NESAWG’s annual It Takes a Region Conference brings together farm and food systems practitioners across the 12-state Northeast region to learn, debate, collaborate, and innovate solutions to critical food systems issues. Each year, we look at the trajectory of the food and farm movement and the role our network can play in shaping its future. We offer in-depth working sessions that tackle important questions about our regional food system and how to strengthen it, drawing from the collective expertise and wisdom of conference attendees.
Learn more in the 2017 Conference Report.
Please email Tracy Lerman at [email protected] if you are interested in sponsoring the upcoming conference.
NESAWG found the need to frame our Network Conversation – and subsequent conversations on regional food systems change – using a Freirean approach to introduce the lens of a critical analysis and the development of a collective critical consciousness. We strive for a liberated consciousness that can self-reflect and generate action towards systems change on a consistent basis making this a praxis of Reflection-Action. The Freirean approach and the framing for developing this praxis can be summarized as follows:
During this first phase of the work, NESAWG will be focusing on “SEEING”: naming, identifying, seeing the system with its manifestations, impact, and root causes; but also lifting and shining a bright light on the resilience and transformational work that our BIPOC communities have been tirelessly doing for centuries.
This “Seeing” will be elicited through brainstorming sessions, open-ended questions, dialogue, and story-telling among other things. We fully recognize the danger of a single story that has plagued the food system since colonization.
(1) Resources on Freirean approach:
Links
Books
Freire, P. (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. London: Penguin
Freire, P. (1973) Education for Critical Consciousness. Seabury Press
Food insecurity—the inability to access affordable, nutritious food—affects one in eight Americans, or approximately 40 million people, and is particularly acute in southern Vermont. This collaboration aims to both address the pressing problem of food insecurity in the area and to develop an interdisciplinary and responsive humanities curriculum with students, faculty, and the community, creating a model from which other higher education institutions can learn and build.
To promote scholarship about food, Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) offers the part-time Master of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy. Cofounded by Jacques Pépin and Julia Child, the program offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary approach to food studies, including opportunities for experiential learning. A Graduate Certificate in Food Studies is also available.
Bristol Community College (BCC) established the Sustainable Agriculture Program (formerly the Organic Agriculture Program) in 2009 to provide an Associate Degree in Sustainable Agriculture plus a certificate for students interested in a bachelor’s degree from a 4-year institution, in developing their own sustainable agricultural enterprise or for working with community organizations and established commercial producers. Our program is articulated with the University of Massachusetts Sustainable Food & Farming program. BCC is one of a small number of community colleges nationwide addressing the need for sustainable agricultural training and development. The south coast of Massachusetts (Bristol and Plymouth counties) is a traditional agricultural region that has suffered severe socio-economic changes and a renewed interest in local agricultural development has grown significantly as one option to strengthen the local economy.
Contact: Dr. Jim Corven, Professor of Biology & Coordinator, Sustainable Agriculture, [email protected]
Contact: Farming and Food Systems, Dr. Kourtney Collum, [email protected]
Cornell University
Contact: College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Samara Sit
Culinary Institute of America
The Applied Food Studies (AFS) Bachelor’s of Professional Studies degree at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) integrates liberal learning with the CIA’s professional education to create an experientially-focused food studies curriculum that is practical, critical and creative. This program is distinct in two central ways. First, it is a food studies program taught in an immersive, intensely food-focused environment. AFS students experience the CIA’s world class culinary/baking training, wines and beverages education, service and production education in our public restaurants and work in selective externships in the food industry. Second, AFS students learn about food from an interdisciplinary liberal arts perspective that also takes a hands-on focus. They learn about food through history, economics, anthropology, archeology, ecology and the humanities. They also learn through a range of hands-on activities and in-the-field activities and projects – like an internship in a local food organization, our campus gardens and apiary, annual campus maple tapping, travel abroad programs and more. These project-based assignments extend student learning in tangible ways and contribute to the campus and to the community, instilling a deep understanding and respect for the local and global food system.
Contact: Dr. Denise Bauer, Dean of Liberal Arts & Food Studies, [email protected]
Delaware State University
College of Agriculture and Related Sciences
Delaware Valley University
Sustainable Agriculture Systems
Sustainable Agriculture Systems students will learn the basic sciences and build upon that knowledge with an understanding of the plant, animal, social, food and agribusiness components of a sustainable agricultural system. This integrated approach offers a broad background in multiple disciplines with an emphasis on hands-on learning. The horticulture degree program at Delaware Valley University offers students the opportunity to study several different subjects, including plant science and biotechnology, fruit and vegetable production and hydroponics. The program is known for its small classes and experiential learning both in the classroom and out in the field. In fact, the University boasts what one might consider an outdoor living laboratory with its access to greenhouses, farms, fields and more. The focus on such diverse lessons results in a comprehensive education in the art, business and science of horticulture. The Organic Farming Program is a 36-credit, one-year certificate program offered through a partnership between Delaware Valley University and Rodale Institute. Students who complete the program leave with the knowledge and experience necessary to start a small-scale organic farm or, work for an organic operation. The program offers assistance with job placement and developing business plans so that graduates can easily move right into rewarding careers in organic agriculture.
