It Takes a Region: Full Schedule

Welcome! Make the most of your attendance by creating a profile here to share about your work and allow other attendees to easily find out more. You can also create your personal conference schedule by choosing which sessions and events to attend - and if you want, let other attendees know. Just click on Schedule or Account to get started.

8:00am EST

Agriculture Policy and Climate Change

Across the Northeast, advocates are working at all levels to address the current and future impacts of climate change on our food system. Though there is little movement and numerous steps backwards at the federal level, food and agriculture organizations and activists are busy on the state and local levels working with governments to enact promising measures that address global warming through an agricultural lens. In this pre-conference, we will gain a better understanding of the landscape of climate change work in the agriculture and food systems sector, and discuss how to coordinate strategies that help move us further along in addressing the climate emergency. Lunch will be provided.

Moderators

Nicole Sugerman

Policy Manager, NESAWG

Speakers

Ellen Stern Griswold

Policy and Research Director, Maine Farmland Trust

Ellen Stern Griswold is the Policy and Research Director at MFT. She oversees municipal, state, and federal-level policy work, as well as research projects that inform that work and support the effectiveness of MFT’s programs. Prior to MFT, Ellen practiced federal energy regulatory... Read More →

Ariana Taylor-Stanley

Northeast Regional Organizer / Farmer, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition / Here We Are Farm

Ariana works to educate, connect, and empower grassroots food and farm groups in the northeast. She also co-owns and operates Here We Are Farm in Trumansburg, NY, growing vegetables for CSA and farmers markets. She is active in her community as a chapter leader of Showing Up for Racial J... Read More →

Samantha Levy

New York Policy Manager, American Farmland Trust

As New York Policy Manager for American Farmland Trust, Samantha conducts research on, builds coalitions around, and advocates directly for public policies and programs at all levels of government that keep land in farming and keep farmers on the land in New York. Samantha leads the... Read More →

Emily J. Cole

New England Climate and Agriculture Program Manager, American Farmland Trust

Thursday November 7, 2019 8:00am - 3:00pm EST
Skyline Room

Farm and Food Policy Advocacy, Pre-conference

9:00am EST

Newark Urban Food System Tour + Seed & Story Swap

Join us on a fascinating urban agriculture tour in Newark led by Tobias Fox. Grab a quick breakfast at the Atrium and meet in the lobby of NJCU. Charter bus will leave at 9am sharp. Tour will begin at Greater Newark Conservancy (32 Prince St Newark, NJ 07103) at 10:00am. We will visit SWAG (South Ward Agriculture Group) Farm, Beth Greenhouse @ Newark Internal Medicine, we will check out Bikes for Food and a local farmers market then have lunch together at The Greater Newark Conservancy. After lunch we will share seeds and seed stories. See description for Seed Swap.

Speakers

Tobias Fox

Founder and Managing Director, Newark Science and Sustainability, Inc. (Newark SAS)

Tobias Fox is the Founder and Managing Director of the community-driven, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Newark Science and Sustainability, Inc. Aside from being a writer and having ten years of independent publishing experience, Fox is a Professional Organizer, Urban Farmer, Photographer... Read More →

Malaika Gilpin

Conference Coordinator, NESAWG (Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group)

Thursday November 7, 2019 9:00am - 5:30pm EST
New Jersey City University Lobby

Urban and Rural Sustainable Agriculture, Pre-conference

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

9:00am EST

Anti-Oppression and Food Systems Training

This day-long pre-conference will introduce participants to anti-oppression concepts and practices, help them understand how systemic oppression and racism show up in food systems work, and develop skills for confronting and undoing oppression on multiple levels. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Through this training, participants will:

Understand the scope of an anti-oppression framework, where race and a relationship to the land sits in that framework, and why we are prioritizing it

Understand the mechanisms by which implicit bias manifests structural oppression in social organizations and ecologically

Understand what attitudes and practices maintain systemic racism and how to approach seeing and undoing one’s own implicit bias

Develop language and frameworks to talk about sensitive issues within the food system concerning race and equity

Discuss food systems relationship to the body and labor

Apply concepts to current situations that participants are in with a focus on transforming dynamics of oppression

Learn how to use body-based tools in their work to self regulate and shift oppression

Develop base practices and skills to shift dynamics of racism and white supremacy

Develop further understanding of their impact within the organizations and communities where they are working

Understand burnout culture

Develop an understanding that anti-oppression work is a practice and not a single training

Speakers

Emilie Miyauchi

Peer Educator, Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City

Emilie Miyauchi is a facilitator, community organizer, and educator working in the Hudson Valley and NYC regions. She comes to this work as witness to the economic, environmental, and spiritual devastation that racist and capitalist systems play out on people, communities, and the... Read More →

Griffen Jeffries

Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City

Griffen Jeffries is a facilitator and somatic practitioner who brings deep listening and integrity to all aspects of the work he does. Griffen draws on diverse facilitation and somatic training to partner with individuals and organizations in transformational processes. He offers... Read More →

Thursday November 7, 2019 9:00am - 6:00pm EST
Classroom 232

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System, Pre-conference

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

12:00pm EST

Registration

Check in for the conference, and get your name tags.

Thursday November 7, 2019 12:00pm - 9:00pm EST
New Jersey City University Lobby

1:00pm EST

Value Chain Mapping for the Food and Agriculture Sector

*Pre-conference will be located at City Hall (280 Grove St, Jersey City, NJ 07302) Caucus Room. IDs required to get into City Hall.

Explore the principles and practices of value chain exploration and construction in the food and agriculture sector. In this highly interactive workshop, we will be exploring what value chains are and how they apply to community oriented work, especially in rural areas where social capital might be strong, but economies are not. We will talk about how food value chains have been developed in other parts of the country and what some of the successes and outcomes have been. During the workshop, participants will have an opportunity to apply value chain tools to their own projects, get feedback from peers, and from the workshop presenter, using a value chain mapping exercise. We will also have an opportunity to consider the desired impacts from value chain work.

Speakers

Melissa Levy

Principal, Community Roots

Community Roots, LLC is led by Melissa Levy, Principal and Owner. Melissa has almost 20 years of experience in small town community and economic development, including 12 years with Yellow Wood Associates and 5 years with the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO... Read More →

Thursday November 7, 2019 1:00pm - 4:00pm EST
City Hall - City of Jersey City, Caucus Room

Farm to Fork Supply Chains

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

2:00pm EST

Seed and Story Swap

Seed and Story Swap will be happening at Greater Newark Conservancy (32 Prince St. Newark, NJ 07103). Transportation will NOT be provided unless you are part of the Newark Urban Food System Tour.
Come exchange seed and story with us. This is a seed swap and conversation to encourage and celebrate sharing and saving of seed across our region. We will exchange seed, get tips for saving seeds, and help build & maintain our community-controlled seed supply by sharing with each other. We will share stories of the importance of seed saving, and of the foods and medicines our people have been growing in this city over the generations and the work to carry it on now. We will focus on the communities of color in NYC, our own communities and ancestry as Black & Latinx women working with seed, and are excited to expand and exchange across the region beyond NYC.

The seeds we share today are our living archive, tools and sacred bits of life that help us connect to our histories and build our sovereign futures. When we control and share seed, we shape our own lives and ensure that we will have seed to all work from the next season, year, and generation.
This is a SEED SWAP. Please BRING SEED to share with others! We welcome growers of all levels of experience but with a commitment to grow and care for the seeds you go home with!

We work with the Ethnobotany Project NYC, which is growing and connecting people back to the ancestral foodways of New York City thru history, education, and seed. We are stewarding a teaching garden and seed library, and building skills and community around seed sovereignty in New York City.Come create and share with us!

Speakers

Jacqueline Pilati

Founder, Reclaim Seed NYC

Science teacher, seedkeeper, and storyteller connecting people to plants and places through food and history.

Thursday November 7, 2019 2:00pm - 5:30pm EST
Greater Newark Conservancy

Urban and Rural Sustainable Agriculture, Pre-conference

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

4:00pm EST

Organizing for the Northeastern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NEASDA)

The session will start with an overview of the different national and regional players, and the history of our engagement with them. We will hear from past attendees of NASDA and NEASDA conferences so that everyone can understand what happens at these meetings, what the opportunities are, and what can be expected. From there we will turn our attention to the future and break into smaller groups to brainstorm different ideas for strategies moving forward, and reconvene to share these ideas with each other. The final part of the session will be putting the plan to action. We will ask for volunteers to lead different components of the work, and make a plan for the next 6 months for how to engage a diverse group of folks and what the goals are leading up to NEASDA 2020 in Vermont.

Speakers

Tracy Lerman

Executive Director, NESAWG

Executive Director of NESAWG, mama, dog lover, excited you're all here at #NESAWG19!

Thursday November 7, 2019 4:00pm - 7:30pm EST
Skyline Room

Farm and Food Policy Advocacy, Pre-conference

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Advanced

5:00pm EST

Dinner on your own

Thursday November 7, 2019 5:00pm - 7:00pm EST

7:30pm EST

People of Color Caucus

Thursday November 7, 2019 7:30pm - 9:00pm EST
Skyline Room

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System, Caucus

7:30pm EST

White Solidarity Caucus

Thursday November 7, 2019 7:30pm - 9:00pm EST
Classroom 232

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System, Caucus

7:00am EST

Breakfast

Friday November 8, 2019 7:00am - 8:30am EST
Harborside Atrium

7:00am EST

Registration

Check in at NJCU and get your name tag.

Friday November 8, 2019 7:00am - 5:00pm EST
New Jersey City University Lobby

8:00am EST

Welcome and Opening Plenary: Migration, Displacement, Organizing and Resilience: Building and Protecting Community Food Systems in the Face of Gentrification

Economic, ecological, political and social pressures lead people to migrate into cities, but also push them around and out of cities as new areas are abandoned or claimed by people with privilege and power. Food systems reflect the ways that communities are affected by these migrations - as well as how they respond to protect and restore physical, social, environmental, and economic wellbeing. We'll hear from panelists who are using the food system to push back against gentrification and displacement, defend community foodways, and empower community residents.

Moderators

Brandy Brooks

Founder, Radical Solutions LLC

Plenary Speakers

Kele Nkhereanye

Street Vendor Project

Kelebohile “Kele” Nkhereanye is a food justice advocate who champions access to healthy food in low-income communities and combats health disparities. A native of Lesotho, Southern Africa, Kele’s global lens informs her work with diverse communities. Through interactive workshops... Read More →

Mark Winston Griffith

Executive Director, Board Member, Brooklyn Movement Center, Central Brooklyn Food Coop

Mark Winston Griffith is a community organizer, journalist and educator. He is thefounding Executive Director of the Brooklyn Movement Center (BMC), a Black-ledcommunity organizing group based in Black Central Brooklyn, and was foundingorganizer of the Central Brooklyn Food Coop... Read More →

Tobias Fox

Founder and Managing Director, Newark Science and Sustainability, Inc. (Newark SAS)

Friday November 8, 2019 8:00am - 9:45am EST
Harborside Atrium

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System, Plenary

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

9:45am EST

Break

Friday November 8, 2019 9:45am - 10:15am EST
New Jersey City University - Second Floor

10:15am EST

Farm to School for All: Federal Farm to School Policy Under the Equity Lens

The next Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) is at the forefront of food policy discussions in Washington and presents an exciting opportunity to get involved in federal policy advocacy.. A diverse community of voices should be heard in policymaking, but do you find it challenging to get involved? Do you wonder what equitable policy actually looks like? Then join NFSN and NSAC to learn about CNR and how you can advocate with impact!

Speakers

Wes King

Senior Policy Specialist, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Wes has worked on sustainability and food policy issues for the past nine years. He staffs NSAC’s Marketing, Food Systems and Rural Development Committee. Prior to Joining NSAC in 2016, Wes spent six years at NSAC member organization, Illinois Stewardship Alliance, working on food... Read More →

Chloe Marshall

Policy Specialist, National Farm to School Network

Chloe brings a wealth of advocacy, coalition building, and food equity experience to our team. Before joining the National Farm to School Network, she served as the Maryland Advocacy & Outreach Coordinator with Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C, where she represented the food... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am EST
Classroom 212

Farm and Food Policy Advocacy

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

10:15am EST

Economic Empowerment Through Local Agriculture and Food Systems

Food systems create value chains which provide economic opportunity for entrepreneurs and businesses. Developing a local food system in or targeting underserved communities can greatly benefit these areas not only with positive economic impact but also addresses food security and sustainability. The session should allow participants to reevaluate the conditions within vulnerable communities and its current food system as opportunities for local food and agriculture entrepreneurs or small businesses to empower themselves.

Speakers

Cary Junior

General Manager, SouthEast Michigan Producers Association (SEMPA)

Mr. Junior is a Founder and General Manager of SouthEast Michigan Producers Association, or SEMPA. The organization was established to assist small rural African American/Underserved producers outside of Detroit in collaborating to build their capacities and provide fresh produce... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am EST
Classroom 232

Farm to Fork Supply Chains

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Intermediate

10:15am EST

Language Justice, part 1: Lessons from a farm

Non-english speakers are a critical part of our food system! For instance, more than ¾ of US farmworkers identify as hispanic, with 77% of them reporting Spanish as their language of choice. In this interactive session, attendees will learn about and experience the concept of language justice (LJ). Monolingual and bilingual members of our farm team will demonstrate the strategies we’ve developed to share knowledge across Spanish and English and to use LJ as a tool for advancing equity in the food system. Bilingual folks and anybody working with or considering working with/alongside people who speak a language other than English are encouraged to attend. Part 1 of 2.

Speakers

Raul Carreon

Hudson Valley Farm Hub

Raul is a Latino farmer in the Hudson Valley, New York. He was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas and for the past three years, he has worked as the Post-Harvest Coordinator at the Hudson Valley Farm Hub. He helped create and implement the food safety policies, manages... Read More →

Jesus Gonzalez Negrete

ProFarmer, Hudson Valley Farm Hub

Adriana Pericchi

Language Justice Coordinator, Hudson Valley Farm Hub

As Language Justice Coordinator, Adriana helps create multilingual spaces so everyone in the Farm Hub community can bring their full selves to a conversation and communicate in the language in which they feel most comfortable. Previously, Adriana worked in public health, providing... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am EST
Classroom 210

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System

10:15am EST

Attention Beginning Farmers! Farm Business Could Be at Risk without Economics Principles.

This session will guide potential or beginning farmers to understand basic but essential economics in farming choices and the implication of risk. The importance of this session is to enable beginning farmers, especially urban farmers to digest basic economics of decision making before delving into farm business.

Friday November 8, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am EST
Classroom 203

Urban and Rural Sustainable Agriculture

10:15am EST

Rural and Urban Agroecology – Models and Lessons

Can agroecology unite urban and rural efforts toward sovereignty, justice and solidarity? Often misunderstood as merely an ecological approach to agriculture, or a set of regenerative, sustainable, climate-friendly practices, agroecology aims to work through power divisions among us, especially racism, colonialism, and patriarchy, as well as to address rural-urban differences. In this session, attendees will discuss urban and rural agroecology projects in the Northeast with project participants and build connections and ideas to grow agroecology in our region.

Speakers

Kathia Ramirez

CATA - The Farmworkers' Support Committee

Kirtrina Baxter

Soil Generation

Kirtrina M. Baxter, M.A. is a dedicated mother, drummer, and afroecologist. She is committed to assisting in the creation of an equitable, community-led food system in Philadelphia where she also co-organizes Soil Generation (SG). SG is a Black and Brown-led coalition of food justice... Read More →

Onika Abraham

Director, Farm School NYC

Onika Abraham, Director of Farm School NYC, is a farmer and educator with more than 15 years of experience as a senior nonprofit manager and an MBA in marketing and entrepreneurship from City University of New York’s Zicklin School of Business.Onika joined Farm School NYC as Director... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am EST
Classroom 214

Urban and Rural Sustainable Agriculture

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Intermediate

10:15am EST

Youth Perspectives from the Frontline of the Food Justice Movement

In this workshop, youth from Gardening the Community (Springfield, MA) and REC’s YouthGROW program (Worcester, MA) join together to share their experiences, common lessons, and unique strategies in fighting food insecurity and creating change in their communities. This workshop will offer participants an opportunity to share models and practices that have been successful in their communities, learn from and network with other youth serving groups and organizations, and work together to envision how to develop a stronger youth driven network of Northeastern youth leaders in the food justice movement.

Speakers

Youth leaders from YouthGROW

YouthGROW

In 2003 REC’s Food Justice Program initiated YouthGROW, an urban agriculture-focused youth development and employment program for low-income teens. YouthGROW (Youth Growing Organics in Worcester) employs 32-40 low income high school teens (age 14-18) year-round who gain leadership... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am EST
Skyline Room

Youth Leaders (13-18)

11:30am EST

Break

Grab a cup of coffee and check out our conference vendors!

Friday November 8, 2019 11:30am - 11:45am EST
New Jersey City University - Second Floor

11:45am EST

SNAP Chat: 3 Troubling Updates to the Federal Food Stamp Program

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) represents one of the largest governmental investments in public health, accounting for $64 billion dollars spent annually in 20 million households per month. As a national leader in food access programming, GrowNYC processed more than $1 million in SNAP at its Greenmarkets, Youthmarkets, and Fresh Food Box sites last year. 20% of the population of New York City receives SNAP. Despite the popularity and success of these programs, three recent developments in the law have set a new tone for the program, restricting data, enrollment, and eligibility:
1. The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Argus v. FMI has barred access to most SNAP redemption data.
2. The proposed Public Charge Rule has stymied SNAP enrollment among immigrant communities.
3. The proposed elimination of Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility will exclude working families from SNAP eligibility.
Speakers from the GrowNYC Greenmarket will present an overview of these unwelcome programmatic developments, highlight the most impacted communities, and discuss the role of SNAP in an equitable food system. They will be joined by two special guests:

-Sergio Nolasco
Farmer & Owner
Nolasco Farm

-Claudia Calhoon, MPH
Senior Director of Immigrant Integration Policy
New York Immigration Coalition

Speakers

Jack Hornickel, Esq.

Jack provides legal services to farm businesses that sell in the GrowNYC Greenmarkets, a network of 50+ farmers markets throughout New York City. A graduate of Vermont Law School, Jack specializes in land use, conservation, and farm succession planning and takes great pride in working... Read More →

Jessica Douglas

Director of Healthy Exchange Project, GrowNYC

Friday November 8, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm EST
Classroom 203

Farm and Food Policy Advocacy

11:45am EST

A Whole Systems Approach to Institutional Supply Chain Development

Rhode Island initiated a novel Farm to Institution Project in 2018 which has 5 Keys to Success, or core elements, including (1) learning from best practices nationwide; (2) strengthening public-private partnerships; (3) leveraging diverse funding sources; (4) harnessing the power of one-to-one supply chain facilitation; and (5) advocating for progressive state-level farm to institution policy.

Speakers

Shayna Cohen

Senior Consultant, Karen Karp & Partners

With more than 15 years of experience developing food systems solutions, Shayna’s work for KK&P focuses on the intersection of local food procurement strategies and vibrant, healthy regional economies.Her KK&P work combines her unyielding interest in food and farms with her passions... Read More →

Tania Taranovski

Director of Programs, Farm to Institution New England

FINE is a six state network of public, private, and nonprofit entities working to mobilize the power of institutions to transform our food system. FINE is committed to the New England Food Vision, and is working towards an equitable and just food system that provides access to healthy... Read More →

Nessa Richman

Network Director, RI Food Policy Council

Friday November 8, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm EST
Classroom 214

Farm to Fork Supply Chains

11:45am EST

Food and Farming for Organizing in Immigrant Communities

Immigrants are integral members of farming communities in the United States. Although much of their work is made invisible by the market and institutional racism, it is critical. Our current food system depends on them, as does building a truly sustainable alternative. Immigrants labor on industrial farms, run their own farm and food businesses, and are active participants in community gardens throughout our region. Join three community based, immigrant-led organizations from throughout our region as they dialogue about how they have used this base as a space to build power within immigrant communities.

Speakers

Jessica Culley

CATA - The Farmworkers' Support Committee

Kathia Ramirez

CATA - The Farmworkers' Support Committee

Lan Dinh

Farm and Food Sovereignty Projects Director, VietLead

Friday November 8, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm EST
Classroom 212

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System

11:45am EST

Understanding and Addressing Challenges to Fresh Food Access in Historically Underserved Communities

82% of food deserts in Washington, D.C. are concentrated in predominantly Black neighborhoods east of Anacostia River. In the past decades, neighborhood grocers shuttered in the face of consolidation and growth among discount stores and supercenters. A panel of Community Foodworks’ farm stand and market managers will discuss the history of racial inequity in the Washington, D.C. food system. They will share community stories and challenges to food access and facilitate a discussion on how to transform the local food system to include Black and immigrant populations. The panel will introduce the ways in which community spaces can become successful retail sites for fresh food.

Friday November 8, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm EST
Classroom 232

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System

11:45am EST

Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing On and Off the Farm

Despite popular depictions, farming often includes stressful, demanding, and dangerous work. Many farmers navigate long hours, low pay, regular crises, and social isolation as a standard part of their livelihoods. These stressors have caused the CDC to list farming as one of the highest risk occupations for mental health. These risks are even higher for farmers who hold targeted identities, such as through their race, gender, sexuality, and immigration status. Join us to learn about the impact of mental health in farming, connect with other farmers over your most victorious and difficult moments of the season, and explore strategies for supporting health and wellbeing on and off the farm.

Friday November 8, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm EST
Classroom 210

Urban and Rural Sustainable Agriculture

11:45am EST

People’s Timeline of the Food System

This workshop explores personal connections to food, the history of our food system, advocating for food sovereignty, and building the grassroots.
We will explore the intersections of labor, gender, environmental, racial, and economic justice in food justice through an interactive timeline. Presenters will also share their work as growers and community organizers at VietLead’s community farm, Resilient Roots, in Camden, NJ and building a community school garden at Furness high school in South Philadelphia with Cambodian Americans of Greater Philadelphia (CAGP) and Bhutanese American Organization of Philadelphia (BAO-P).

Speakers

Tommy Ngeth

Youth Leader, VietLead

Michelle Nguyen

Youth Leader, VietLead

Thomas Pachecu

Youth Leader, VietLead

Friday November 8, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm EST
Skyline Room

Youth Leaders (13-18)

1:00pm EST

Lunch

Friday November 8, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Harborside Atrium

2:00pm EST

Afternoon Plenary: Migration, Displacement, Organizing and Resilience: Dispossession, Restoration, and Reparations

Land control is at the heart of how our society works: our politics, our laws, our economy. The dispossession of land from Native Americans, and subsequently from Black, Latin-American, and Asian people in the United States and in their home countries, is the foundation of our global food system - and a root cause of many of our global challenges, from immigration to climate change to wealth inequality. In this session, we'll hear from panelists not only about the history and impacts of land dispossession for their communities, but also the ways that communities organize for resilience in the face of these challenges. We'll also discuss why land reparations are key to both food justice and the economic, political and social liberation of all people.

Speakers

Heber Brown III

Founder, Executive Director, Black Church Food Security Network

Stephanie Morningstar

Co-Director, Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust

she/herOneida, Turtle ClanHerbalist, scholar, student, and Earth Worker dedicated to decolonizing and liberating minds, hearts, and land- one plant, person, ecosystem, and non-human being at a time. Stephanie grows medicines and food, teaches in her community, and is always learning... Read More →

Chief Vincent Mann

Turtle Clan Chief, Ramapough Lenape Nation

Chief Mann is the Turtle Clan Chief of the Ramapough Lenape Nation, which encompasses Passaic County NJ, as well as Warwick and surrounding areas in NY.Chief Mann has held the title of Turtle Clan Chief for Approximately 8 years, and in this time he has been awarded the Russ Berry... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2019 2:00pm - 3:30pm EST
Harborside Atrium

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System, Plenary

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

3:30pm EST

Break

Drink another cup of coffee (or maybe switch to tea?) and say hi to vendors!

Friday November 8, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm EST
New Jersey City University - Second Floor

4:00pm EST

Challenges, Trends, and Triumphs in State Farm to Institution Policy

Join National Farm to School Network, Food to Institution New England, and Vermont Law School’s Center for Agriculture and Food Systems in a session about state farm to institution policies. As this movement evolves, so do policies that advance the movement. Come learn about current policy trends and promising practices in state policy: local procurement incentive bills, positions at state agencies, and grant funds for farm to school activities. Get the latest updates on what's happening in your state from the new NFSN State Policy Handbook, and FINE’s FTI Policy Snapshots. Get inspired to mobilize around policies that matter to you and then to transform the farm to institution movement!

Speakers

Samantha Levy

New York Policy Manager, American Farmland Trust

Jenileigh Harris

Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law School Tania Taranovski - Farm to Institution New England

Tania Taranovski

Director of Programs, Farm to Institution New England

Chloe Marshall

Policy Specialist, National Farm to School Network

Friday November 8, 2019 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST
Classroom 214

Farm and Food Policy Advocacy

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

4:00pm EST

Regional Food Systems: An Empowering Framework for Change

How can “thinking regionally” help us create a more resilient and just food system for the 12-state Northeast region? This session will draw from a NESAWG paper on regional food systems that is being updated. We’ll talk about how regions provide a crucial layer for action—from meeting the food needs of a diverse population to developing infrastructure, mitigating climate change and addressing social justice. The paper’s authors (session leaders) will share new findings, and unpack “local v. regional.” We’ll talk about the political and human constraints and challenges to acting regionally and why regional approaches are essential for all Northeast advocates and practitioners.

Speakers

Kathy Ruhf

Food Systems Consultant, NESAWG

Kate Clancy

Food Systems Consultant, Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health; Friedman School, Tufts University

Kate Clancy is currently a food systems consultant, Visiting Scholar at the Center for a Livable Future Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Adjunct Professor at Tufts University, and Senior Fellow in the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, University of Minnesota (she resides in University Park, Maryland). Her resume includes positions at several universities (Cornell, Syracuse, and the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin): the federal government (nutritionist and policy adviser at the Federal Trade Commission... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2019 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST
Classroom 232

Farm to Fork Supply Chains

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Intermediate

4:00pm EST

Language Justice, part 2: How to apply LJ to your food system work

In a nation in which ~85% of farmworkers identify as hispanic (of which most report Spanish as their language of choice), it is crucial that those doing food and agricultural systems work learn about strategies to bridge language difference. In this session, attendees will learn concrete tools to assess an initiative’s alignment with language justice (LJ), a process used to ensure all voices are heard. In break-out groups, attendees will get support to conduct a LJ assessment of their project, create actionable next steps, and receive feedback from a team of LJ practitioners. Part 2 of 2. It is strongly requested that you attend Part 1 before coming to this session.

Speakers

Adriana Pericchi

Language Justice Coordinator, Hudson Valley Farm Hub

Raul Carreon

Hudson Valley Farm Hub

Caitlin Salemi

Organizational Culture and Team Development, Hudson Valley Farm Hub

Ernesto Villegas Gonzalez

Vegetable Team Member, Hudson Valley Farm Hub

Friday November 8, 2019 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST
Classroom 212

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System

4:00pm EST

Milk with Dignity: An Update on the Program Bringing a New Day to Farmworkers Across Vermont

Since Ben and Jerrys' became the first company to sign onto the ground breaking Milk with Dignity Program in 2017, the Milk with Dignity team has been working hard to roll-out the program in farms that are part of Ben and Jerrys' supply chain. Join us for an update on the implementation of Milk with Dignity, challenges and successes, as well as more from Migrant Justice about the next company target and Milk with Dignity Campaign!

Speakers

Migrant Justice

Migrant Justice is a grassroots immigrant farmworker founded and led, community organization based in Vermont. Our mission is to build the voice, capacity, and power of the farmworker community on dairy farms and engage community partners to organize for economic justice and human... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2019 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST
Classroom 210

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System

4:00pm EST

Balancing benefits and risks: Using real-world evidence to develop soil safety policies for urban agriculture

Amid rising interest in growing food in cities, many cities have developed policies to promote and regulate urban agriculture. Some cities are creating soil safety guidelines to reduce risks for urban agriculture practitioners from exposure to contaminants harmful to human health such as lead and arsenic. During this interactive workshop, attendees will work with researchers and community partners from the Safe Urban Harvests study to explore the challenges in generating and using real-world evidence to inform science and policy decisions. Attendees will help lay the groundwork for soil safety policies that minimize barriers to urban agriculture and maximize public health protection.

Speakers

Mariya STRAUSS

Executive Director, Farm Alliance of Baltimore

Raychel Santo

Sr. Research Program Coordinator, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future

Raychel is a Senior Research Program Coordinator with two programs at the Center: the Food Production and Public Health program and the Food Communities and Public Health program. In this role, she works on a variety of projects related to local/regional food policy councils and governance... Read More →

Sara Lupolt

PhD Candidate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future

Sara Lupolt, MPH, is a third-year PhD student in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering. She received her BA in Government and Environmental Studies from Franklin & Marshall College in 2011 and her MPH in Environmental Health Science and Policy from the George Washington... Read More →

Abby Cocke

Environmental Planner, Baltimore Office of Sustainability

Abby Cocke joined the Baltimore Office of Sustainability in 2011. Prior to that, she got a BA in Environmental Studies at UMBC, and worked for five years at the Parks & People Foundation, first as a Community Organizer, and then as the Manager of Community Greening Programs. Her... Read More →

Valerie Rupp

Parks and People Foundation

Valerie was Director of Development at Women’s Law Center of Maryland, a nonprofit that provides free legal service to victims of domestic abuse and advocates for justice and fairness for women. She helped to preserve and communicate the stories of the workers who made the area’s... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2019 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST
Classroom 203

Urban and Rural Sustainable Agriculture

4:00pm EST

Bridging the Urban-Rural Divide

What does food justice mean? For some, it may mean fighting for human rights of immigrant workers. It may mean eliminating the food desert that they live in. It may mean finding a way to earn a living wage as a farmer. Too often, we have seen that food justice conversations happen in silos, especially for urban and rural youth. Join us as we build coalitions of young people who can share what food justice means to them, actively listen to other people’s experiences and think critically about how we can work together to build the food system we want to see.

Speakers

LEAF Youth Leadership Team

The LEAF Project

The LEAF Project cultivates youth leaders from diverse backgrounds through meaningful work in the food system.As a youth program, we would like to the youth we are working with over the summer to have a large role in making this session their own. We will work with young people who... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2019 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST
Skyline Room

Youth Leaders (13-18)

5:15pm EST

Youth Caucus Dinner Reception

Caucus time for youth (aged 22 and under) to be able to get together and talk about the issues they are facing related to agriculture and food justice.
Dinner included.

Speakers

Nina Adam

Youth Leader, Massachusetts Avenue Project

Friday November 8, 2019 5:15pm - 6:45pm EST
Skyline Room

Youth Leaders (13-18), Caucus

5:30pm EST

Dinner on your own

Dinner on your own - check out the vendors at District Hall inside the Harborside Atrium!

Friday November 8, 2019 5:30pm - 7:45pm EST

6:00pm EST

No Host Dinners

We’ll be providing space for “no host dinners,” at the Harborside Atrium (the plenary session location) where anybody can organize a meal with others interested in a particular topic, or just wanting to meet folks doing similar work.

The Finger Lakes Land Access Reconciliation and Reparations Working Group (FLXLRR) will be sharing space for conversation related to the topics of Land Access. As a Working Group, the topics that often come up at meetings and at local gatherings revolve around community healing, trust building, being in right relationship, and stories and experiences of oppression within our communities. Please join us to dive into discussion around these topics, and create community, while deepening our understanding of the nuanced and complex intersections that Land Access, Reconciliation and Reparations find themselves at. FLXLRR serves as an information and advisory hub for land reconciliation and reparations in the Finger Lakes region, through the strength and power of collaborating organizations and individuals. We acknowledge the historic meaning and legacy behind the words reconciliation and reparations. We are seeking to create loving and trusting relationships within our communities in the name of sovereignty.

Friday November 8, 2019 6:00pm - 7:45pm EST
Harborside Atrium

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

6:45pm EST

Re-Imagined | Eco-Art Youth Space

Re-Imagined is a youth-led recycling initiative culminating in a creative project in which recycled materials such as bottles, caps, and plastic materials that would ordinarily end up in landfills become art material to be cut, redesigned, painted and re-imagined into works of art. Participating youth will create an art installation from recycled materials that will transform a section of the conference environment. Participants are invited to collect and bring recycled materials from their homes and communities to re-imagine into art.

Speakers

Roxanna Marroquin

Roxana is a photographer, artist, writer, and organizer from Hudson County. Born in El Salvador, she migrated to the States when she was eight years old. She received a BA in Photography and Creative Writing from New Jersey City University, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Art... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2019 6:45pm - 8:00pm EST
Skyline Room

Youth Leaders (13-18), Art Project

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

7:45pm EST

Creative Connections Chat and Chew

Dessert, networking, and Farm Bill art session.

About the Farm Bill art session:

How can federal policy help nurture a just and sustainable future for agriculture and how can you advocate for change? Stop by this art station to learn about the farm bill, share your experience, add to our collage mural, and plug into NESAWG's federal advocacy work. Open to all, whatever your level of creative confidence!

Friday November 8, 2019 7:45pm - 8:15pm EST
New Jersey City University - Second Floor

Farm and Food Policy Advocacy, Art Project

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

7:00am EST

Breakfast

Saturday November 9, 2019 7:00am - 8:15am EST
Harborside Atrium

7:00am EST

Race and Equity Breakfast Discussion

Speakers

Karen Spiller

Board Member, NESAWG

Saturday November 9, 2019 7:00am - 8:15am EST
Harborside Atrium

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System

7:00am EST

Registration

Saturday November 9, 2019 7:00am - 12:00pm EST
New Jersey City University Lobby

8:15am EST

Break

Saturday November 9, 2019 8:15am - 8:30pm EST
New Jersey City University - Second Floor

8:30am EST

Fresh Food for All! Local Government and Healthy Food Access

Local government can play a crucial role in helping its residents eat healthier by creating and supporting policy, systems, and environmental changes to improve the food system. From Healthy Corner Store Initiatives, to food policy councils, and Good Food Purchasing policies, local government agencies are making a difference. In this workshop, you will learn how local government agencies are collaborating with community-based organizations, nonprofits, and local businesses to create cities with increased access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food.

Speakers

Nathaly Agosto Filion

Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Newark

Angela Davis

Director, Division of Food & Nutrition, Jersey City Department of Health & Human Services

Angela Davis is the Director of the Division of Food & Nutrition for the Jersey City Department of Health & Human Services. Before coming to the Department of Health & Human Services in January 2017, she spent almost a decade managing two food and nutrition education programs for... Read More →

Emma Lavin

City of Newark, Office of Sustainability

Ribka Getachew

Director, NYC Good Food Purchasing Policy

As the Director of NYC Good Food Purchasing Policy (GFPP) Campaign at Community Food Advocates, Ribka directs & mobilizes the NYC-GFPP Coalition and any activities related to advancing the adoption and implementation of the GFPP here in NYC. She has spent her career guided by the... Read More →

Andrea Drenzek-Rios

Assistant Executive Director, Hudson County Office on Aging

Andrea Drenzek is the Assistant Executive Director of the Hudson County Office on Aging. Andrea’s work is focused on health planning and advocacy for long-term supportive services for the aging population.

Saturday November 9, 2019 8:30am - 9:45am EST
Classroom 212

Farm and Food Policy Advocacy

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

8:30am EST

Organic and Sustainable Farming and the Green New Deal: What do NESAWG Members Want it to Look Like?

The Green New Deal is an emergency mobilization to address economic inequities and reverse our blind march toward catastrophic climate change. The continual farm crisis since the 1950’s affects all but the very largest farms and a few lucky direct marketers, keeping earnings low and wages for farm workers embarrassingly below our ideals. A Green New Deal replacing cheap food policies with parity, supply management and incentives for regenerative practices would benefit family-scale farmers and farmworkers. Let’s talk about how we can influence a Green New Deal for 21st century farming that includes a just transition.

