BROWN COUNTY – New Leaf Foods presents Food for Health, a new series of presentations on “good food for good health, now and for generations.”

“Food for Health brings together local experts on nutrition, biology, gardening, sustainable agriculture, cooking and community health to share how the food we grow, prepare and enjoy impacts lifelong health,” said Lynn Walter, president of New Leaf Foods, Inc. “We will discover not only how good food can improve our personal health but also how it can enhance community well-being and regenerate land, air and water for generations to come.”

The Whole Wheat Story consists of the first four presentations of the Food for Health series, which will focus on wheat — a food that has nourished civilizations for thousands of years. Wheat still remains one of the world’s most important staple foods as both an affordable and accessible form of nutrition.

“Wheat is the basis of traditional foods that bring people together across the globe — from breads and pastas to tortillas, noodles and porridges. Its ability to grow in many climates, store well and provide dependable calories and nutrients has made wheat central to food security. The importance of wheat became even clearer when the war in Ukraine, one of the world’s great ‘breadbaskets’, disrupted grain supplies and threatened food security in many parts of the world,” Walter said.

The Whole Wheat Story will explore both the value and quality of wheat, while also telling its story through the lens of history, nutrition, agriculture, sustainability and health.

Each presentation will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. on every Tuesday in June – June 9, 16, 23 and 30 – at the Brown County Central Library. Presentations will include information and a “Q&A” session with the presenter. Presenters will be PHD biologist Vicki Medland and registered dietician Michelle Nowak.

Medland worked for 20 years at UW-Green Bay’s Center for Biodiversity as associate director where she conducted research in agricultural biodiversity as well as managed various education, outreach programs and student intern programs.

“My first course will discuss the current understanding about the domestication and historical use of grains. The second will discuss the best uses of different grains based on their protein and carbohydrate content and structure,” Medland said.

Nowak has been a registered dietician since 2001, and has worked as a clinical and community outreach dietician doing medical nutrition therapy and outpatient nutrition counseling.

Nowak will give a presentation on the nutritional aspects of grains and a cooking demonstration where participants can taste test several healthy dishes and take home recipes.

Presentations will be:

Seeds of Culture: How Wheat Shaped Our History on June 9, presented by Vicki Medland

Know your Wheat: Choosing the Right Grain for Every Use on June 16, presented by Vicki Medland

Wheat and Wellness: Understanding its Nutritional Power on June 23, presented by Michelle Nowak

From Seed to Table: The Art of Cooking With Wheat on June 30, presented by Michelle Nowak

“As far as future topics, we plan on using real world food concerns with potential topics including gluten free diets, food planning and budgeting, quick and healthy food ideas [and more],” Nowak said. “As nutrition is such a large topic and a source of ongoing conflict with so many sources, there is hope that topic ideas will also come from the participants and what they might like to see.”

For more information on Food for Health or to virtually sign up for the series, visit newleaffoods.org.