Contact: Jacqueline Ricotta, [email protected] for horticulture and sustainable agriculture
Contact: Joe Grato, [email protected] for organic farming certificate
Contact: Culinary Arts and Food Science, Rosemary Trout, [email protected]
George Mason University
The Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University prepares students to address public health issues involving nutrition, food access, and the food system. Located 15 miles from the nation’s capital, the nutrition and food studies program at Mason is the only one of its kind in northern Virginia. Our students learn how to combine the science of nutrition with the culture of food to impact society and influence behavior changes that can improve public health and people’s access to quality food sources. Through coursework, research opportunities, and practical experience, students learn how factors of the food system affect the health of a community (e.g., obesity epidemic, food security, inequity, agriculture, food safety) and to work towards solutions. The department offers multiple academic programs including Master of Science in Nutrition, Graduate Certificates in Nutrition and Food Security, and Minors in Food Studies and Nutrition.
Johns Hopkins University Center for a Livable Future
As an interdisciplinary academic center of the Johns Hopkins University, the Center for a Livable Future (CLF) provides coursework, experiential learning opportunities, and mentorship that promotes an integrated understanding of food systems, diet, food security, and public health. The Center leads a variety of education program activities at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, including graduate level coursework, a certificate program, an MPH concentration, and a CLF-Lerner Fellowship program. CLF’s many educational resources include free, online curricula and courses, and a textbook examining the US food system.
Food Studies at Middlebury College allows students to take advantage of great language instruction, Study Abroad in 38 cities from Cameroon to China, the first environmental studies program in the country, and excellent liberal arts education and facilities. Students learn about the complex historical and contemporary factors that lead to global challenges in the food system, and ways that they can contribute to solutions.
Montclair State University- Nutrition and Food Studies Program
The mission of this department is to improve quality of life through a dynamic, comprehensive, and transdisciplinary curriculum, innovative research, and active community engagement in the holistic fields of food and nutrition.
Founded in 1996, Food Studies at New York University is one of the first master’s degree programs in the United States devoted to food scholarship. Food Studies offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of food as a bio-cultural system focused on the urban environment. By examining cultural, political, economic, environmental, and geographic approaches to food within local, urban, and global contexts, the MA in Food Studies prepares students to analyze the current domestic and global food system and larger contemporary arguments beyond the academy. Our uniquely urban approach engages with the New York City food systems for applied and theoretical research in food policy, food advocacy and sustainable food businesses.
Rutgers University Agriculture and Food Systems Program
State University of New York – Cobleskill
The design of a food system directly impacts diet, disease, economic development, business viability, air and water quality and the capacity of resources to feed and fuel growing populations. Students in SUNY Cobleskill’s newest baccalaureate program, Bachelors of Technology (BT) in Food Systems & Technology, will learn about food systems as they exist around the world and the technologies that are key to efficiently and effectively producing, processing and distributing food. The program is comprised of four academic cores: sustainability, food policy and law, food production and science and food business management. Through them, students will gain hands-on learning experience in the College’s livestock and dairy facilities, greenhouses, alternative energy labs, Farm & Food Business Incubator and culinary facilities.
Studying Sustainable Food Systems at Sterling College in Vermont provides the tools necessary for shaping a more resilient food future. You will learn to advocate for better food policy, improve food access and security, enhance public health, innovate as a food entrepreneur, and nourish yourself and your community while working and studying in the three living laboratories: the Sterling College Farm, Forest, and Kitchen, experiencing the challenges and rewards in a values-driven, place-based food system.
BS/MS/CAS: Study the linkages between food systems and public health, sustainability, policy and governance, the political economy of food and urban/regional design and planning. Your classroom might be our experiential food lab or the local community supported agriculture farm. Coursework and research opportunities provide exposure to the complexity of domestic and international food policy and governance, food security, and much more.
Tufts University, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Agriculture, Food, and Environment Program
The Agriculture, Food and Environment (AFE) program fuses the disciplines of nutrition, agricultural science, environmental studies, and public policy. AFE students learn to evaluate the ecological, political, economic and social aspects of food production and distribution. This program aims to educate future food systems leaders by providing rigorous training, an ethic of social change, and an intellectual community generating visions and models of alternative systems.
The University of Maine’s undergraduate Sustainable Agriculture program emphasizes building healthy soil, organic soil amendments, integrated pest management, erosion management, protecting water quality, increasing farm profits and income stability. Course knowledge is complemented with hands-on learning experiences. The Sustainable Food Systems minor provides an understanding of the sustainability of U.S. and global food systems, including factors such as production, processing, safety, distribution and consumption of food.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore, located on 745 acres in Princess Anne, Maryland, United States, is part of the University System of Maryland. UMES is a historically black university, as well as an 1890 Historically Black Land-Grant University
Contact: www.umes.edu/admissions
University of Massachusetts – Amherst
The university that began as “Mass Aggie” is the home of the Sustainable Food and Farming program which is the fastest growing major in the University of Massachusetts Amherst Stockbridge School of Agriculture. This growth is a result of the rapidly changing economic and social conditions of the nation in which local, organic and sustainable food systems are providing opportunities for good work and exciting new careers. Both Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science degree programs are offered on campus and online.
