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A celebration of Insects in
Food
Art
Culture
The University of Wisconsin Undergraduate Entomology Society (UES), in collaboration with Slow Food UW and the Mission to Improve Global Health Through Innovation (MIGHTi), invite you to Swarm-to-Table 2023!
This event includes:
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Expo space featuring
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Insect agriculture industry members
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Interactive activities
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UW departments and organizations
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And much more!
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Gourmet insect tasting menu by chef Andrew Jack
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Art gallery showcasing insect positive artwork by creators in our community
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Micro-presentations by experts in the field
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Arthropod inspired open mic
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Prizes for best arthropod-inspired attire
Why Eat BUgs?
Well, for starters, they can be delicious. Worldwide, thousands of species of insects contribute to human diets, and many are prized as delicacies. For creative cooks, the vast biodiversity of insects offers a palette of unique flavors, unmatched in breadth throughout the animal kingdom.
As the global population increases and climate change intensifies, it is essential that we develop creative, sustainable, and resilient strategies for agriculture and food security. Compared to conventional livestock, insect agriculture typically requires less land, feed, and freshwater inputs to produce a comparable amount of nutritious food. Some insects are adept recyclers, capable of turning inedible waste into something nutritious and digestible. Growing insects for human consumption and animal feed promises to be a part of developing equitable and sustainable food systems in the future.
Swarm-to-Table invites the curious public to explore insect agriculture and cuisine. Join us in celebrating the role of insects in human health, sustainable agriculture, and existing food and artistic culture.
APRIL 15, 2023
2:00-5:00 pm
SWARM TO TABLE 2023
Photos Courtesy of Chef Andrew Jack
2:00- 5:00 PM
April 15, 2023
The Crossing
1127 University Ave,
Madison, WI 53715
(corner of University and Charter)
Made possible by our sponsors. A complete list can be found at the bottom of the page.
Expo
Meander our expo space to learn about insect agriculture first hand from members of this up-and-coming industry, partake in insect themed, hands on activities, explore a multitude of applicable departments and initiatives here at the University of Wisconsin, and much more!
Stage
Take a load off your feet and enjoy a variety of micro-presentations given by experts in the field.
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2:45- 3:00 pm: Dr. Valerie Stull - Ento-food? On eating insects and human health
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3:15-3:30 pm: Dr. Barrett Klein - Human Culture Stands on Six Legs
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3:45-3:50 pm: Prized awarded for best insect inspired outfit
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3:50-4:20 pm: Industry Panel Discussion/Q+A
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4:30 pm: Insect Themed Open Mic (registration coming soon)
Art Gallery
Our gallery space will showcase insect positive artwork by creators in our community. Local artists have an opportunity to display and/or sell their work. If you are an artist and would like to be involved, click here.
Food
To tie everything together, we are once again working with the talented chef Andrew Jack to curate a gourmet insect based tasting menu. This multi-coursed menu will be cooked in house with the help of the Slow Food UW team and distributed throughout the event. It will include crickets, mealworms, water bugs, ants, and more!
Dress for a night out, keeping in mind that prizes will be awarded for the best bug themed attire... don't hold back!
$15 per guest
***People with crustacean
allergies are at an increased risk of experiencing an adverse reaction
to insects***
All profits will be donated to nonprofits to further insect agriculture, food insecurity, and insect biodiversity.
art by: Joyce Gibson
SWARM-To-TABLE proudly features:
Experimental cook and private chef.
Dr. Valerie Stull
Madison, WI
Interdisciplinary Environmental Scientist & Global Health Professional - Advocate for Planetary Health and Sustainable Food Systems.
Executive Director, President, and Co-Founder of the Mission to Improve Global Health through Innovation
Dr. Barrett Klein
La Crosse, WI
Anthropoid-arthropod by day and arthropoid-hominid by night, I combine entomology (studying sleep behavior in insects), cultural entomology (how insects affect human culture), and the intersection of science and art as a professor at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.
Food by
Talks by
Panelists
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Kevin Bachhuber
Madison, WI
Maye Walraven
Decatur, IL
John Wilson
Fort Collins, CO
Chad Simons
Minneapolis, MN
Mallory Darre
Milwaukee, WI
Co-founder of the first American insect farm to obtain food-grade certifications and an award-winning consultant in sustainable agriculture, small-business innovation, and finance. Kevin continues to help shape this growing industry as the owner of Madison Cricket Farm and Bachhuber Consulting.
As Innovafeed's General Manager for North America, Maye currently oversees the construction of the world's largest insect production facility in Decatur, Illinois. Innovafeed farms black soldier flies and transforms them into high quality ingredients for animal and plant nutrition to support sustainable food systems.
With a background in environmental activism and legislation, Chad is the co-owner and co-founder of the 3 Cricketeers, the only farm for consumable crickets in Minnesota since opening in 2017.
A Wisconsin Native, Mallory began her company, Valkyrie farms, in 2020 after happening upon a story about a nationwide mealworm shortage. Upon learning about the uses and benefits of the insect, from the larvae to the beetles to the frass, Mallory set up a small colony that has since grown to serve a variety of markets in the area.
After a career in public health specializing in reproductive health interventions in Southern Africa, John is now a PhD candidate in Food Science at CSU. His current research focuses on the fermentation of insect protein to develop products that are acceptable to the Western Public.
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Chef Andrew Jack
Madison, WI
Special Thanks to
Our Partners & Donors:
