I've been involved in local agriculture since the 1970s. Over that time we've build a whole alternative economic structure based upon an urban/rural coalition of interests. Now it's time to start taking the next steps. This conference is one place where that will happen.
8:30 What is a Working Conference? Why?
Kathy Ruhf, NESAWG coordinator
· What’s Cooking? A “Red Carpet” of Northeast initiatives
Michael Rozyne, Red Tomato; Kathy Lawrence, School Food FOCUS; David Schwartz, Real Food Challenge
The Northeast’s leaders, innovations, hidden gems and news (good and bad) in a spiced-up format sure to get you cooking!
9:15 Plenary presentation:
Re-regionalizing the Food System for Public Health and Sustainability
Focus: In this path-breaking initiative, Columbia University’s Urban Design Lab is refocusing New York City’s regional food system to prioritize public health and sustainability. Using a multidisciplinary design approach adapted from architecture and planning, presenters will describe their understanding of a regional food system, and their efforts to strengthen the economic and social links between the city and its rural, food-producing surroundings.
Presenters: Michael Conard, Assistant Director, Urban Design Lab, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and Kubi Ackerman, Project Manager, Urban Design Lab, The Earth Institute, Columbia University (http://urbandesignlab.columbia.edu/)
10:00 Break
10:30 Working sessions #1
Working sessions are for working! The goal is to engage all participants, learn from each other and move together on an action plan. Within a structured but open framework, session leaders will update you on work since last year’s meeting and set the stage for sharing, dialogue and planning on eight issue areas.
· Infrastructure.
Focus: Meat and produce processing infrastructure; results from outreach and surveys; challenges.
Facilitators: Eric DeLuca, consultant; Virginia Kasinki, Glynwood Center
· Food Safety
Focus: Actual and potential effects of governmental food safety initiatives on farm businesses; what’s happening and what we can do.
Facilitator: Steve Gilman, Northeast Organic Farming Association Policy Coordinator
· Regional Supply Chain: Distribution
Focus: A “deep dive” into the challenges around regional wholesale distribution, particularly aggregation, and transportation logistics.
Facilitators: Ann Karlen, Fair Food; Chris Harmon, CADE; Michael Rozyne, Red Tomato
· Research and Assessments
Focus: Ongoing and new research projects and food system assessments; research needs, ideas and models.
Facilitators: Stephan Goetz, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development; Tim Griffin, Ag, Food and Environment Program, Tufts University
· Labor and Trade
Focus: Fair trade and worker rights and treatment all along the Northeast food supply chain.
Facilitators: Liz Henderson, Domestic Fair Trade Association; TBD, Food Chain Workers Alliance
· Access, Diet and Geography
Focus: Food access and food deserts (urban and rural), healthy eating, and the role of “place.”
Facilitators:Joanne Burke, UNH; Amanda Behrens, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health; Jennifer Wilkins, Cornell University
· Community and Regional Food Planning
Focus: The role, value and challenges of food system planning -- for professional planners and their potential collaborators.
Facilitators:Julia Freedgood, American Farmland Trust; Amanda Wagner, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
· Messaging and Outreach
Focus: Effective framing, messaging and use of media to educate, engage, bring people together and build our food movement.
Facilitator: Billie Best, NESAWG
12:00 Lunch
Speaker: Northeast policymaker (to be announced)
1:30 Plenary: Next Generation Food System Leaders
Focus: Our movement needs capable and connected new leaders – farmers, entrepreneurs, activists, researchers, policy shapers, and others. These energetic panelists will share their visions and cutting edge ideas. They’ll talk about what the next generation needs from each other and from veterans. They’ll share the outcomes from the pre-conference training for new leaders.
Panel: Diego Angarita-Horowitz, Nuestras Raices; Emily Sandusky,Karp Resources; David Schwartz, Real Food Challenge; Benjamin Shute, Hearty Roots Farm; Amanda Beal, Eat Local Foods Coalition of Maine; Elizabeth Greene, Zocalo.
Moderator: Kerri Sands, NESAWG and Good Decisions, Inc., ME
2:30 Plenary: A Rural-Urban Dialogue
Focus: This panel will take a hard look at what links – and divides – rural and urban in regional food system development. What are the challenges, tensions and opportunities around bringing rural and urban together in the Northeast? Panelists are deeply grounded in their “place” but have insights that reach beyond to help us build bridges between the metropolitan and the countryside.