The interdisciplinary Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems undergraduate program at the University of Rhode Island provides students with the skills and knowledge needed to contribute to the sustainable development, production, harvesting, management, and utilization of terrestrial and aquatic microorganisms, plants and animals by society locally and globally.
Food Studies is the interdisciplinary study of the social, economic, political, and environmental factors that affect our food system. From farm to table, food production and consumption is a linchpin for economic systems and people’s daily life and health. Food is also central to culture – our identities, the way we connect socially, and how families and communities function. The Food Studies Program at USM joins a nationwide movement to elevate the study of food systems, to critically evaluate key food-related issues including food insecurity, environmental sustainability, and racial and labor justice, and develop in its students applicable real world skills ranging from hospitality and entrepreneurship to social justice policy and activism. Through active mentorship, engaged learning both in the classroom and the community, powerful collaborations with food system activists, business people and professionals, and well-placed paid internships, the Food Studies students at USM are well prepared for food-related careers in the business, non-profit/community, and government sectors. The Food Studies Program at USM offers a minor in Food Studies and a Food Studies Graduate Certificate.
The University of Vermont Graduate Program in Food Systems prepares students to address some of the most challenging problems of contemporary food systems, such as building climate change resilience, reducing waste across the supply chain and exploring equitable distribution and fair labor practices. Our curriculum is designed to inspire and motivate students through a diversity of research methods, transdisciplinary and systems thinking approaches and forms of community engagement in Vermont’s living laboratory of food systems innovation.
A roundtable conversation about Farmers of Color, Queerness, and the intersectionalities in Agriculture and the overall food system.
Our conversation with open audience participation will spotlight the experiences and perspectives of Farmers of Color and members of the LGBTQ+ community, exploring how their identities intersect with the intricate fabric of agriculture and the broader food system.
Through thoughtful dialogue and shared insights, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the diverse voices shaping our agricultural landscape and the importance of inclusivity in building resilient and equitable food systems for All!
In 2023, internally and across our network, NESAWG hopes to lead the transformation of a just and equitable Northeast farm and food system. We talked with Eric Jackson to see how his impact at the Black Yield Institute in Baltimore is already paving the way for our collective work in the region.
Eric Jackson at the Black Yield Institute (BYI) wears many hats. More than the Co-founder, Eric is also an educator, author, organizer, and even lends his multimedia creativity to creating BYI podcasts and skits.
One of their recent skits promoted the grand opening of the Cherry Hill Market in September 2022. The Cherry Hill Market is a project of the Black Yield Institute and the Cherry Hill Food Co-op, whose missions aim to end food apartheid through Black land and food sovereignty. The people who work and shop at the co-op—all of whom are part-owners of the cooperative, and many of whom were born and raised in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore—democratically make decisions relating to its operations, ensuring that all community members have a say in the inner workings of the store.
Help fund NESAWG’s 2023 transformation
Eric reminds us that relationships are at the root of building cooperative community.
As we connect with you this winter season, we hold Eric’s wisdom close to heart.
It’s your commitment to sustainable agriculture, equity in the food system, and hearty support of one another that makes the NESAWG community—and the tremendous relationships within it—possible.
It’s also sustainable co-op models like Cherry Hill’s that shift and move the money from corporate wealth to community wealth. Like Eric, we hope to build our community wealth as a region, strengthen our relationships, and drive our own democratic decisions.
In service of this hope, next year, we will embark on a deep and intentional long-term transformation with the focus of creating a farm and food system for all that is regenerative, scalable and replicable.
To do this well, it will require us to continue to nurture our relationships with everyone in our network. Doing so will allow us to have meaningful discussions of discovery, solidarity, and action planning. Convening these discussions across the region requires resources—to fund gatherings, transportation, housing, and/or childcare for farmers, growers, and practitioners from across the 13 geographical areas in our network.
In gratitude and community, Cristina Cabrera
P.S. Just for fun—once you’ve made a donation, forward this email to three equity-loving friends with your answer to the question, “what’s possible when we shift corporate wealth to collective wealth in our communities?”
Since 2015, The Hub on the Hill has been supporting the farming community and small food businesses in Essex, NY, by not only providing essential resources like food storage, commercial kitchen space, and access to equipment, but also by delivering fresh and frozen produce all over the Adirondacks. Their mission is to collaborate with and create a communal space where farmers can produce value added products and to uncomplicate the process of getting raw products to a marketable state. They have streamlined these services so farmers don’t have to worry about the high costs of production. It’s been a great way to help boost the local economy.
The Hub on the Hill is doing their part to fight food insecurity during COVID-19 by creating emergency food packages. They started in late March and, with donations from local farms and support from local non-profit ADK Action and the Adirondack Foundation, they were able to start creating EFPs (emergency food packages) almost immediately. The program launched with a goal of making 1000 Emergency Food Packages, including 15,000 meals served over 10 weeks. They have blown past their original goal of $55k in just 9 days and upped their goal to $130,000 to meet the growing demand. They will continue to push for expansion and the capacity to feed more food insecure families in the region. Thanks to their sponsors and support from Well Fed Essex Initiative, Adirondack North Country Association, and Adirondack Harvest, as well as their existing delivery infrastructure, they were able to launch an online mobile market and a home delivery program in just a few days as well.
These packages are almost entirely organic, locally grown food, and go to people with the greatest needs. Each package contains one week’s worth of healthy meals, including local eggs, fruit and veggies, yogurt, fresh bread and other nutritious snacks from North Country farms such as Tangleroot Farm, Farmstead Catering at Echo Farm, Juniper Hill Farm, Fledging Crow Vegetables, and Mountain Lake Services, just to name a few. These meals can be delivered to the Adirondack Region, Saratoga County, the Hudson Valley and New York City.
One of the co-founders, Jori Wekin says “The importance of local food systems is being highlighted right now and we’re so grateful to have an outlet for positive work (and existential anxiety) in such an unstable moment. We hope this kind of attention and value will continue on the other side.” This project is putting almost $95k in the pockets of local farmers and helping to build a more resilient local food system during the crisis and into the future. This is especially important during a time when many of the nation’s farms are having to destroy their crops that they can no longer sell due to the pandemic.
As of May 5th, they have raised over $130,000 which is 35,835 meals. If you would like to donate, you can do it here. If you would like to place a delivery or curbside pick up, call/text 435-640-6194, or email [email protected].
The above photo is Chief Vincent Mann and another member of the Ramapough Lenape Nation Turtle Clan leading a blessing at our 2019 conference in Jersey City, NJ. They were awarded our Mutual Aid Award in 2019. Read more here.
Since 2018, NESAWG has awarded a mutual aid donation, a portion of the funds raised during our annual appeal, to a BIPOC-led food systems organization in the state where we hold our annual conference that year. As an historically white-led organization, we recognize that, even though our resources are modest, we still have a larger budget and greater access to financial resources than many organizations led by people of color, a privilege we’ve done nothing to earn that directly results from white supremacy and structural racism. Though we know that this award is a drop in the bucket of what’s needed to rectify this longstanding injustice, we hope that this effort will inspire other white-led organizations to share resources, leadership, and connections to philanthropy with BIPOC colleagues and follow BIPOC organizations’ lead in the fight for equity in access to those resources and others necessary for sustainable and just farm and food systems for all.
This year, the total amount of our award is $1682 (25% of the funds raised during our 2020 appeal.) We will be holding our conference in Providence, RI, (public health recommendations permitting). Please help us select an amazing organization to receive this award! We will present the award at our conference in November.
The criteria for being considered for the award are as follows:
The organization is based in Rhode Island.
At least 2/3 of the organization’s leaders and at least half the board are Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC).
The organization’s work includes a focus on farm and food systems.
The organization’s programs serve BIPOC and/or frontline communities.
The organization has an equity/racial justice analysis that informs their work.
The organization’s annual budget is less than or equal to $250,000.
No NESAWG board members can be on staff at the organization.
Organizations can self-nominate if they meet the above criteria, and organizations do not have to have a formal 501(c)(3) status or fiscal sponsorship, so long as they have a recognizable body of work (i.e. a committee of volunteers who are unpaid and
You may nominate as many organizations as you like, but please use a separate entry for each organization you are nominating.
Walden Mutual is the first new mutual banking charter in New Hampshire in 100 years! Christina Johantgen, Head of Marketing, shares about her journey to the banking industry and what Walden hopes to accomplish in the next 5 years.
Thank you Walden Mutual for sponsoring our 2021 ITAR Conference!
Tell us a little about yourself. Who are you, what do you do, and how did you end up doing it?
Hello! I’m Christina Johantgen – Head of Marketing at Walden Mutual Bank* (*soon-to-be bank, we’re currently “in organization”). It still feels foreign to say I work at a bank, since frankly it’s not an industry I would have imagined for myself (and not an industry generally known for mission-driven work). That being said, I’ve been committed to food for a while now. At first as a baker, pizza maker, falafel roller, rice fryer, and cashier for my university’s dining services. Later as a part of the early team at Walden Local Meat and now as an occasional cider maker, sheep milker, and egg washer. I love that food gives people a tangible way to interact with the environment. But for me, it’s as much about the food itself as the community it attracts. In school, I chose to work in dining services because it meant spending time in places that were meeting points for our community.
At the time I don’t think that was a conscious choice…but looking back it’s easy to see where that came from. Half of my family is from western New York and the other half is from Puerto Rico – food is a big deal on both sides of that spectrum. As I’m sure anyone reading this knows, the growing seasons here are short and you have to celebrate every one. Growing up my dad told stories about running in the Sauerkraut Festival – a road race where the prize was a can of sauerkraut. On the other hand, Puerto Rico is rich in food and flavors year round – it borders on illegal to have a gathering without food and it’s a badge of honor to try everything.
But back to banking… I always treated banking as a life-utility. I picked a big bank that felt familiar, opened an account, and never thought twice about what my dollars did after I deposited them. Yet when we choose a bank, we’re choosing where our money sleeps at night…not just where it sits, but how it’s used for lending on the other side. That lending often isn’t aligned with any kind of social or environmental goals.
