Between 2014 and 2021, I was a freelance farm and food safety writer focused on infectious disease
prevention and educating the public on the health aspects of meat,
dairy, and eggs collected from animals that were raised humanely. Below are samples of my written materials and services.
Presenter – Why is there a decreased demand for COVID-19 vaccine?
May 12, 2021 Location:LATIN-19 meeting via Zoom
Analyzed and presented
NC DHHS COVID-19 vaccination data to the
Latinx Advocacy Team & Interdisciplinary Network for COVID-19 (LATIN-19). Facilitated a conversation among the 80 attendees
on the topics outlined in the Indyweek article,
Experts Expect Demand and Enthusiasm for the COVID-19 Vaccine to Begin to Fade as well as additional barrier specific to the
Latinx community.
Presenter – Sixteenth Annual Southeast Indian Studies Conference
March 19, 2021 Location: UNC-Pembroke, via Zoom
I delivered the Food sovereignty effort among NC Tribes presentation for the
UNC-Pembroke
Southeast Indian Studies Conference. It was an honor to share the information I gathered through
one-on-one interviews with members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Coharie Tribe, Haliwa-Saponi
Tribe, and the Meherrin Tribe.
Facilitator – Committee on Racial Equity (CORE) In-between
June 20, 2019 Location: Recity Durham, NC 27701
During this 2-hour event, Ciranna Bird facilitated a check-in, shared agreements, guided discussion, and debrief process. The purpose
of the in-betweens is to discuss our work in addressing the racial disparities in our food systems. Ciranna chose Scene on Radio podcast
Episode 43-Losing Ground as the story starter. In this podcast,
field producer, John Biewen shares a gripping story of the eviction of farmers Eddie and Dorothy Wise from their hog farm and the
role that racial discrimination played in their loss of income, home and health.
An interview with Ciranna Bird on WCOM 103.5 FM
June 12, 2019 Location: WILPF Wake up Call on WCOM 103.5 FM
Ciranna Bird was interviewed on the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Show. This Wake-Up Call was hosted
by Lori Hoyt, the radio broadcaster was Iris Schwitzer and the videographer for the recording posted on YouTube was Emily O’Hare.
During this 55-minute conversation, Ciranna talked about farmworkers in North Carolina, her Colombian heritage, the excellent work
being done by Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and resources written by people of color including "The Color of Food: Stories of
Race, Resilience and Farming" by
Natasha Bowens and
“The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South” by
Michael W. Twitty.
This year’s Carolina Meat Conference, was held in Winston-Salem on Monday and Tuesday. The event attracted men
and women who raise livestock on pasture, process the animals into cuts of meat, regulate the labeling of meat,
distribute, cook, and/or eat local non-conventionally raised meat. NC Choices, an initiative of the Center for
Environmental Food Systems, hosts this type of event yearly to advance the local, niche, and pasture-based meat
supply chain in North Carolina and other states.
The Medical Writer's Role in Helping Patients make Health Care Decisions
AMWA Medical Writing & Communication Conference
Denver, Colorado
October 7, 2016
I was chosen as a conference reporter for the 2016 Medical Writing & Communication Conference to cover the open session
"The Medical Writer's Role in Helping Patients Make Health Care Decisions."
I conducted a follow-up interview with the presenter, Kathi Whitman, MA who is a Project Manager at Intermountain Healthcare.
My article was published in the AMWA Journal/V31 N4/2016 on page 164.
Highlights of the 2016 Carolina Food Summit
Rock Quarry Farm, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
September 29, 2016
In September, I attended the Carolina Food Summit: Plates, Policy, and Place.
My blog article
covers the Conversation Sparks: Hunger, Change, Flavor, Policy, and Sustainability panel and is
available at my www.cirannabird.com/NC-foodblog.html page.
Highlights of the 2016 Piedmont Grown Annual Conference
Raleigh, North Carolina
March 10, 2016
In March, I attended the Piedmont Grown Annual Conference.
My blog article
shares the pieces of wisdom provided by the keynote speaker and provides an overview of the intermediate food buyers First Hands Food,
Farmer Foodshare and the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative.
The full-length article is available at my www.cirannabird.com/NC-foodblog.html page.
The Launch of the Durham Farm and Food Network
Durham, North Carolina
January 8, 2016
January 8th I attended the Launch of the Durham Farm and Food (DFF) Network.
My blog article
shares the excitement of learning how this new food council will promote healthy communities,
environmental stewardship and economic development in Durham County.
The full-length article is available at my www.cirannabird.com/NC-foodblog.html page.
The NC Choices Carolina Meat Conference and Small-scale Meat Production
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
October 12, 2015
In October 2015 I attended the two-day NC Choices Carolina Meat Conference.
My blog article covers the following panel presentations:
What’s the Buzz? Examining the Controversy over Production Practices; Inspected and Exempt Poultry: Options and Obstacles;
Heritage Breeds and Pasture-Based Pork Carcass Quality: Research and Field Update.
The full-length article is available at my www.cirannabird.com/NC-foodblog.html page.
Generate YouTube Videos: Propel Your ... Business and Be of Service
AMWA-DVC
13th Annual Freelance Conference
King of Prussia, Philadelphia
March 28, 2015
I was a conference reporter at the American Medical Writers Association Annual Freelance Conference. After attending the
"The New Social Media: Using YouTube to Run Your Entire Social Media & Brand in 4 Hours a Week" presentation, I interviewed
attendees and conducted a follow-up interview with the presenter, Mary Agnes Antonopoulos.
My article "Generate YouTube Videos Propel Your Freelance Medical
Writing Business and Be of Service:" was published in the Delawriter Spring 2015 newsletter.
In addition to the wonderful taste-testing of hybrid, heirloom, and cherry tomatoes, I had a chance to meet
Craig LeHoullier, author of
The Epic Tomato in person.
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Have you taken the Quiz to see how many raw eggs you eat per week? If not
Question 1-2: Intentionally eating raw cake batter or raw homemade cookie dough
If you answered “yes” to question 1 or question 2 … you are willfully eating raw eggs and raw flour.
If you are unlucky, the raw flour may contain a shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC). Explore
the symptoms of a STEC infection.
Question 3-5: Runny egg yolks, unpasteurized egg drinks, mayonnaise, etc.
If you answered “yes” or “I don’t know” to questions 3, 4, or 5… you are eating raw eggs whether
or not you intend to. If you are unlucky, one of these raw eggs may contain the bacteria Salmonella.
Explore the symptoms of a Salmonella infection.
Question 6-8: The habits of the people cooking and preparing your food.
If you answered “no” or “I don’t know” to questions 6, 7, or 8 … your food most likely is being prepared
unsafely. You may be eating raw eggs without your knowledge. If you are unlucky, one of these raw eggs
may contain the bacteria Salmonella. Explore
the symptoms of a Salmonella infection.
Salmonella infection symptoms
A person with a mild case of Salmonella infection may have diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
A person with a severe case of Salmonella infection may have bloody diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, and blood
infections that require them to be treated at a hospital to prevent death.
People more likely to get a severe case of Salmonella infection include: adults older than 60 years of age,
children who are 5 years old and younger, and people with weakened immune systems due to organ transplants,
cancer, diabetes, or HIV/AIDS.
These are the symptoms of a shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection.
A person with a mild case of STEC have bad stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting.
A person with a severe case of STEC may have diarrhea that lasts for more than 3 days, high fever,
inability to keep liquids down due to excess vomiting, urinary tract infections, and even
kidney failure due to hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Children younger than 5 years of age and adults older than 60 years of age are more likely than others
to develop serious illness and life-threatening complications from a STEC infection.
