WASHINGTON, D.C. APRIL 3-4, 2017

1 LOCAL FOODS BY THE NUMBERS From USDA NASS 2015 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Online_Resources/Local_Food/index.php

$8.7 BILLION Local Food Sales in 2015

167,009 114,801 Farmers sold foods Farm operations sold locally or regionally directly to consumers

$5.7 BILLION $3 BILLION in sales through retailers in direct sales and intermediaries to consumers

Farm operators of local or regional foods 14% VETERANS, 9% UNDER 35, 38% WOMEN, 23% FARMING LESS THAN TEN YEARS #LOCALFOODS 2 Dear Conference Participants,

Thank you for agreeing to be a part of this unique dialogue to help the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) develop shared performance measures and metrics for evaluating the impacts of investments made to support U.S. farmers, ranchers, and agricultural businesses.

USDA strives to improve and maintain farm incomes, as well as develop and expand markets for U.S. agricultural products. One way to support this goal is by facilitating local and regional marketing opportunities for our nation’s farms and ranches. In 2015, an estimated 167,000 farming operations made $9 billion marketing products through a variety of direct marketing and local food intermediary marketing channels (e.g., distributors and wholesalers).

This conference brings together Federal and State agencies, agricultural businesses, universities, and philanthropic organizations that make investments in local food systems. Our purpose is to gain insight into how performance measures and metrics are established, and how data and impacts are collected and reported to principals and stakeholders. Such insight will assist USDA in its efforts to improve its processes for capturing and communicating the impact of its programs on farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, and communities across the country.

Through your contributions during this conference, we (George Washington University and USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service) plan to publish findings that will serve as a basis for engaging all USDA agencies (and other federal agencies) around the need to develop shared performance measures and metrics for grant and loan programs that support the development of local food systems. We hope that you find this conference engaging and rewarding over the next two days. Your participation is valued and greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Kathleen A. Merrigan Arthur Neal Director, Food Institute Deputy Administrator Executive Director of Sustainability USDA Agricultural Marketing Service George Washington University Transportation and Marketing Program

3 AGENDA

April 3, 2017

8:30-9:00 Registration and Continental Breakfast at Jack Morton Auditorim

9:00-9:10 Welcome and Introduction of Keynote Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of Sustainability, George Washington University

9:10-9:40 Keynote Address: Georgia Grown and the Impact of Local Foods Gary Black, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture

9:40-9:50 From Battle to Cattle Joshua Eilers, Founder, Ranger Cattle, LLC Interviewed by J. Latrice Hill, Assistant to Deputy Administrator for Field Operations, USDA FSA

9:50-11:00 How is USDA Measuring Impact of Local Food Investments? Claudette Fernandez, Deputy Administrator for Business Programs, USDA RD Erin Healy, Director, Office of Community Food Systems, USDA FNS Jane Clary Loveless, National Program Leader for Nutrition/Extension, USDA NIFA Arthur Neal, Deputy Administrator, Transportation and Marketing, USDA AMS Barbara Rater, Director, Census and Survey Division, USDA NASS Moderated by Tricia Kovacs, Local and Regional Food Systems Policy Advisor, USDA AMS

11:00-11:25 From Dairy to Pizza: The Evolution of the Family Farm Tony and Doreen Schultz, Stoney Acres Farm, WI Moderated by Dana Coale, Deputy Administrator, Dairy Program, USDA AMS

11:25-12:00 Funders Forum: What’s the Return on Investment? Donald Hinkle-Brown, President and CEO, Reinvestment Fund Christine James, Director of Programs, John Merck Fund A-Dae Romero-Briones, Associate Director of Research, First Nationas Development Institute Moderated by Jim Barham, Agricultural Economist, USDA RD

12:00-1:00 Luncheon, Marvin Center 4th Floor, Room 403

1:15-2:45 Workshop Session I Track A: National-level local food surveys and data collection efforts. Room 407. Track B: Measuring local food supply chains and enterprise cost/returns. Room 402/04. Track C: Stories from health, economic development, and foundation sectors. Room 405.

2:45-3:00 Networking Break

3:00-4:15 Workshop Session II Track A: Community-level local food surveys and data collection efforts Room 407. Track B: The role of technology in measuring state-level program and business impacts. Room 402/04. Track C: Other Federal agencies efforts to communicate program impacts. Room 405.

4:15-4:30 Return to Jack Morton Auditorium

4:30-5:00 Closing Keynote: What Matters at Retail? Walter Robb, Retail Consultant, Former CEO, Whole Foods Market Introduced by Ken Keck, Director of Marketing Services, USDA AMS

5:00-7:00 Reception at the Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St NW, Washington, DC

4 April 4, 2017

8:30-9:00 Continental Breakfast on 2nd floor of Jack Morton Auditorium

9:00-9:25 How do Policymakers Know What Works? Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01) Moderated by Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of Sustainability, George Washington University

9:25-9:30 USDA Local Foods Video

9:30-9:45 Bringing Local to the Table: Markets and Farmers Working Together Haile Johnston, Founder and Co-Director, The Common Market Jillian Dy, Mid-Atlantic Deputy Director, The Common Market Moderated by Debra Tropp, Deputy Director, Local Food Research and Development Division, USDA AMS

9:45-10:30 Best Practices in Evaluation Science Kathy Newcomer, Director, Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, George Washington University Kim Brown, Chief Program Officer, DC Central Kitchen Kate Clancy, Food Systems Consultant Rich Pirog, Director, Center for Regional Food Systems, Michigan State University

10:30-11:15 Rapportuer Read-Out and Next Steps Mark Lipson, Research Associate in Organic Agriculture Policy, University of California Santa Cruz (Track A) Scott Marlow, Executive Director, Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (Track B) Cris Coffin, Policy Director, Land For Good (Track C)

11:15-12:30 Workshop Sessions III Track A: Workshop on estimating economic impacts of local food system initiatives. Room 407. Track B: Local foods mapping and visualization workshop. Room 413/414. Track C: Storytelling workshop. Room 402/04.

1:30-4:30 Local Foods Fair Square 80, between 21st & 22nd Streets and F & G Streets See page 19 for more information Q&A SESSIONS WITH PIGEONHOLE LIVE

Go to www.pigeonhole.at Enter our event passcode: LOCALFOODS Look for the symbol next to sessions using Pigeonhole for Q&A. Use Pigeonhole to submit questions throughout the conference. “Upvote” questions you like.

5 WORKSHOP SESSIONS

Track A: Evaluation Efforts and Techniques Rapporteur: Mark Lipson, Research Associate in Organic Agriculture Policy, University of California Santa Cruz Moderator: Carlos Coleman, Agricultural Marketing Specialist, USDA AMS

Session A1: National-level local food surveys and data collection efforts (room 407) Numerous surveys of local food market activity have been developed in recent years. This session will feature an overview of such surveys and include a discussion about how data can be accessed and potentially used for local food program evaluation. This session will feature a presentation about USDA farm-level data collection efforts that have ascertained production practices and marketing strategies employed by local food farmers. In addition, the session will feature presentations on a USDA survey to school districts that ascertains data about farm-to- school activities, a food hub survey administered by Michigan State University that assesses their financial performance, and a USDA farmers market manager survey that solicits information on the capacity and marketing strategies that farmers markets employ. By the end of the session, attendees will have a greater understanding of secondary data sources that represent local food activity and what kinds of information they provide. Presenters: Steve Vogel, USDA ERS; Katherine Ralston, USDA ERS; Rich Pirog, Michigan State Center for Regional Food Systems; Ed Ragland, USDA AMS.

Session A2: Community-level local food surveys and data collection efforts (room 407) Numerous resources have been developed in recent years that provide technical assistance for local food practitioners in collecting project- level data. This session will feature presentations on how farmers markets can collect metrics on market performance using a tool developed by the Farmers Market Coalition, a guide that has been developed by the National Farm to School Network in assisting school districts with developing standardized reporting metrics for farm-to-school programs, and a database developed by Community Foodworks that assists farmers market managers in tracking various benefit redemptions by vendors across numerous markets. By the end of the session, attendees will be aware of these available resources and understand how they can be accessed and utilized to improve project-level data reporting. Presenters: Jen Cheek, Farmers Market Coalition; Anupama Joshi, National Farm to School Network; Hugo Mogollon, Community Foodworks, Kumar Chandran, FoodCorps.