At Walden Mutual we’re bridging that gap specifically for local, sustainable food and agriculture. In 2022 we’ll be opening bank accounts as well as making loans to businesses across the food ecosystem. So every person who opens an account can have a clear view of what their savings support. We’re also bringing back the mutual model, which hasn’t been in wide-spread use since the early 1900s (though there are a few still left). I’m excited to bring an outsider’s lens to our marketing, and build a meeting point where anyone can make a meaningful impact in the local food system.
What is the problem/issue you see that Walden Mutual was created to address?
We’re aiming at a few big issues. For one, we saw a lack of opportunities to align our values with our deposit dollars. There are certainly ways we can reflect our values through purchases or donations, but there’s a missed opportunity for people to make ongoing positive impact in the community while saving money.
On the lending side, we’re just as interested in how food comes out of [the ground / water / tree / field] as how it moves through the community. So that means working with farms as well as the infrastructure, non-profits, retailers, and other businesses that make up our food system. Right now, there aren’t lenders that understand the nuances of the entire food and agriculture ecosystem while offering depositors a role to play.
The third one is less an issue…more the opportunity to revitalize the mutual model. Walden Mutual, as a cooperative, works in the interests of our depositors and nobody else. Mutuals were originally built to drive stakeholder value. This feels like the perfect time to bring that model back together with the modern, digitally-native banking experiences we’ve come to expect.
What are you doing to address those issues? How are you supporting sustainable farm and food systems?
We’re excited to be a new kind of banking partner for sustainable farms and food systems. We offer customized and competitive loans across the food and agriculture ecosystem, and we’re excited to offer support that goes beyond funds. By leveraging the experiences of our team and other community-members, we’ve already been able to make connections for businesses that were looking to expand their cold storage, get into new distribution channels, and reach new customers.
We’re also in the process of developing a set of tools to help our partner businesses track their impact (both social and environmental) over time – whether they’re expanding their regenerative operations, or enhancing the protections they extend to their workers.
All of this is leveraging the best parts of current online and mobile banking. Banking with us won’t mean communicating via carrier pigeon or visiting a branch that’s 50 miles away.
How is Walden Mutual different from other banks? What is a mutual?
So glad you asked! Mutuals are certainly not new, and we’d argue they’re not that niche (Vanguard, one of the largest investment funds in the world, is also a mutual). A mutual operates much like any other co-op – with no shareholders, instead owned by and working in the best interests of the community. Our profits will be distributed throughout our community as higher interest, lower fees, or other benefits. It’s a positive-feedback model and one that has staying power.
What lessons have you learned along the way, either prior to starting/joining Walden Mutual or as you are creating this organization?
It has been an interesting journey applying my experience in startups to an industry that I always saw as set in stone. Recently I was helping write our future notices… letters that cover everything from good news when people pay off their loan to bad news when there’s been an overdraft or a missed payment. The standard language on those is fairly robotic, but there’s nothing keeping us from communicating with our partners more as equals. Even in the worst-case scenario when someone isn’t able to afford payments, the next step is all about connecting and collaborating on a possible solution… and no one wants to reach out to a faceless, angry robot.
How do you plan to be in relationship with farmers and your customers? How do you think about partnerships with NESAWG and other organizations?
We’re still in the early stages, but as a mutual focused only on New England and New York, we want this to be relationship-driven. We want to partner with innovators all across the food ecosystem here – farmers and producers as well as the organizations like NESAWG who’ve been working on food systems change for a long time.
We’d like to be an enabler – supporting the people who are getting their hands dirty and bringing more individuals on board. Our hope is that we can constructively contribute to the movement for the region to feed itself, and would love to see 50% of our diet come from local farms in the next 20-30 years.
How will Walden Mutual center equity and address issues of systemic racism that have been particularly problematic in financial/banking institutions?
Acknowledging that we’re new to this scene, there are a lot of people in our state and in our region who have been working towards more equitable systems – food and financial – for a long time. Our vision is to work with those people and organizations to co-create new products and programs that intentionally cut against structural barriers to inclusion. “Co-create” is an important word in that vision. People and communities who have direct lived experience will always be better positioned to design more equitable futures – so our objective isn’t to create solutions on their behalf; it’s to partner with them, to share our resources so that their vision can be more fully realized.
We’re still learning about what that looks like, but we’ve been testing out some ideas with organizations in New Hampshire. One more concrete example: We’ve been prototyping a credit building loan, specifically designed to help New American farmers establish a foundation of credit history within the US financial system – so they can eventually qualify for larger USDA programs. We’re hoping to prove the viability of that type of product – so we can extend it to other communities who’ve faced historical barriers to capital access.
Tell me about a recent victory/accomplishment you’ve had in your work that you feel is bringing you closer to your mission?
Hmm… it’s hard to think of one specific victory, but something that has felt like a success is all of the positive feedback coming through social media and email. On our early posts we had several responses from people sharing their own farm stories or volunteering where they were from. We wrote a blog post about why we were focusing here – on New England and New York – and it started by acknowledging that this area has a handful of challenges (such as a short growing season, rocky soils, etc). It definitely sparked discussion, and people chimed in about what they loved about this land… even if it sometimes meant “farming rocks”.