Speakers

Elizabeth Henderson

farmer/writer, Peacework CSA

Elizabeth Henderson farmed at Peacework Farm in Wayne County, New York, producing organically grown vegetables for the fresh market for over 30 years. A farmer, activist, and writer, she has exerted an enormous influence on the movement for organic and sustainable agriculture since the 1970s.Deeply involved in the organic... Read More →

Patti Naylor

Board Member, Family Farm Defenders

Patti Naylor farms with her husband George in west-central Iowa, growing non-GMO and organic corn and soybeans, oats, hay, cider apples, and chickens. Patti speaks and writes about agriculture, farm justice, and the principles of food sovereignty, recently participating in events... Read More →

George Naylor

Board Member, Family Farm Defenders

Micaiah Hall

Owner and Farmer, Free Haven Farms

Micaiah Hall is the farmer and visionary behind Free Haven Farms. He's been growing food since he was a young boy in Connecticut and is the former Farm Director of Mill Creek Farm in Philadelphia, PA.

Cruz Marquez

Farmworker Support Committee (CATA)

Cruz Marquez, originally from Mexico City, is a first generation south Jersey farm worker. He has worked in agriculture for eleven years and been a CATA member for four.

Saturday November 9, 2019 8:30am - 9:45am EST
Classroom 214

Farm and Food Policy Advocacy

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Intermediate

8:30am EST

Bringing Farmers, Low-Income Consumers and Healthcare Together

The workshop will focus on the ways in which the South Central NY Fruit & Vegetable Prescription Program (FVRx) has successfully brought together healthcare providers and local food retailers (farmers’ markets, CSA programs, mobile produce markets) to increase access to local food for low income residents, and open up new markets and customer bases for farms, and the impact that has had on local community members.

Speakers

Kate Miller-Corcoran

Farm Share Program Manager, VINES (Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments, Inc)

Erin Summerlee

Director of the Food and Health Network, Rural Health Network of South Central NY

Erin Summerlee is the Director of the Food and Health Network at the Rural Health Network of South Central NY. Erin works to link food access, health, and sustainable agriculture in support of a thriving regional food system and local communities. Over the past five years she has... Read More →

Dee Larrier

VINES: Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments

Saturday November 9, 2019 8:30am - 9:45am EST
Classroom 210

Farm to Fork Supply Chains

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

8:30am EST

Laying the groundwork for equity in the revitalization of the Mid-Atlantic Grain Economy

The Mid-Atlantic has a history of growing grain for food, but these crops are largely absent from its food system today. The Common Grain Alliance (CGA) is the key advocate for reviving food grains in this region. As a new non-profit, the CGA has an opportunity to address food system inequity by developing systems that increase access to the high-quality staple foods it promotes. It is also committed to providing farmers their due by increasing the value (and therefore the price) of what are now undervalued commodity crops. Thus, this session will leverage the collective experience in the room to develop strategies that occupy the common ground between these two seemingly conflicting goals.

Speakers

French Price

Virginia Cooperative Extension, Common Grain Alliance

Saturday November 9, 2019 8:30am - 9:45am EST
Classroom 230

Farm to Fork Supply Chains

8:30am EST

Scaling Down for Sustainable Neighborhoods: How Baltimore's tiny farms feed their neighbors using ancient technologies

In an age of agricultural mergers and urban hyper-growth, the farmers of the 17 member farms of the Baltimore Farm Alliance are scaling down instead of up. Building healthy soils through time-tested methods, we steward acreage ranging from less than ⅛ acre to a maximum of 8 acres. We also resist the idea that our farms exist to entice developers. Coexisting with our neighborhoods, each farm has put down roots, developing individual strategies to get food into the hands of neighbors. Even as we all work for a just transition, we take diverse approaches to farming: panelists’ farms range from high-tunnel intensive, to food forest building, to open-field organic vegetable operations.

Speakers

Rodette Jones

Garden Manager, Filbert Street Garden

Mariya STRAUSS

Executive Director, Farm Alliance of Baltimore

Denzel Mitchell

farm manager, Strength To Love Farm

Kimberly Raikes

Farm Manager, Whitelock Community Farm

First Intern for oldest Black owned farm, The Greener Garden Urban Farm. Former Black Church Food Security Network Garden Coordinator. Weed Warrior and Tree Keeper for Recreation and Parks, Baltimore City. 2017 Achievements for the Down South Afro-ecology Encounter (Durham, North... Read More →

Saturday November 9, 2019 8:30am - 9:45am EST
Classroom 232

Urban and Rural Sustainable Agriculture

8:30am EST

Making Diverse Friendships

This workshop is designed for people who may feel frustrated with the lack of inclusion within their workplace or schools. America's workforce no longer accepts a check-marked box of diversity; we want real inclusion. This workshop lays some groundwork for working through the barriers diversity can bring and uplift the strengths within. Participants will walk away with the tools to have a true conversation and proactively create a platform in which team members aren’t stifled or hindered by lack of true inclusion. Inclusion begins with understanding individuals, and understanding the dynamics of a group.

Speakers

Dakota Parker

Youth Leader, Massachusetts Avenue Project

Nina Adam

Youth Leader, Massachusetts Avenue Project

Saturday November 9, 2019 8:30am - 9:45am EST
Skyline Room

Youth Leaders (13-18)

9:45am EST

Break

Grab a nice hot cup o' fair trade joe and chat with your new colleague.

Saturday November 9, 2019 9:45am - 10:00pm EST
New Jersey City University - Second Floor

10:00am EST

Facilitating Community Engagement at the Farmers Market

Produce Plus, a D.C. program where residents who receive federal benefits can get up to $20 a week to spend on produce at farmers’ markets, supports over 9,000 residents every year in accessing fresh fruits and vegetables across the city. Through this program, the market becomes a place where individuals of many different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds interact and engage. In this session, DC Greens will discuss the challenges and successes markets have had in navigating conflicts that can arise at the markets and working to create inclusive and welcoming spaces for all customers.

Speakers

Mayra Ibarra

Produce Plus Manager, DC Greens

As the Produce Plus Program Manager for DC Greens, Mayra is thrilled to facilitate access to healthy food for all DC residents. Prior to joining DC Greens, Mayra worked with the Central American Resource Center in DC to foster partnerships, spearhead advocacy initiatives, and provide... Read More →

Mary Alice Reilly

Community Engagement Manager, DC Greens

Mary Alice first got hooked on sustainable food & farming at Brown University pursuing her B.A. in Environmental Studies. There, Mary Alice‘s studies and extracurricular work supported her growth as a thinker, educator & activist. Mary Alice managed farmers’ markets in DC with... Read More →

Saturday November 9, 2019 10:00am - 11:15am EST
Classroom 212

Farm and Food Policy Advocacy

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

10:00am EST

Chefs are the Answer, Let's Stop Being the Problem

Americans eat on average 4.5 meals a week in a restaurant. Yet, few independent restaurants offer any locally sourced food at all. Why? Because the customer is not driving the supply chain for sustainable farms. You are.
Let's talk about how farmers can use technology, work with the wholesale consumer, & focus their product line to get the food from the farm to the fork more efficiently.