Session A3: Estimating economic impacts of local food system initiatives (room 407) The increase in demand for local foods has sparked interest in investing in local food systems. To provide planners and their community partners with methods of assessing proposed outcomes, USDA AMS funded the development of an economic impact “toolkit”. The presentation content will include framing the community economic assessment process, using secondary data sources, generating and using primary data, and engaging your community process with data. By the end of the session, participants will a) be able to engage community partners and stakeholders in framing a local foods economic impact assessment, b) enhance their skills in planning and implementing a comprehensive effort to measure economic impacts of local food initiatives, and c) be equipped to assess how to use primary and/or secondary data in evaluating local food system activity. Presenters: Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University; David Hughes, University of Tennessee; Mallory Rahe, Oregon State University.

Track B: Tools for Measuring Business and Supply Chain Performance Rapporteur: Scott Marlow, Executive Director of the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA Moderator: Jill Fitzsimmons, Agricultural Marketing Specialist, USDA AMS

Session B1: Measuring Value Chain Indicators (room 402/04) The purpose of this workshop is to explore tools that can be used to assess the profitability and viability of the businesses that comprise the local foods supply chain, and the efficiency of the supply chains overall. These tools are not currently prevalent in local foods impact assessments, because data required can be hard to obtain, and the tools are sometimes difficult to apply. However, farmers, distributors, and sales outlets must be able to operate viable businesses for the local foods system to work. We will ask: are these profitable markets for farmers, and other supply chain actors? How do we know? What policies can support these markets? What role can USDA play in helping identify profitability in these markets? Presenters:Rebecca Dunning, North Carolina State University; Becca Jablonski, Colorado State University; Jessica Smith, This Old Farm.

6 Session B2: Measuring state-level program and business impacts (room 402/04) Some federal programs are administered by state government agencies. This session will feature a discussion amongst states of what kinds of metrics they are using, how best practices can be shared among states, and how such efforts can be standardized so that the results can be aggregated. The session will feature a discussion amongst representatives from state departments of agriculture, with a particular focus on the Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) program. The session will also feature a presentation from FarmLogix about a database developed to track the implementation of a SCBG in Michigan. At the end of the session, attendees will have a better understanding how program performance metrics can be improved and standardized among state departments of agriculture. Presenters: Kellen Liebsch, Kansas Department of Agriculture; Cliff Porzenheim, Farmlogix; Karen Fedor, Maryland Department of Agriculture; Stephen Tachiera, California Department of Food and Agriculture (participating remotely).

Session B3: Local Foods Mapping and Visualization Overview (room 413/14) The emphasis of this workshop will be on understanding best practices about how local food systems data can be communicated visually. The session will feature a presentation from MarketMaker on how they aggregate disparate data sources to create data overlays and maps of local food systems. The session will also feature presentations of research regarding social network analysis of the USDA Food LINC program and of SNAP attendance at farmers markets. At the end of the session, attendees will have a better understanding of innovative techniques that visually communicate the results of food systems research. Presenters: Sarah Rocker, Penn State University; Darlene Knipe, Market Maker; Eric Williams, USDA FNS.

Track C: Communicating Impacts Rapporteur: Cris Coffin,Policy Director, Land For Good Moderator: David Glasgow, Public Affairs Director, USDA AMS

Session C1: Stories from health, economic development, and foundation sectors (room 405) This session will feature presentations about the interest in supporting local food system investments and data needed to inform such decisions from the health and economic development sectors. The session will include presentations from The Reinvestment Fund, which has developed PolicyMap to better inform economic development investments; a representative from Health Care Without Harm, who will describe the results of a research project at the interest level of the non-profit hospital sector in supporting local food systems; a representative from the Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission that has received a Center for Disease Control Reach Grant to undertake healthy food assessments in five counties in central Alabama with the AMS economic impact toolkit; and the Wallace Center, which is leading efforts at incorporating local food system initiatives into economic development strategies. At the end of the session, attendees will have a better understanding of data and research that is pertinent to the health and economic development sectors at supporting food systems investments. Presenters: Michael Norton, The Reinvestment Fund; Stacia Clinton, Healthcare Without Harm; Pamela Trammell, Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission; John Fisk, The Wallace Center.

Session C2: Other Federal agencies efforts to communicate program impacts (room 405) This session will feature presentations on how other agencies are implementing and assessing programs. There will be presentations by representatives from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on a tool they have designed for field staff so that they can report on and measure the impact that HUD is having through deep community engagements. The session will also feature a presentation by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors on a local food systems compendium of papers that they will be releasing this summer. At the end of the session, attendees will have a better understanding of best practices used in implementing other programs, the interest in supporting food system activities among other government agencies, and how these techniques could be adopted in food system programs. Presenters: Pat Revord, HUD; Marika Bertram, HUD; Andrew Dumont, Federal Reserve Board.

Session C3: Storytelling workshop (room 402/04) This session will feature presentations on the importance and art of storytelling for communicating impacts and inspiring action. Following the initial presentations, attendees will breakout into small groups to practice rapid fire storytelling under expert guidance. At the end of the session, attendees will have a clear understanding of the essential elements of effective storytelling and will leave prepared to inspire others to action around local and regional food systems. Presenters: Frank Sesno, George Washington University; Valerie Segrest, Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project.

7 Featured Speakers

COMMISSIONER GARY BLACK Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Serving his second term, Commissioner Gary W. Black is the sixteenth Georgian to hold the office of Commissioner of Agriculture since the department’s inception in 1874.Black earned a degree in Agricultural Education from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Throughout his 35 year career in agriculture he has championed sound state and federal policies impacting food safety, science-based environmental stewardship and agricultural marketing. He would rather be referred to as Lydia’s husband and Ward and Caroline’s dad. He and Lydia raise commercial beef cattle on the family farm in Commerce. Black serves in the Sunday school and music ministries of Maysville Baptist Church. @GeorgiaGrown

REPRESENTATIVE DAN NEWHOUSE Washington’s 4th District Representative Dan Newhouse is a lifelong resident of Central Washington and is honored to represent the 4th District in Congress. A third-generation Yakima Valley farmer, Dan brings real-world experience to Congress as a businessman and former state legislator ready to work hard in support of conservative solutions that encourage job creation and economic opportunity in Central Washington. Dan understands that looking out for taxpayers means that Congress must stay on budget and make the government work efficiently to fulfill its responsibilities. Dan serves on committees with jurisdiction on critical legislative issues for the 4th District, including the Appropriations and Rules committees. From 2009 to 2013, Dan served as Director of Washington State’s Department of Agriculture, where he listened to the concerns of Washington farmers and promoted the state’s agricultural resources. @RepNewhouse

REPRESENTATIVE CHELLIE PINGREE Maine’s 1st District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree moved to Maine in 1970s, and after graduating from College of the Atlantic she started a small farm on the island of North Haven. A knitting business she started in the early 80s soon grew to ten year-round employees producing knitting kits and books that were sold in hundreds of stores across the country.She was elected to the Maine Senate in 1992 and after serving four terms—two as Senate Majority Leader—went on to become the national President of Common Cause. In 2008 Chellie Pingree was elected to Congress to serve Maine’s 1st District. When she was first elected she served as a member of the Agriculture Committee and has become a national voice for local, sustainable farming. In the current Congress, she sits on the Appropriations Committee, serving on the Interior and Agriculture subcommittees. @chelliepingree

WALTER ROBB Retail Consultant, Former CEO, Whole Foods Market With a long and varied entrepreneurial history in natural foods ranging from retailer to farmer to consultant, Walter Robb joined Whole Foods Market in 1991 and in 2010, was named co-CEO and joined the Whole Foods Market Board of Directors. In 2017, Robb transitioned his leadership focus to his role as Chairman of the Board for Whole Kids Foundation and Whole Cities Foundation. He also continues to serve on the Whole Foods Market Board of Directors, as well as Union Square Hospitality Group. Robb is an ardent organic advocate; he works his own organic garden and has served on the Board of Directors of the Organic Trade Association and the Organic Center for Education and Promotion. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University in 1976 and is a proud father and grandfather with two sons, a daughter, and four grandchildren.