At the end of the day (and as a mutual), we’re nothing without our community. So it’s extremely meaningful that people are so proactively connecting with our mission and joining our waitlist before we’ve opened.
What is your vision for Walden Mutual? Where do you want the organization to be in 5 years?
It’s a treat to think that far ahead – considering we’re still working on opening. Five years from now we’ll still be here, still be super local, and hopefully be a strong enabler on the path to making this area the epicenter of sustainable food [growth / production / education / culture] and more.
Is there anything else you want readers of this piece to know?
We’re very excited to open in early 2022! We’re hoping for April or May, but in the meantime we’d love for interested readers to join our waitlist at waldenmutual.com. We send out very occasional updates, and when we open then you’ll be the first to know. If you have any questions we’re also more than happy to hear them. We can always be reached at [email protected] and we read every message!
Photos provided by Christina Johantgen and Walden Mutual
Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group is the Region’s Food and Farm Network
The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) is a network of over 500 participating organizations and thousands of individuals carrying out farm and food systems endeavors in 12 states and Washington D.C.
Our region includes Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.
Conference Main Page | Youth at the Conference
Schedule | Pre-conferences | Theme-related Sessions
Workshops | Networking Groups | People of Color Caucus
Film: Forgotten Farms | Presenter Bios
Workshops
Block 1 | Block 2 | Block 3 | Block 4
Block 1: Friday 9:45 am – 11:00 am
Scaling Up: How to Determine If, When, How, and How Much? —Hartford Commons
An interactive session exploring the life cycle of small food/farm businesses. This session offers tools for evaluating when growth is necessary to survival, how to assess risks and rewards of growth, and how to access financial resources to fuel expansion. Presenters will share results of a 2016 USDA SCB Grant on CSA and direct farm sales market changes in SE PA; review video testimonials from farmers who successfully grew their businesses to commercial scale; and engage attendees in analyzing a case study of a real farm business contemplating growth to keep pace with perceived market demand.
Presenters: Marilyn Anthony, Fox Management Consulting, Lundale Farm, Fox School of Business/Temple University; Bill Kitsch, Centric Bank
Food Policy Councils: Getting Started and Moving Forward — Mark Twain The workshop will provide people who are interested in starting food policy councils as well as participants from existing food policy councils with helpful tools for developing and operating new councils as well as enhancing the performance of existing ones. It will also provide a networking opportunity for Northeast Region’s food policy councils.
Presenters: Karen Banks, Anne Palmer, Mark Winne, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future
Alternative & Innovative Funding & Investment Strategies for Sustainable Food and Farm Enterprises —Salon A Food and agriculture companies involved in building the new sustainable economy require different sources of funding. Impact philanthropy and slow money money have been leading the way in creating new models for deploying capital that push back against the dominant forms of investment which created dysfunction in the food system. It is urgent to understand these new models of funding and explore which iterations are effective so they can be reported and replicated. We would present case studies from Woodcock Foundation (MRI funding for food/farm), RSF Social Finance (PRI Funding for Foundations), Slow Money (Angels), PV Grows (Community Fund), Carrot Project (Sector Fund (Farms)) and KivaZip (Small Loans for Food/Farms).
Presenters:Derek Denckla, Denckla Projects and Slow Money NYC; DorothySuput, The Carrot Project; Kevin Egolf, Iroquois Valley Farms; John Waite, PV Grows; Meredith Storton, RSF Social Finance; Katherine Lynch, Kiva; Claude Arpels, Foodshed / Investors Circle
Health Care Investment in Food Initiatives: New Opportunities to Improve Health and Equity — Salon B
Implementation of the Affordable Care Act and changes in how the IRS defines community benefits has positioned hospitals to significantly increase their impact on community health. Health care institutions across New England are using their community benefit funds to improve access to healthy food and address food insecurity. This session will provide an overview of hospital community benefit requirements and share details on model food initiatives being implemented in New England.
Presenters: Betsy Skoda, Health Care Without Harm; Marydale DeBor, Fresh Advantage® LLC
Agroforestry Opportunities: Perspectives on Using Agroforestry to Overcome Agricultural Challenges, Advance Farmer Goals, and Address Socioecological Needs —Salon C
The public demands a lot from landowners and land managers in the northeast including healthy food, wildlife habitat, clean water, economic development opportunities, and climate change mitigation. Agroforestry encompasses land management approaches that integrate trees and crops or livestock to enhance productivity, profitability, and stewardship, but it also has barriers. This session will highlight agricultural opportunities in the region through the lens of agroforestry, including farmland preservation, productive conservation, and economic diversification. Panelists from government, farmer, and non-profit perspectives will share their experiences with and invite discussion about how agroforestry approaches overcome the challenges across watersheds, communities, and farms.
