutrient density, will be the keynote speaker. See the full schedule and buy tickets here.

The guild’s membership is made up of mostly chefs and purveyors, and looks to promote the flavors and bounty of the Piedmont region. While the symposium’s conversations will focus on subjects facing farmers and those in the restaurant industry, tickets are open to members of the public who wish to support PCG or learn more about the issues surrounding local food. —Kristen Wile

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