8 Conference Organizers KATHLEEN MERRIGAN Executive Director of Sustainability, George Washington University Kathleen Merrigan is Executive Director of Sustainability at the George Washington University, where she leads the GW Sustainability Collaborative, GW Food Institute, and serves as Professor of Public Policy. From 2009-2013, Merrigan was U.S. Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of USDA where she created and led the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative to support local food systems; was a key architect of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign; and made history as the first woman to chair the Ministerial Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Before joining the USDA, Merrigan held a variety of agriculture policy positions, including faculty member at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Administrator of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, and senior staff on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Merrigan holds a Ph.D. in environmental planning and policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas, and a B.A. from Williams College. Recognizing the history and scope of her work, Time Magazine named Dr. Merrigan among the “100 most influential people in the world” in 2010. @katmerrigan

ARTHUR NEAL Deputy Administrator of the Transportation and Marketing Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service Arthur L. Neal, Jr. serves as the Deputy Administrator of the Transportation and Marketing (TM) Program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) in Washington, DC. To help accomplish the agency’s mission of facilitating the competitive and efficient marketing of agricultural products, Arthur provides leadership and direction for the agency’s multi-million dollar grant programs that support the development and growth of local and regional food systems, as well as fund research that addresses marketing challenges for agriculture industries. He leads a talented team that is responsible for providing economic analysis on bulk agricultural transportation from farm to market and improving market access for local and regional agricultural producers. Before joining the Transportation and Marketing Program in 2011, Arthur spent over ten years at USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) where he served as Associate Deputy Administrator and played a leading role in the development and enforcement of regulations for the organic industry. He also served several years with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, strengthening relationships between Historically Black Land-Grant Universities and USDA, and resolving cases related to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Arthur, a native of Louisiana, graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from Southern University and A&M College, and earned a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and the Scottish Agricultural College in Aberdeen, Scotland (UK). Arthur and his wife reside in the Washington, DC metro area. @USDA_AMS

ARIEL KAGAN Senior Program Associate, George Washington University Sustainability Collaborative Ariel Kagan oversees the events and programs of the Collaborative and the GW Food Institute. She managed the Urban Agriculture symposium in the fall of 2016. She also contributes to the Sustainability Minor and works closely with students pursuing sustainability internships and research. She has a background in agriculture and food systems, with international experience in sustainable farms and fisheries. Ariel holds a B.A. in Economics from Mount Holyoke College and a Masters in Food and Resource Economics from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. @GWFoodInstitute

JEFFREY O’HARA Agricultural Marketing Specialist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service Jeffrey O’Hara is an agricultural marketing specialist at the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Jeff’s role is to provide technical support for the development of local food markets, and in particular is supporting the outreach and training initiatives associated with AMS’s local foods economic impact toolkit. Jeff also collaborates with other USDA researchers in the analysis of local food markets. Jeff was previously an economist at the Union of Concerned Scientists and is a former board member of the Farmers Market Coalition. Jeff has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, San Diego and a B.S. in economics from The George Washington University. @USDA_AMS

9 BIOGRAPHIES Jim Barham, Agricultural Economist, USDA RD programs, as well as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Jim Barham is an Agricultural Economist for USDA’s Prior to his tenure at USDA, Kumar worked at Share Our Rural Development agency. Jim obtained a MA in Cultural Strength. Share Our Strength is a national non-profit working Anthropology and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the to end childhood hunger in America. At Share Our Strength, University of Florida. Before joining the USDA, Jim worked he worked with federal, state, and local government agencies extensively in the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean with as well as state and national organizations on strategies to a number of nonprofit organizations and government agencies end childhood hunger through better leveraging federal on agricultural development projects targeting smallholder nutrition programs. Prior to Share Our Strength, he worked producers. Jim joined USDA in 2007 where he has worked at California Food Policy Advocates in Oakland, California to improve marketing opportunities for small and mid-size where his focus was on legislative and administrative policy producers through a combination of research, technical changes to improve the health and nutrition of low-income assistance, and grant support. Jim has presented research Californians, primarily through strengthening the federal and published a number of articles on regional food hubs, nutrition assistance safety net. Kumar has a Master of Science food value chains, local food distribution, and foodservice in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from the Friedman procurement. He is also the program lead for the newly School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, a established Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which is housed Master of Public Health from the Tufts University School of in Rural Development. @usdaRD Medicine, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Economy from the University of California at Berkeley. Kumar grew up in Marika Bertram, Team Lead for Data Evaluation Office of northern New Jersey and the central coast of California. He Field Policy and Management, HUD currently lives in Washington DC with his wife and son. Marika Bertram is the Team Lead for Data Evaluation in HUD’s @FoodCorps Office of Field Policy and Management and has worked in Field Operations for over 6 years. She currently focuses on Jen Cheek, Executive Director, Farmers Market Coalition evaluating the impact of HUD’s place-based work and tying it Jen Cheek is the Executive Director of the Farmers to HUD’s Strategic Goals through the local operating plans and Market Coalition (FMC), a national nonprofit dedicated to efforts around a variety of place-based initiatives. She is the strengthening farmers markets so that they can serve as business owner of HUD’s Community Assessment Reporting community assets while providing real income opportunities Tool, which allows the public to see HUD’s investments in for farmers. Over the past four years, Jen has been working their local communities at the click of a button. Marika has a to fulfill FMC’s mission to document and publicize the Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University triumphs of farmers markets, while responding to the training, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economic and Urban History from networking, and advocacy needs of the growing farmers Columbia University. She is an Excellence in Government market community. During her tenure at FMC, projects have Fellow and former Presidential Management Fellow. She is included the development of the Free SNAP EBT Equipment also the loving mother of two adorable kids. @HUDgov Program in partnership with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, research into data collection and communication Kimberly Brown, Chief Program Officer, models for farmers markets, and surveying food safety DC Central Kitchen practices at the local level. Jen believes that in addition to Kimberly Brown, Chief Program Officer at DC Central Kitchen, serving as important economic and agricultural incubators, has worked to provide educational opportunities for youth community centers, and platforms for food education, and adults for over 15 years. She began her career as a faculty farmers markets are the happiest places on earth. Previously member teaching immigrants and English language learners working in urban planning, Jen collaborated with numerous at Montana State University and the University of Maryland, municipalities and government agencies to create civic then moved to Montgomery Community College where she meeting spaces, preserve natural areas, and design parks and developed specialized employment-focused curricula and gardens all over the U.S. Specializing in communication design programs for immigrants, refugees and other underserved and outreach, she worked closely with community stakeholders and marginalized populations including victims of human to research and distill data, build consensus, create educational trafficking, victims of domestic violence, survivors of torture materials, and craft plans and policies. She holds a Master of and trauma, displaced youth, and returning citizens. Her areas Urban and Environmental Planning degree from the University of expertise include workforce development and continuing of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of education, career pathways, and accelerated and contextualized Michigan. @FMCorg programming. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Montana, and an M.A. in Curriculum Kate Clancy, Food Systems Consultant and Instruction from the University of Maryland. @dcck Kate Clancy is currently a food systems consultant, Visiting Scholar at the Center for a Livable Future Johns Hopkins Kumar Chandran, Policy Director, FoodCorps University School of Public Health, Adjunct Professor at Tufts Kumar Chandran has almost a decade of experience working University, and Senior Fellow in the Minnesota Institute for on food and nutrition policy. Most recently, he worked as Chief Sustainable Agriculture, University of Minnesota (she resides of Staff for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. in University Park, Maryland). She earned her doctorate in As Chief of Staff, Kumar worked on the regulations, policies, Nutrition at the University of California, Berkeley. Her resume and communications related to the federal food and nutrition includes positions at Cornell and Syracuse University and 10 BIOGRAPHIES sabbatical appointments at the Universities of Wisconsin and development, advocacy, research and coalition building, Cris Minnesota, the latter as a rotating endowed chair in 2007. She works with partners and policy makers around New England has worked as a nutrition and policy advisor at the Federal Trade to advance strategies around farmland access, tenure, transfer Commission, and at several nonprofits such as the Wallace and succession. Cris has served as Professional Staff Member Center. Clancy developed a graduate course on food systems in on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and 1982 and since then has published, taught, spoken, and consulted Forestry; as Legislative Assistant and Chief of Staff to U.S. widely on sustainable agriculture, food systems, and food policy Senator Herb Kohl; and as consultant to both the Vermont with government agencies, universities, and nonprofits around and Wisconsin Departments of Agriculture. As New England the country. She has served on many boards including the Food Director for American Farmland Trust from 2001-2015, Cris and Drug Administration Food Advisory Council. She is the built public and political support for state farmland protection deputy director of the USDA-funded six-year EFSNE systems programs and policies, helped communities more effectively project in the Northeast United States, and engaged with many support and plan for agriculture, and forged multi-state initiatives including Agriculture of the Middle and It Takes a and multi-sector coalitions to address regional food system Region. She publishes a column in the Journal of Agriculture, challenges, including Farm to Institution New England, Food Systems and Community Development on topics related to Connecticut’s Working Lands Alliance, and the Massachusetts the application of systems concepts to food systems. Food System Collaborative, which she currently chairs. Cris has led several regional research and policy initiatives, Stacia Clinton, RD. LDN., National Director, Healthy Food in including Gaining Insights, Gaining Access (Land For Good; Healthcare Program American Farmland Trust), and New England Food Policy: Stacia Clinton is National Director for the Healthy Food in Building a Sustainable Food System (American Farmland Health Care Program at Health Care Without Harm and Trust; Conservation Law Foundation; Land For Good; chairs the Clinician Champions in Comprehensive Antibiotic Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group). Cris holds Stewardship collaborative, a joint effort of the Pediatric a B.A. in geography from the University of Massachusetts Infectious Disease Society and Health Care Without Harm. Amherst and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Stacia provides leadership and vision to the Program to engage She is a member of her town’s Agriculture Commission, and, the health care sector in advocating for and investing in with her husband, raises pastured poultry on their farm in healthy and sustainable regional food systems. As a Registered western Massachusetts. @LandForGood and Licensed Dietitian, Stacia has extensive experience in the field of food service and clinical nutrition management with Carlos Coleman, Agricultural Marketing Specialist, Local past positions in small and large scale health care facilities. Food Research and Development Division, USDA AMS Her commentary has been featured in publications such as Carlos Coleman is an Agricultural Marketing Specialist in Today’s Dietitian, Time Magazine, Food Service Director the Local Food Research and Development Division of the Magazine and numerous local outlets. @HCWithoutHarm USDA who works to improve economic opportunities for small and mid-sized agricultural producers. He conducts research Dana H. Coale, Deputy Administrator, Dairy Program, on best practices for the development of direct-to-consumer USDA AMS and intermediated marketing channels and is interested in Dana H. Coale was selected as Deputy Administrator of the exploring their potential for anchoring economic development AMS Dairy Program in September 2004. Ms. Coale oversees efforts in underserved and blighted communities across the a wide array of programs and services that establish and rural/urban spectrum. Current projects include the USDA maintain orderly dairy marketing conditions and ensure that National Farmers Market Manager Survey, The Local Food consumers have adequate supplies of pure and wholesome Research Design Workshop for Communities and Practitioners, milk at all times. She manages an organization of more than and an Analysis of Farmers Market Incentive Programs on 470 employees who implement these programs across the Farmers Market Vendors in Maryland. @USDA_AMS nation.Ms. Coale began her career with the AMS Fruit and Vegetable Program in 1989 as a Marketing Specialist, but Andrew Dumont, Community Development Analyst, she has spent nearly her entire career with Dairy Programs, Federal Reserve Board starting as an Agricultural Marketing Specialist in 1990 Andrew Dumont is a Community Development Analyst at working with the Federal Milk Marketing Order Program. the Federal Reserve Board where he leads the Board’s work Ms. Coale received a Bachelor of Science degree in Public on rural development, affordable housing, and other place- Service and Administration in Agriculture and International conscious community and economic development policy areas. Agriculture from Iowa State University. She grew up on a Prior to joining the Board, Andrew worked at Pathway Lending, grain and livestock farm in Central Iowa, and she continues a community development financial institution serving to maintain ownership in the operation. Ms. Coale and her Tennessee and Alabama, where he worked as a program husband have two children and reside in Gainesville, Virginia. specialist structuring and