Presenters: Kate MacFarland, USDA National Agroforestry Center; Tracey Coulter, Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; John Weedon, Connecticut Farmland Trust; Shannon Murray, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; Steve Gabriel, Cornell Small Farms Program
The Midd Foods Model: Mobilizing Students for Non-profit Food Enterprise — Nathan Hale South
Come learn about Middlebury Foods, a group of students at Middlebury College who run a full-scale food hub that is a 501(c)3 non-profit. We deliver thousands of pounds of produce, meat, cheese, eggs and on a monthly basis and have expanded our accounts to over 14 local and regional farmers and producers, all while taking 30-50% off of grocery store prices. We partner with schools, legions and area nonprofits to reach out to our community and host monthly pickups in five towns that span our county. We are looking for your experiences and insights about community-based food hubs, alternative distribution economies, the interactions of food insecurity with local food economies and much more.
Presenters: Charlie Mitchell, Emma Bliska, Alex Brockelman, Tevan Goldberg, Middlebury Foods
Farm and Farmland Transition —Ethan Allen
With the aging of the baby boom generation and the population in general, a large number of working farms and farmland will transition to new owners in the Northeast over the next decade. Some of these farms have identified successors, some do not. There is also a growing number of both young and not-so- young people who would like to get into farming. Meanwhile, in many areas, pressure to convert land to non-agricultural uses continues. This poses problem and an opportunity for Northeast farming and food systems. Attendees will leave with greater understanding of how different legal tools (LLCs, conservation easements, and leases) can be used and combined to create greater opportunities for the affordable access of farmland, including opportunities to access land undergoing a farm transition and how they can enhance and strengthen the Northeast farm and food system through preserving local farms.
Presenters:Carrie Scrufari, Center for Agriculture and Food Systems, Vermont Law School; Holly Rippon-Butler, National Young Farmers Coalition; John Jaffe, Farm Credit East Moderator:Kathy Ruhf, Land For Good
YOUTH TRACK: Empowering Youth Leaders in the Food Justice Movement —Nathan Hale North This interactive session will open up NESAWG’s first ever youth track and showcase the work of youth food systems leaders from around the Northeast. Led by youth from the Massachusetts Avenue Project, FRESH New London, and the Youth Food Justice Network, the session will give youth an opportunity to get to know each other, learn about a model used to develop youth leaders, and hear stories from youth about how they became leaders in food justice work.
Presenters:Youth Leaders & Staff, the Youth Food Justice Network, FRESH New London, and the Massachusetts Avenue Project
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Block 2: Friday 11:15 am – 12:30 pm
Are We Really Making Change? Measuring Farm to Institution in Northeast & Across the U.S. —Hartford Commons A group of food system reform advocates around the country believe that institutions hold the power to build the core of a new food system, one that is prosperous, nutritious, and equitable. Several Northeast organizations are core stakeholders in the group. In this workshop, Farm to Institution New England, Farm to Institution NY State, Health Care Without Harm, the NY Academy of Medicine, and regional farm to school groups will lead a conversation about parallel initiatives to measure the impact of the farm to institution movement across the Northeast and the country.
Presenters: Nessa Richman, Farm to Institution New England; Jen Obadia, Health Care Without Harm; Kim Libman, NY Academy of Medicine, Farm to Institution New York State
Antibiotic Stewardship and Health Care Practices for our Food Animals— Mark Twain
A presentation and discussion on health care for our food animals and specifically the use of antibiotics and the growing concerns about antibiotic resistance. The use of antibiotics in agriculture, particularly in food-producing animals, is pervasive and represents the overwhelming majority of antibiotic use worldwide. Close to 30 million pounds of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used in animal agriculture (80% of all antibiotics sold). New FDA and USDA regulations are moving toward reducing the use of antibiotics in agriculture. Changes in animal production systems can both prevent disease and reduce the need for antibiotics.
Presenters: Jean King &Michael Keilty, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, UConn Extension
Farm to Pantry: It Takes a Region to Feed a Region — Salon A Join representatives from farms and food banks throughout the 12 state NESAWG region for an interactive panel discussion about how we can work together to improve access to fresh nutritious produce. Farmers will share their experiences working with food banks, food bank representatives will share information about hunger, stories about the impact that increased access to fresh produce has on hungry people, and discuss opportunities for how farms and food banks can collaborate to get fresh nutritious produce to hungry people.
Presenters: Carolyn Russell, Connecticut Food Bank; Ann Cote, Connecticut/Boston Partnership; Denise Sheehan RDN, Chester County Food Bank; Nancy Perry, Mainers Feeding Mainers, Good Shepherd Food Bank
Regional implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Rule — Salon C
FDA has established cooperative agreements with the states to implement the Produce Rule of the FSMA. The session will review the federal compliance requirements for farmers under the produce rule, the current status of those efforts and evaluate the potential positive and negative impacts.
Presenters: Roger Noonan, New England Farmers Union Education Foundation
Land Grant Universities: Adding Value to the Food and Farm Movement — Ethan Allen Land grant universities are public institutions mandated to provide agricultural research, education and extension. What does that mean today, and what roles do land grants play in the sustainable ag and food system movement? Dialogue with leaders in the Northeast land grant system about land grants’ contributions and challenges.