Speakers

Lauren Kendzierski

Farmer / Chef / Professor / Brewer, Black Rabbit Farm

Saturday November 9, 2019 10:00am - 11:15am EST
Classroom 210

Farm to Fork Supply Chains

10:00am EST

Chesapeake Foodshed Network – A Framework for Change in the Food System

Recognizing that no single organization or person has the reach, resources, or expertise to address every aspect of the regional food system, the Chesapeake Foodshed Network was intentionally created to connect agriculture and food system changemakers to build equity, increase knowledge and empower local communities. CFN is a laboratory for designing and testing community-driven solutions to dismantle racism, democratize governance and leadership, and undertake practical collective action to drive food systems change. We’ll talk about CFN’s pilot projects, how organizations and individuals can engage with the network, and lessons learned for regional food system networks around the country.

Speakers

Lindsay Gilmour

Steering Team Co-Chair, Chesapeake Foodshed Network

Ruth Tyson

Steering Team Co-Chair, Chesapeake Foodshed Network

Sade Anderson

Programs Director, Chesapeake Foodshed Network

Since 2012 Dr. Sade Anderson has been involved in the food justice and sovereignty movement in Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, MD helping to shape food education, access, and sustainability.As a single mother, community organizer, scholar, food and farm advocate, nutrition... Read More →

Saturday November 9, 2019 10:00am - 11:15am EST
Classroom 214

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System

10:00am EST

Solidarity Economy and the Food System

In NYC, gardeners, food cooperators, and worker-owners use solidarity economy models every day to transform our food system into one that centers low-income people, immigrants, and people of color. And more broadly to transform our economy into one based on the values of social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. Join the Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City in discussing the following:

- How does our food system particularly work to disenfranchise immigrants and people of color?
-What are some real-life examples of cooperative and solidarity economy models?
-How does the solidarity economy framework/practice interact with international and social justice movements?

Speakers

Jessica Turner

Board Member, Peer Educator, Cooperative Economics Alliance of NYC

Jess Turner is a Black herbalist, urban farmer and educator helping marginalized communities build autonomy through land-based healing practices. She has been active in worker cooperatives and community gardens, was elected to the Cooperative Economics Alliance of NYC (CEANYC) Board... Read More →

Anne Schoeneborn

Board Member, Brooklyn Queens Land Trust, Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City

Anne Schoeneborn is the co-founder of Q Gardens and serves on the board of the Brooklyn Queens Land Trust (BQLT), which is a grassroots non-profit that preserves 37 community gardens throughout Brooklyn and Queens. Since 2016, Anne has chaired BQLT’s grants committee, leading proposal... Read More →

Fran Sanhueza

General Manager, Board Member, Bushwick Food Coop, Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City

Fran Sanhueza came to NYC to attend The New School in 2013 from Santiago, Chile. She majored in Food Studies, focusing on food policy and social justice. She’s always had a strong interest in food, community, and understanding systems. She took a job at the Bushwick Food Coop as... Read More →

Emilie Miyauchi

Peer Educator, Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City

Saturday November 9, 2019 10:00am - 11:15am EST
Classroom 232

Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System

Level (Beginner, Intermediate,... Everyone

10:00am EST

Designing for inclusivity: Creating space for people of all abilities in our local food systems

Participating in farming activities provides meaningful work for people with special needs and offers positive health benefits. For farms and food processing industries, populations with special needs can contribute to production and are an oft-overlooked consumer base. Increasing accessibility by removing physical barriers in the landscape is only one step in welcoming special needs populations to participate on the farm. We will explore ways to design programs and landscapes to build inclusivity in our farm and garden projects, and discuss some of the economic opportunities on farms and in food production which draw on the skills and strengths of special needs populations.

Speakers

Rachel Lindsay

Design Associate, Regenerative Design Group

Rachel is an ecological designer, artist, and local food advocate. She draws from her experiences in farming, community development, international work, and graphic communication to engage people in the design process with cultural sensitivity and environmental integrity. In 2009... Read More →

Dana Spett

Executive Director, Pony Power Therapies

Dana founded Pony Power in 2000 with four riders and one horse, Matinee, a.k.a. Mat. An accomplished equestrian from a young age, Dana started New York University’s equestrian team and competed internationally on the intercollegiate show circuit. After she earned a master’s degree... Read More →

Saturday November 9, 2019 10:00am - 11:15am EST
Classroom 230

Urban and Rural Sustainable Agriculture

10:00am EST

Creating Connection Through Culturally Relevant Crops

Growing culturally specific crops provides a platform for connection, crossing language barriers and creating a space unified by food. Being an urban farm located in a diverse neighborhood, 5 Loaves Farm has had the opportunity to do just that. Join farm staff and youth interns as they share their experience of creating and maintaining a garden dedicated to ethnic specialty crops and the resulting relationships. They will share their endeavor of identifying, growing, harvesting, and selling an array of culturally relevant crops and their discovery of mutual growth and a sharing of knowledge and resources.

Speakers

Ah Wei

Youth Employee, 5 Loaves Farm, Buffalo State College

Nay Thaw

Youth Employee, 5 Loaves Farm, Lafayette High School

Saturday November 9, 2019 10:00am - 11:15am EST
Skyline Room

Youth Leaders (13-18)

11:15am EST

Break

Sorry folks, coffee's all gone but you've probably had enough.

Saturday November 9, 2019 11:15am - 11:30am EST
New Jersey City University - Second Floor

11:30am EST

Closing Plenary

Moderators

Michael Rozyne

founder/evangelist, Red Tomato

Saturday November 9, 2019 11:30am - 12:45pm EST
Harborside Atrium

Urban and Rural Sustainable Agriculture, Plenary