underwriting small business @USDA_AMS loans, among a variety of other responsibilities, to further the organization’s economic development priorities. Andrew has a Cris Coffin, Policy Director, Land For Good Masters Degree in Public Policy from The George Washington Cris is Policy Director for Land For Good, a New England- University, a Bachelors Degree from the State University of based organization that seeks to help more farmers gain New York at Buffalo, and is a Certified Public Accountant. more secure access to farmland. With expertise in policy @FederalReserve 11 BIOGRAPHIES Rebecca Dunning, Agricultural Economist, North Carolina for the FDA Maryland Produce Safety Implementation State University Cooperative Agreement. She also administers the Maryland Rebecca designs and manages food system initiatives at the Specialty Crop Block Grant program and Maryland’s Wine and Center for Environmental Farming Systems at North Carolina Grape Promotion Fund. Additionally, Karen is the state lead State University, building programming and relationships with for the Maryland Farm to School program, which has increased private businesses, food system non-profits including hospitals, sales of local product in schools to $18 million. university and community college systems, and planning and economic development agencies. Rebecca also serves as a Claudette Fernandez, Deputy Administrator for Business consultant on food systems development initiatives. She holds Programs, USDA RD advanced degrees in agricultural economics and sociology, and Claudette Fernandez brings over 15 years of organizational has 20+ years of experience working in food and agriculture leadership, strategic planning, policy development, human with positions in private industry, government, and higher capital and resource oversight, program management, and education. Rebecca’s favorite activity? Working with students economic development experiences at the local, regional, to match their enthusiasm and skill sets with purposeful work. federal and international levels. Currently, she serves as @infoCEFS Deputy Administrator for Business Programs at USDA, overseeing Business & Industry Guaranteed Loan and a Jillian Dy, Mid-Atlantic Deputy Director, variety of grants and revolving loan fund programs that The Common Market finance businesses including local and regional food projects. Jillian Dy is a good food advocate who works to build Previously, Claudette served as the Director for USDA’s partnerships that improve public health and create Community Economic Development Division and Director for vibrant communities. As Deputy Director of The Common the agency’s Grants Division and Specialty Programs . Prior to Market Mid-Atlantic, Jillian leads our outreach team that joining USDA in 2012, Claudette served as a Senior Program connects institutions, retailers, restaurants and community Manager for FEMA’s multi-hazard mitigation and preparedness organizations to local farms and producers, directs The programs. Originally from the Philippines, Claudette has a Common Market’s producer marketing strategy, and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and a Master develops institutional partnerships that foster healthier food of Public Administration from Valdosta State University, a procurement in the region. Prior to joining The Common Master of Engineering Science from George Washington Market, Jillian ran a vegetable farm in Buckingham, Virginia. University and a Graduate Certificate in International Business She received a BA in Fine Arts from Boston University. Management from Georgetown University. @usdaRD @CommonMkt John Fisk, Director, Wallace Center at Winrock Joshua Eilers, Founder, Ranger Cattle, LLC International Josh Eilers served as an Airborne Army Ranger for 5 years. John Fisk is the Director of the Wallace Center at Winrock As a Sergeant, he served as team leader in the U.S. Army’s International. He has over 25 years of experience in elite First Ranger Battalion. During this time, he honed sustainable food and agricultural systems development, his leadership techniques by leading his team of Rangers with training and application in research, program design, on hundreds of special operation missions involving high- project management, philanthropy and evaluation. Under his value targets throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. After being leadership the Wallace Center has emerged as an innovative wounded in combat, Josh received a Purple Heart. Following and national force in sustainable and regional food systems his military career Josh attended The University of Texas at with leadership for the National Good Food Network. Prior Austin where he majored in Biology. While at UT, he invested to the Wallace Center, John supported the work of the W.K. his military savings in a herd of Wagyu cattle and Ranger Kellogg Foundation on Food and Agriculture systems helping Cattle was born. Today Josh continues to serve by providing to develop and implement strategies and grant making in high quality, sustainable beef to his community. Ranger Cattle sustainable, local and equitable food and farming systems. He is a farm-to-table Wagyu Beef operation that specializes in was a founding board member of the Food Routes Network breeding, raising, and direct marketing Wagyu Beef to local which developed the Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign that is restaurants and farmers markets. @RangerCattle now active in many regions of the US. He currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Sustainable Agriculture Karen Fedor, Senior Agricultural Marketing Specialist, and on the Advisory Board of ReFED, an organization focused Maryland Department of Agriculture on food waste reduction. John holds a PhD from Michigan Karen Fedor is the Senior Agricultural Marketing Specialist State University in Crop and Soil Sciences where he was a C.S for the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) where she Mott Fellow in Sustainable Agriculture. works to connect Maryland farmers, producers and watermen to schools, institutions, wholesale distributors, grocery store Jill Fitzsimmons, Agricultural Marketing Specialist, chains and other buyers. Karen has over 20 years of experience USDA AMS in government and public relations, program and grant Jill is an Agricultural Marketing Specialist with USDA’s management, marketing, and fundraising. She has a Bachelor Agricultural Marketing Services. She is a community of Science degree from The Ohio State University and a economic development practitioner with nearly 20 years of field Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from University experience in the US, leading grassroots organizing, advocacy, of Maryland. Karen is currently the Co-Principal Investigator and project management to support national, state, and local 12 BIOGRAPHIES organizations’ initiatives. Jill has worked with the communities located in FSA’s 2,124 offices across the country. Hill began to research, develop, and manage mid-scale supply chains for her federal career as a clerk with the Farm Service Agency regionally differentiated agricultural products. Jill holds an MS (then known as the Farmers Home Administration). She later in community economic development and is completing a PhD served in the positions of loan officer and district outreach in resource economics, focusing on industrial organization and coordinator where she was responsible for determining behavioral economics. Jill’s research explores the relationship feasibility, assessing financial situations and risks, approving between agricultural firm profitability and market structure, and servicing borrower farm loan accounts for six counties. and the role of economic actors’ social preferences in regional Hill was later selected to serve as the FSA State Public market participation. @USDA_AMS Relations & Outreach Specialist, overseeing outreach activities in 71 counties. In that position, she received several awards and David Glasgow, Public Affairs Director, USDA AMS recognition for her collaborations and work with rural farmers David Glasgow currently serves as Public Affairs Director and students as well as being appointed by two U.S. Secretaries for the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. With 28 years of Agriculture to serve on the National Advisory Committee of experience in the public and private sectors his expertise for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers for three two year terms. includes internal and external communications, media Hill continues to be an active volunteer in the community relations, crisis communications, legal analysis, facilitation and and is a member of numerous organizations. A native of strategic community planning. He served as the White House Mississippi, Hill received her bachelor’s degree in Business Strong Cities Team Lead for Rocky Mount, NC, working with Administration from Belhaven University in Jackson, elected officials, farmers, businesses and other local leaders to Mississippi. @usdafsa grow the local/regional food sector as a tool for economic and community development. During his public service career, Donald Hinkle-Brown, President and CEO, Reinvestment David has served as a Senior Communications Coordinator Fund for USDA, Director of Communications for USDA Rural Donald Hinkle-Brown, President and CEO, leads a staff Development Tennessee State Office, as a senior policy advisor of more than 90 highly skilled financial experts, research at the Appalachian Regional Commission, and policy advisor analysts, community developers and other professionals for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. at Reinvestment Fund, a catalyst for change in low-income Awarded two Presidential Gold Volunteer Service Awards, he communities. Mr. Hinkle-Brown is widely recognized as an has served in leadership positions on numerous boards and expert in mission investing and capacity building through commissions and coaches rugby. David earned a Juris Doctor his work developing new programmatic initiatives, raising from the University of Alabama School of Law, and a B.A. from capital and creating new products that improve opportunity, Birmingham-Southern College, majoring in economics and equity and health for underserved people and places. Under his political science. @USDA_AMS leadership, Reinvestment Fund launched ReFresh, the nation’s first practitioner network of community lenders committed to Erin Healy, Director, Office of Community Food Systems, improving access to healthy food for all Americans. He serves USDA FNS as board member to Reinvestment Fund affiliate PolicyMap, Before joining USDA, Erin Healy served as the Healthy Eating and has served as adjunct faculty at Temple University’s Initiative Director at The Health Trust, an operating health Geography and Urban Studies program and the University of foundation in San Jose, where she oversaw a $1M portfolio Pennsylvania’s City Planning department. He holds an M.B.A. of healthy food access and local food programs as well as from the Fox School at Temple University in Real Estate and food policy change efforts. Erin had previously founded and Urban Planning as well as a B.A. in Economics. directed Youth L.E.A.D., a food justice organization in South @reinvestfund Florida. She also served as Miami Dade County Public School’s first Farm-to-School Manager in 2011 and was selected as one David Hughes, Professor and Greever Chair of Agribusiness of “20 emerging leaders under 40” by the Miami Herald in Development, University of Tennessee 2011 and one of CASE Foundation’s “Fearless Leaders” in 2012 David Hughes is Professor and Greever Chair of Agribusiness for her contributions to local food systems, policy change, Development in the Department of Agricultural & Resource and youth development programs. She previously worked Economics at the University of Tennessee. Past and current as a Public Health Manager for Catholic Relief Services in areas of outreach and research include agribusiness-based West Africa and formerly led youth development and health economic development, rural entrepreneurship with an education programs in Brooklyn and Philadelphia. She holds emphasis on agribusiness and economic impact analysis, an M.P.H. from Tulane University and a B.A. from University of primarily for agribusiness-based activities. David holds a PhD Pennsylvania. @USDANutrition from Washington State University. @UTAgEcon