Panel: Chris Harmon, CADE; Jennifer Hashley, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project; Thomas Forster, School Food Focus; Nadia Johnson, Just Food
Moderator: Molly Anderson, College of the Atlantic, ME
3:30 Break
4:00 Breakout sessions (choose one)
· Hooking Up with Fisheries
Focus: Fisheries―and everyone involved in the Northeast’s important fishing industries—are part of our food system. Learn about exciting local and regional seafood-focused marketing and policy efforts and how we can work from the same plate!
Leaders:Brett Tolley, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance; Amanda Beal,Eat Local Foods Coalition of Maine
· Leveraging the Purchasing Power of Institutions: Working with Schools and Other Institutional Markets
Focus:Institutions increasingly are taking the lead in developing regionally focused, sustainable food procurement strategies for schools, colleges, hospitals, senior centers, prisons and more. Hear about exciting Northeast initiatives to address infrastructure and regulatory issue, and share your experiences.
Leaders: Dana Hudson, National Farm to School Network/ Northeast Steering Committee and Kathy Lawrence, School Food FOCUS
· Farm Bill Action
Focus:It’s time! Basic information and nitty-gritty strategizing for the 2012 Farm Bill. Let’s build from our successes and set a persuasive Northeast Farm Bill agenda. You don’t have to be a “wonk” to dig in.
Leaders:Amy Little, NESAWG; Annette Higby, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition; Cris Coffin, American Farmland Trust
· Advancing Ecological/Organic Agriculture in the Northeast
Focus: Brainstorm policy and other actions to make environment, health, and social justice values the foundation for food system change. Learn about (and receive a copy of) the National Organic Action Plan for state, regional, and marketplace changes to our agri-food system.
Leader: Liana Hoodes, National Organic Coalition
· Partnering with Federal Government to Advance Regional Food Systems
Focus: There has never beenmore opportunity to work with USDA on local and regional food systems. Find out how you can benefit from current and developing programs, collaborations and initiatives. Discuss appropriate institutional forms that innovative partnerships can take.
Leaders: Jim Barham, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA; Luke Knowles, Confidential Assistant, Marketing and Regulatory Programs ("KNow Your Farmer, Know Your Food" Initiative) USDA; Thomas Forster, policy consultant.
· Cultivating Networks to Foster Innovation and Change
Focus: Let’s leverage the power of networks in the Northeast food system. This community of practice focuses on diverse networks learning from each other through sharing and “case clinic” work to help your network meet current challenges and maximize results.
Leaders: Eric DeLuca, organizational development consultant; Kathy Ruhf, NESAWG
5:30 Break
6:00 Reception and live music (featuring one of the region’s finest musician-food activists!)
7:00 Dinner
9:00 Film: The Greenhorns. Don’t miss the premier screening of this half-hour documentary film that explores the lives of America’s young farming community. Greenhorns is an activist grassroots organization building the case for careers in agriculture. It will knock your socks off!
Saturday, November 13, Conference Day 2
7:00 A.M. Breakfast
7:30 NESAWG Annual Meeting
Grab your breakfast and get some early morning inspiration! Find out about NESAWG and what’s going on in the Northeast. Everyone is welcome.
8:30 Working sessions #2
Continuation of Day One working sessions. Preference is for participants to stay with the same working group (same topic). But you can choose to join the flow of another session. Focus will be on action—what you can do and how we can work together to advance change in each area.
National Young Farmers Coalition meeting. Everyone welcome.
Open Space Option: Post your idea for a meeting or “open space” session. Sessions will be announced, and meeting space will be provided.
9:45 Break
10:15 Plenary: 1,000 Points of Local; what’s the point of Regional?
Focus: Wonderful local food initiatives flourish throughout the Northeast. How can we scale them up and out? How can local and regional best weave together to give us a desirable food system in the face of considerable challenges at every level? This session is our opportunity to reflect on “local-regional” from various perspectives including those presented in the working paper. (Please read the paper so you can be an active participant.)
Panel: Anne Palmer, Center for a Livable Future, JHU; Vivien Morris, Boston Collaborative for Food & Fitness; Ann Karlen, Fair Food and Common Market; James Greene, City of Boston Mayor's office
Moderator: Kathy Ruhf, NESAWG coordinator
11:15 Wrap-up (including a few surprises)
12:00 Adjourn