J. Latrice Hill, Assistant to Deputy Administrator for Field Becca Jablonski, Assistant Professor and Food Systems Operations, USDA FSA Extension Economist, Colorado State University J. Latrice Hill serves as an Assistant to the Deputy Becca Jablonski is an Assistant Professor and Food Systems Administrator of Field Operations, where she is Director of Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Office of Program Education Resource Economics at Colorado State University. As part and Stakeholder Engagement. In this position, Hill provides of her position, she facilitates the Colorado Governor’s Food outreach policy and guidance to FSA leadership and field staff Systems Advisory Council and is a co-leader of Colorado 13 BIOGRAPHIES State University’s Food Systems Extension Team. She has 15 Anupama Joshi, Executive Director & Co-Founder, The years of experience working across many aspects of the food National Farm School Network system, most recently serving as a Doctoral Fellow with the Anupama Joshi is the Executive Director & Co-Founder of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a Visiting National Farm to School Network. Ms. Joshi co-founded the Scholar with the USDA’s Economic Research Service, and an organization in 2007, to serve as an information, advocacy, Agricultural Economic Development Specialist with Cornell and networking hub for communities working to bring local Cooperative Extension of Madison County. Dr. Jablonski’s food sourcing and food and agriculture education into school research and extension efforts focus on understanding systems and early care and education sites. Ms. Joshi is a processes of rural and regional development, with an emphasis recognized leader in the field of farm to school, food justice on identifying strategies to support entrepreneurship, improve and local and regional food systems. She is co-author of agribusiness performance and enhance regional food systems. Food Justice (MIT Press, 2010) and led the development of Dr. Jablonski holds a PhD from Cornell University. “Evaluation for Transformation” – a pioneering cross-sectoral @rebeccabr framework for farm to school research and evaluation. Ms. Joshi has been engaged with nutrition, agriculture and food Christine James, Director of Programs, The John Merck systems issues in various countries around the world. She has Fund worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the Christine James came to The John Merck Fund in 2008, United Nations, the Pesticide Action Network; and consulted after 20+ years working for small, community-based human with various non-profit organizations in Asia. She is an service and environmental nonprofit organizations in Maine Advisory Board member for Inside School Food on Heritage and Massachusetts. She has a BA in art history from Bowdoin Radio Network, and has served on the board of FoodCorps, and College and an MA in public policy from Tufts University’s Community Alliance with Family Farmers. @FarmtoSchool Urban & Environmental Policy program. Just prior to coming to JMF, she was executive director of EarthWorks, Ken Keck, Director of Marketing Services, USDA AMS a small urban greening organization based in the Roxbury Ken Keck joined the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service neighborhood of Boston. Her work in Maine included four in early 2015 as Director of the Marketing Services Division. years as executive director of an educational organic farm and He came from the California Citrus Research Board, where two years working on clean energy and climate change issues. he served for nearly two years as its president. He has deep As Director of Programs for JMF, she oversees the foundation’s knowledge and experience in working with farmers of all environmental grants programs: Clean Energy, Health and the sizes and commissioning research that helps to address Environment, and Regional Food Systems. many of the challenges they face. Before serving as the president of the California Citrus Research Board, Ken served Haile Johnston, Co-Director and Founder, The Common as general counsel and executive director of the Florida Market Department of Citrus from 2006-2012. In addition, he served Haile Johnston is a Philadelphia-based social entrepreneur as that organization’s director of government affairs and who works to improve the vitality of rural and urban general counsel from 2002-2006, and director of legislative communities through food systems reform and policy change. and regulatory affairs with the state’s largest grower trade As a father of four, Haile actively pursues his core purpose to association, Florida Citrus Mutual from 1999-2002. Not only “repair the earth for our children and prepare our children for does Ken have legislative experience at the State level, he the earth.” Along with his wife Tatiana, he is the Co-Director served as legislative director for U.S. Congressman Sanford and a founder of The Common Market, a nonprofit distribution Bishop (Macon, GA) from 1997-1999. Ken earned his JD from enterprise headquartered in Philadelphia that connects Widener University Delaware Law School, and his BA from communities in the Mid Atlantic states and the Atlanta, Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. @USDA_AMS Georgia region to sustainable, locally grown farm food. The two have also teamed up to found the East Park Revitalization Darlene Knipe, Co-Founder , The National Food Alliance in their community of Strawberry Mansion where MarketMaker Program they have resided for thirteen years. Haile is a graduate of Darlene Knipe is Co-founder of the National Food University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business MarketMaker Program , an internet based interactive where he concentrated in entrepreneurial management. He mapping system that connects food producers to markets and is proud to have served as a Food and Community Fellow aggregates food systems data for research and policy making with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Haile purposes. Formerly an Extension Specialist with University of currently serves as a Board Trustee for the Jessie Smith Noyes IL for over 20 years, Knipe has served as Principal Investigator Foundation and as an Advisory Board Member for the National of numerous projects involving the development of quality Farm to School Network. Haile and Tatiana were recently driven food supply chains which give producers of value- named Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Entrepreneurs for added agricultural products better market access. She has their work to grow regional food systems impact through The presented local, regional and national workshops and seminars Common Market.. @CommonMkt on a variety of topics including marketing, entrepreneurship and brand marketing for agricultural products. She has worked internationally, providing technical support for entrepreneurship development programs targeted to developing countries. Knipe has also served as a subject matter 14 BIOGRAPHIES expert in Food Systems Development for Riverside Research Assistant Executive Director of California Certified Organic Institute, Board Chair of the Illinois State Microenterprise Farmers (’85-’93) and the Policy Director at Organic Farming Initiative and is a member of the AMS Local Food Resource Research Foundation (’95-2010). Mark serves as a Trustee of Mapping team. She is a Principal in the Global Food and Ag The Homeless Garden Project and the Organic Center. Network, LLC which currently manages the National Food @MarkLipson1 MarketMaker Program. @FoodMarketMaker Jane Clary Loveless, National Program Leader for Tricia Kovacs, Local and Regional Food Systems Policy Nutrition/Extension, USDA NIFA Advisor, USDA AMS Dr. Jane Clary Loveless, is the National Program Leader Tricia Kovacs is the Local and Regional Food Systems Policy for nutrition/extension for the National Institute of Food Advisor at USDA, based in Agricultural Marketing Service. and Agriculture, USDA, in the Institute of Food Safety and She coordinates efforts across USDA to support the local and Nutrition. Her specialization area is community nutrition and regional food sector. Prior to joining USDA, Tricia managed health and technology based nutrition and health education Regional Markets programs at Washington State Department for young families with children to help combat childhood of Agriculture, where she was founding Program Manager obesity. Clary Loveless is a Master Certified Health Education for the state Farm to School Program and also led the Small Specialist. For over 20 years, Clary Loveless has worked as Farm Direct Marketing Program. Tricia was lead author on a professor and extension specialist, at Purdue University, publications that help farmers and buyers understand complex where she completed both her undergraduate and graduate market requirements, including Bridging the GAPs Farm programs, and Mississippi State University, on the design, Guide: Good Agricultural Practices and On-Farm Food Safety implementation, and evaluation of community based programs for Small, Mid-Sized and Diversified Fruit and Vegetable for land-grant institutions providing evidence-based healthy Farms, and A School’s Guide to Buying Washington-Grown lifestyle programs to families in the Midwest and the Southern Food. Tricia holds a M.Sc. in Sustainability, Planning, and regions. Currently, she is working with the Community Food Environmental Policy from Cardiff University in Wales Projects, Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program, and the and a BA from University of Virginia. Originally from rural Childhood Obesity issues at USDA, co-leading the Agriculture Appalachian Virginia, she lives with her husband and two and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Childhood Obesity children in Washington D.C. @USDA_AMS Prevention Program with Dr. Deirdra Chester. @USDA_NIFA Kellen L. Liebsch, Economist, Kansas Department of Agriculture Scott Marlow, Executive Director, Rural Advancement Kellen is the economist for the Kansas Department of Foundation International-USA Agriculture and has spent her professional career dedicated Scott Marlow is the Executive Director of the Rural to government service in the agriculture industry. She works Advancement Foundation International – USA, a non-profit to ensure that economic analysis and the impact of the organization based in Pittsboro, NC. Scott previously directed agriculture, food, and food processing sectors are disseminated RAFI’s Farm Sustainability program, providing in-depth to stakeholders and the general public, as well as administers financial counseling to farmers in crisis, education on disaster multiple federal grant programs. As a life-long Kansan, her assistance programs and access to credit, and addressing family also owns and operates a cattle ranching operation in the needs of mid-scale farmers who are increasing the southcentral Kansas. @KansasDeptofAg sustainability of their farms by transitioning to higher-value specialty markets. Scott’s specialty is financial infrastructure, Mark Lipson, Research Associate, Organic Agriculture including access to credit and risk management, and how Policy, University of California Santa Cruz that infrastructure addresses food security and global climate Mark Lipson is a 30-year pioneer and influential leader in change. He has served on the steering committee of the the organic farming and food community in California National Task Force to Renew Agriculture of the Middle, the and nationally. In 2016 Mark received the “Champion of Organization Council of the National Sustainable Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture Award” from the National Sustainable Coalition, the Board of the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Agriculture Coalition. He served a 4 ½ -year term of service Working Group, the Board of the NC Farm Transition Network, as the Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Policy Advisor in and the NC Agricultural Advancement Consortium and the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. At the USDA serves on the Advisory Committee of the NC Agricultural he led the department-wide Organic Working Group and Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. He has a co-led the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Task Force. Masters Degree in Crop Science from NC State University, and Since completing his term at USDA, Mark has been appointed a BA in Political Science from Duke University. @rafiusa as a Research Associate in Organic Agriculture Policy at the University of California at Santa Cruz, affiliated with the Hugo Mogollon, Executive Director, Community Foodworks Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Mark Hugo Mogollon is the Executive Director of Community graduated with honors from U.C. Santa Cruz in 1981 with a B.A. Foodworks. Hugo Brings 20 Years Of Experience Working For in environmental studies. Since 1983 he has been a member Nonprofit Organizations Covering A Range Of Issues From in Molino Creek Farm, a cooperative multi-family organic Food Systems To Sustainability To Biodiversity Conservation. farming community near Davenport, California and the Under Hugo’s Leadership Community Foodworks has emerged original home of the famed, dry-farmed tomatoes. He was the as One Of The Leading Organization In The Food Access 15 BIOGRAPHIES Movement In Washington DC, Creating Substantial Additional Rich Pirog, Director , Center for Regional Food Systems, Income For The Farmers That sell At Their Farmers Markets. Michigan State University Hugo Has Deep Experience In NGO Management, Planning, Rich Pirog is director of the Center for Regional Food Systems Development, Outreach, And Stakeholder Engagement, (CRFS) at Michigan State University. He is responsible for Particularly In Multicultural Settings. A Native Of Ecuador, the strategic direction, management, and achievement of Hugo Is Fluent In Both English And Spanish. He Has A mission for the Center. From 2011 through 2015 he was senior Bachelor Of Science In Biology From The Catholic University associate director at CRFS. His programmatic work includes Of Quito, Ecuador And He Has A Bachelor Of Science In the Michigan Food Hub Network, the the Michigan Good Biology From The Catholic University Of Quito, Ecuador And Food Fund as well as the Michigan Good Food Charter. From An Executive Master’s Degree In Natural Resources And 1990-2011 he was associate director and program leader Leadership For Sustainability From Virginia Tech. for marketing and food systems at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Iowa. Pirog’s work in local foods, Kathy Newcomer, Director, Trachtenberg School of Public food hubs, food system networks, economic impact of local Policy and Public Administration, George Washington foods, and food value chains has been publicized and cited University widely across the U.S. His recent writings and research include Kathryn Newcomer is the Director of the Trachtenberg impact of local foods, evolution of the local food movement, School of Public Policy and Public Administration at the structural racism present in the U.S. food system, and building George Washington University where she teaches public networks to address social, health and economic challenges in and nonprofit program evaluation and research design. She the food system. @MSUCRFS routinely conducts research and training for federal and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations on Cliff Porzenheim, Chief Operating Office, FarmLogix, LLC performance measurement and program evaluation. Dr. Cliff Porzenheim is the COO of FarmLogix, LLC. FarmLogix Newcomer is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public provides unique technology and logistics solutions to Administration, and currently serves on the Comptroller manage source identified, sustainable supply chains that General’s Educators’ Advisory Panel. She served as President connect farmers with institutional markets. FarmLogix is a of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and market leader in the education segment, managing local food Administration for 2006-2007 and as a member of the board programs for over 1,000 K-12 schools. FarmLogix has also for the American Evaluation Association from 2012-2015. In provided data analytics and reporting for the USDA through summer 2015, she was elected President Elect of the American the Local Food Promotion and Specialty Block Grant programs. Evaluation Association and will hold the President position Prior to joining FarmLogix in 2014, Cliff was the President of throughout 2017. She has received two Fulbright awards, one Milestone Equipment Holdings and held various leadership for Taiwan (1993) and one for Egypt (2001-04). She received positions at GATX Corporation. At the start of his career he the Elmer Staats Award for Achievements in Government was a strategy consultant at the Boston Consulting Group Accountability, awarded by the National Capital Area Chapter and A.T. Kearney. He holds an MBA from the Northwestern of the American Society for Public Administration in 2008. She Kellogg School of Management, and a BS in Economics from has lectured on performance measurement and public program the Wharton School. @FarmLogix evaluation in Ukraine, Brazil, Italy, Costa Rica, Egypt, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Poland, Colombia, Nicaragua, Ed Ragland, Economist, USDA AMS and the UK. Dr. Newcomer holds a BS in Education and an MA Ed is an Economist with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing in Political Science from University of Kansas and a PhD in Service (AMS). His responsibilities include designing and Political Science from University of Iowa. reviewing research studies on farmers markets, CSA’s, food hubs and on-farm markets. He currently manages Michael Norton, Chief Policy Analyst, Reinvestment Fund USDA’s Local Food Directories. Mr. Ragland obtained his As Chief Policy Analyst at Reinvestment Fund, Dr. Norton undergraduate degree in Agricultural Business and Economics supports all research related to Reinvestment Fund’s from Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia. He also organizational goals and mission. Policy Solutions’ research holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from Bowling Green activities include the Market Value Analysis; assessing gaps State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. @USDA_AMS between the supply of and demand for child care; and the Limited Supermarket Access (LSA) Analysis. In addition, Mallory Rahe, Extension Community Economist, Oregan Policy Solutions conducts a range of internal and external State University program evaluations and analyses across Reinvestment Fund’s Mallory Rahe, in her position as an Extension Community business lines: affordable housing, food retail, commercial real Economist at Oregon State University, works with estate, early childhood education and K-12 education, federally community groups across the state that are engaging in qualified health care facilities, and energy efficiency. economic development projects or considering public Dr. Norton completed his doctoral studies in the Sociology investment options. As more communities in Oregon look Department at Temple University, where his research to strengthening and expanding local food systems, Rahe examined the relationship between secondary mortgage provides access to data and she recently partnered with Central market activity and neighborhood change in the Philadelphia Oregon stakeholders to estimate the economic impact of local region at the turn of the 21st century. @reinvestfund food production in a developing producer system. Rahe is part of the Rural Studies Program at Oregon State University and 16 BIOGRAPHIES has collaborated with Rural Development Initiatives to bring Sarah Rocker, PhD Candidate in Rural Sociology, a rural wealth creation economic development program to Penn State University Oregon. @OSUAgSci Sarah Rocker is a PhD candidate in Rural Sociology in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Katherine Ralston, Senior Economist, USDA ERS Education at Penn State University. Her interests lie at Katherine Ralston is a Senior Economist with the USDA the intersection of food systems, agricultural change, and Economic Research Service. She conducts research on community development. Her research focuses on the use USDA food assistance programs and led the first USDA of social network analysis (SNA) as a tool for understanding Farm to School Census in 2013. Prior to her position at social and community dynamics in regional food value ERS she conducted research on economic determinants of chains. She holds a Masters in Public Administration with nutritional status in Indonesia and the Indonesian Timely a focus on food policy from The Evergreen State College Warning and Intervention System to avert food crises. Dr. and an M.A. in Germanic studies from the University of Ralston received her PhD in Agricultural Economics from Colorado. She is a founding steering committee member the University of California, Berkeley and a BS from the for the North American Food Systems Network (NAFSN) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. @USDA_ERS and a former board member of the Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (CoFED), a national non-profit Barbara Rater, Director, Census and Survey Division, committed to empowering students to create cooperatively- USDA NASS run food businesses on college campuses, of which she was a Barbara Rater is the Director of the Census and Survey founder. @agsciences Division at USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Appointed in 2015, Barbara provides leadership A-dae Romero-Briones, Associate Director of Research, and oversight to the agency’s Census Planning, Survey First Nations Development Institute-Native Agcriculture Administration, and Data Collection branches. She is and Programs responsible for sustaining the high quality of NASS’s census A-dae Romero-Briones (Cochiti/Kiowa) was born and raised and survey data collection processes by serving as the in Cochiti Pueblo, NM. She is the Associate Director of central point of contact for operations and support activities. Research at First Nations Development Institute-Native As part of her 30-year career, she has served as Chief of Agriculture and Programs, and is also the co-founder and the Survey Administration Branch from 2012-2015 and former Executive Director of non-profit for Cochiti Pueblo, as Director of the Maryland Field Office from 2006-2012. New Mexico. She formerly worked for Pulama Lana’i on the Barbara started her federal government career in service island of Lana’i, Hawai’i. Previously, Ms. Romero-Briones to agriculture as a student trainee at the U.S. Bureau of the worked for the University of Arkansas’ Indigenous Food Census. Barbara received her bachelor’s degree from the and Agricultural Intuitive while she was getting her LLM University of Maryland College Park and is a graduate of in Food and Agricultural Law. Her thesis was on the Food the Key Executive Leadership Program from American Safety Modernization Act as it applied to the Federal Tribal University’s School of Public Administration. relationship. She wrote extensively about Food Safety, the @USDA_NASS Produce Safety rule and tribes, and the protection of tribal traditional foods. A U.S. Fulbright Scholar, Ms. Romero- Patrick Revord, Planning Research Fellow, HUD Briones received her Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Between researching sustainable community planning and Princeton University, and received a Law Doctorate from economic development at the U.S. Department of Housing Arizona State University’s College of Law, and LLM in Food and Urban Development, studying Urban Planning as a and Agricultural Law from the University of Arkansas. graduate student at Georgetown, and living in Washington, @FNDI303 DC, Pat Revord is a full-time urbanist. From his work on the Sustainable Communities Initiative, HUD’s flagship Doreen Schultz, Stoney Acre Farms, WI regional planning grant program, Pat has proven experience Doreen Schultz is a graduate of UW Madison and managed incorporating design thinking into data management, Stoney Acres Farm as a 50 cow dairy from 1976 until 1997. program evaluation, and project management. He is She taught gifted and talented programs 3rd and 4th grade accredited as a LEED Green Associate, and was recently from 1985 until 2016 at St Anthony’s school in Athens and recognized with the Hoya Professional 30 award, an honor Marathon Elementary in Marathon, WI. She currently exemplifying leadership and excellence at Georgetown provides lots of intergenerational support to Stoney Acres University’s School of Continuing Studies. Pat volunteers as and plays with her three beautiful grand kids. communications manager for Biophilic DC, an organization @stoneyacresfarm incorporating nature into the built environment, and sits on the board of the Washington Men’s Camerata chorus, in Tony Schultz, Owner, Stoney Acre Farms, WI which he also sings. @HUDgov Tony Schultz is a third-generation farmer in North Central Wisconsin. He owns Stoney Acre Farms, a certified organic farm which offers a 20 week Community Supported Agriculture Program and produces vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers, as well as grass fed beef, pastured pork, eggs, and organic grains. From May through November, Tony and 17 BIOGRAPHIES his family host “Pizza on the Farm” every Friday, using meats, mission is to revitalize rural communities by investing in one produce, wheat, and herbs grown and raised on the farm to feed farm at a time to bring life back to the family farmer. This Old hundreds of local community members. He also sells food to Farm, Inc., is Indiana’s only bricks-and- mortar food hub, and the local school district, supporting Wisconsin’s farm-to-school one of only 4 recognized food hubs in Indiana. effort to bring healthy food into school meals and reconnect children with where and how food is grown. Schultz is a strong Stephen Tachiera, Program Manager, California advocate for local, sustainable, organic farming. Schultz is a Department of Food and Agriculture graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has three Stephen Tachiera is a program manager with the California children who enjoy fresh vegetables and digging in the dirt. Department of Food and Agriculture. Before being promoted to @stoneyacresfarm his current position he worked as an analyst and supervisor for the Department of Food and Agriculture, all with the Specialty Valerie Segrest, Coordinator, Muckleshoot Food Crop Block Grant Program. Under his leadership, California Sovereignty Project has implemented a number of new initiatives to maximize Valerie Segrest (Muckleshoot) is a native nutrition educator the benefit of program funds to the specialty crop industry, who specializes in local and traditional foods. As an enrolled including becoming the first state to utilize fixed amount member of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, she serves her awards to help California specialty crop farmers adapt to the community as the coordinator of the Muckleshoot Food Food Safety Modernization Act in 2016. Prior to joining the Sovereignty Project and also works as the Traditional Foods California Department of Food and Agriculture Stephen spent and Medicines Program Manager. In 2010, she co-authored more than a decade in regulatory compliance in the financial the book “Feeding the People, Feeding the Spirit: Revitalizing services industry. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Applied Northwest Coastal Indian Food Culture”. Valerie received a Economics from the University of San Francisco. Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University in @ CDFAnews 2009 and a Masters Degree in Environment and Community from Antioch University. She is a fellow for the Institute Dawn Thilmany, Professor of Agribusiness, Agribusiness of Agriculture and Trade Policy and a PhD student at the Extension Economist, Colorado State University University of Washington’s College of Built Environment. Dawn Thilmany McFadden is a Professor of Agribusiness Valerie aims to inspire and enlighten others about the and Agribusiness Extension Economist with Colorado State importance of a nutrient-dense diet through a culturally University, serving in that role since 1997, and specializes appropriate, common sense approach to eating. in analyzing markets, consumer behavior and economic @ValerieSegrest development related to local, organic and other value-added food market segments. She has published over 80 journal Frank Sesno, Director, School of Media and Public Affairs, articles on consumer behavior, agricultural markets and food George Washington University systems, and presented similar material to over 200 Extension Frank Sesno is director of the School of Media and Public audiences. She is on the leadership team of the CSU Extension Affairs at The George Washington University. He is also an Food Systems work team and chairs the Colorado Food internationally recognized journalist, with more than 30 years Systems Advisory Council. Currently, she serves the USDA of experience reporting from around the world and he spent by sitting on the Secretary’s Advisory Board on Research, more than 20 years at CNN, serving as Senior Vice President, Extension, Education and Economics. She has served on Washington bureau chief, White House correspondent, anchor Boards and in leadership positions with the Agricultural and and special correspondent. Sesno is also the founder and Applied Economics Association, the Western Agricultural Executive Director of Planet Forward, a user-driven website Economics Association, the Food Distribution Research and television program that focuses on energy, climate and Society and several regional research committees. @ sustainability issues. Sesno’s recent book, Ask More: The CSUAgSci Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions and Spark Change, published January 2017, explores the art of Pamela Trammell, Community Development Specialist, inquiry- how inspirational people have discovered truth and Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development success through curiosity, questions and ability to actively Commission listen. @FrankSesno Pamela Trammell is Community Development Specialist for the Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Jessica Smith, Owner and Manager, This Old Farm, Inc. Commission (CARPDC). She also serves as Healthy Food Jessica Smith holds a BS in Biology from Purdue University, Project Coordinator for the REACH Project, a CDC funded and is the owner and manager of This Old Farm, Inc., located grant on Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community in Colfax, Indiana. In 2000, she started an 80-acre family farm, Health, which CARPDC serves as lead co-partner with The raising Katahdin sheep, poultry, hay, and vegetable crops. The Wellness Coalition. Ms. Trammell leads the heathy foods farm is now USDA Organic. What started as a single farm access, sustainability, and economics components of REACH. operation grew to include an alliance of over 190 family farms Through the REACH Project, Ms. Trammell developed and centered around a small USDA meat processing facility and implemented the Healthy Foods, Healthy Economics Seminar Food Hub. Jessica is passionate about farm-based education, 2016, which allowed a diverse audience, including farmers, to and is a leader in Indiana’s Farm-to- School Initiative. She is have conversations around Farm to Table, Farm to School, the a regular speaker at farm and food conferences. Her personal economics of healthy food accessibility; generational lack of 18 BIOGRAPHIES healthy food education within families and communities; Steve Vogel, Agricultural Economist, Resource and Rural generational impact on poverty and healthy food access; Economics Division, USDA ERS sustainability; and economic impact to local farmers/growers Stephen “Steve” Vogel joined the Economic Research in Alabama. Ms. Trammell earned a B.A. in Political Science, Service in 1992 as an Agricultural Economist and works in Texas Lutheran College (now University); B.A. in Journalism, the Resources and Rural Economics Division. His current University of Alabama (Roll Tide!); and Master of Public research program broadly investigates the farm-community Policy, American University. linkages distinct from those generated by traditional commodity production. Specific topics and publications Debra Tropp, Deputy Director, Local Food Research and include farmer participation in local and regional food Development Division, USDA AMS systems, farm portfolio entrepreneurship, and small farmers’ Debra Tropp is a 24-year veteran of USDA’s Agricultural importance in the rural economy. For the last 15 years, he has Marketing Service (AMS), where she presently serves as been working to improve national farm microdata for its use Deputy Director of AMS’s Marketing Services Division in analyzing the overlap between farm and rural economic and oversees the Division’s applied research and technical policy. He earned his Ph.D. in agricultural economics at the assistance work on local food system development. Much University of California, Berkeley. His fields are economic of her work over the past two decades has focused on development, economic history, and statistics. identifying marketing opportunities for locally-produced @USDA_ERS food in institutional and commercial channels, and tracking the evolution and development of business models that seek Eric Williams, Social Science Research Analyst, to facilitate cost-effective local food distribution. Ms. Tropp USDA FNS has a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of Dr. Eric Sean Williams is a social science research analyst at International Affairs in Economic and Political Development, the USDA/Food and Nutrition Service specializing in retailer and a A.B. in Political Science from Bryn Mawr College. In issues in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. the spring of 2013, she was one of five USDA employees His research portfolio includes nutrition incentives, retailer selected to participate in the President’s Management fraud, and structural aspects of the SNAP retailer system. Council Interagency Rotation Program for mid-career He has a PhD in sociology from The Catholic University of professionals, and in 2016, she received a Certificate in America, and is an undergraduate alumnus of The George Public Leadership from the Brookings Institute’s Executive Washington University. @USDANutrition Education program. @USDA_AMS

Join Us For the Local Foods Fair

Come check out these local vendors and many more at 1:30 pm on April 4th at Square 80.*

*Rain location: Tasher Great Room, GWU Law Library 716 20th Street NW; Washington, D.C. 20052

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