Presenters:Linda Berlin, University of Vermont; Anu Rangarajan, Cornell Small Farms Program; Jiff Martin, University of Connecticut Extension; Vern Grubinger, University of Vermont, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Racial Justice for Who? — Salon B
This workshop will offer an uncommon reframing for white peoples’ stake in the quest for racial justice. While many people see anti-racism as a struggle for equality for people of color, white people also have a significant personal stake in ending systemic white supremacy.Through storytelling and group discussion, this workshop is intended to help white people get in touch with a deep-rooted and sustainable commitment to racial justice that is resilient and joyous. Together, we will learn to articulate our own freedom narratives as white people seeking an end to white supremacy. This session is most appropriate for white people who are already convinced of the existence of systemic racism but may feel paralysis or helplessness when it comes to acting. This workshop is also appropriate for people of color who want to support white people who want to take action against racism.
Presenter:Abraham Lateiner, Risk Something
YOUTH TRACK: Mapping Your Food System— Nathan Hale North
Youth and facilitators from Grow Hartford Youth Program and Summer of Solutions Hartford will lead two activities. Participants will explore their place in the local food system with a movement based mapping game meant to identify key areas for making change! In another activity, participants will be challenged to take on new perspectives through a role playing game.
Presenters:Youth Leaders & Staff, Grow Hartford and Summer of Solutions
YOUTH TRACK: Shared Leadership – Youth Leading Youth — Nathan Hale South We have found a way to recognize and highlight the voice and perspective of each one of our members, despite the level of experience or confidence they had when starting off the program with us. We want to share our successes and some of our continued struggles to help encourage and promote the use of shared leadership in other programs throughout the North East that focus on Food Justice. Having youth not only involved in, but also leading this movement forward is vital to its success if we are to serve the future generations of our country, regardless of age, race, gender, and economic class.
Presenters:The Windham Youth CORE, Grow Windham
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Block 3: Friday 4:15 – 5:30 pm
Fisheries, Food, and Health: Finding Common Ground Across Domains of the Food System — Hartford Commons Fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants (seafood) are an integral part of human economies, societies, cultures, and health. The US national dietary recommendations call for increasing seafood consumption, yet questions remain about whether a significant increase can be achieved while improving equitability and sustainability. These complex and interrelated sets of challenges in the seafood sector serve as a jumping-off point for this session about the intersection of fisheries, health, and food systems. Wrestling with these issues will help clarify opportunities for Northeast seafood businesses, civil society, and governments as they relate to a sustainable food system.
Presenters: Dave Love, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future; Elvis Mendez, National Guestworker Alliance; Brett Tolley, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance; Julius Kolawole, African Alliance of Rhode Island, African Urban Ventures, Food Solutions New England
Moderators:Patricia Pinto Da Silva, NOAA; Jillian Fry, Center for a Livable Future
2018 Farm Bill – Northeast Perspectives — Salon A The next 5-year federal farm bill is right around the corner, on tap for 2018, with much of the preliminary action and bill introductions coming in 2017. What are the major concerns for progressive farm and food groups in the Northeast? How can the bill advance an equity agenda and regional needs? This session will provide a succinct overview of the policy and political context for the farm bill by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, followed by an insightful panel of Northeast group representatives covering a variety of interest areas, with lots of time for audience participation and engagement.
Presenters:Ferd Hoefner & Alyssa Charney, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition; Roger Noonan, New England Farmers Union; Cris Coffin, Land for Good; Maria Moriera, World Farmers
Innovative Ways Food Hubs Serve Rural Communities — Salon B
Through our panel discussion featuring 3 food hubs based in the Northeast, we will explore the challenges and opportunities in serving rural communities. Panelists will cover topics such as transportation logistics and costs, differentiation and competitive issues, producer communication and education, and measurable impacts to the community.
Presenters: Amy McCann, Local Food Marketplace, LLC; Catherine Cusack, Green Mountain Farm Direct Food Hub; Alex McCullough, Food Connects; Colleen Hanlon-Smith, Unity Food Hub
The Promise of Urban Agriculture — Salon C
Urban farming is championed as a solution to myriad urban issues, including food access, food security, food sovereignty, economic development, youth education, job-readiness training, management of vacant/open land, beautification, and community engagement. Its success in achieving these outcomes, however, is mixed, as not every urban farm can be all things to all people. The presenters will share findings from a recent USDA study of commercial urban agriculture, including “wicked problems” that threaten its viability. Attendees will discuss how urban farms can work together to achieve social missions while working to support the economic viability of urban farms in our region.
Presenters: Molly Riordan & AnuRangarajan, Cornell Small Farms Program
USDA’s Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program: Expanding Access to Local for All — Ethan Allen The 2014 Farm Bill’s $100M Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant program represents a massive investment by the Federal government in supporting the purchase and consumption of fruits and vegetables by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. In the first two cycles, NESAWG states received over $13M directly supporting the food insecure, generating additional revenue for regional farmers. This panel will feature a sampling of regional FINI awardees, from statewide programs to a pilot in Hartford, from farmers markets to retailers sourcing local. Panelists will examine the impact of this funding on the region, the future prospects and sustainability of these nutrition incentive programs, and take questions from attendees interested in innovative food access initiatives
Presenters: Steven Farley, Wholesome Wave; Martha Page, Hartford Food Systems; Margaret M. Lapp, Field & Fork Network; Eliza Dexter-Cohen, Rhode Island Institute for Public Health
YOUTH TRACK: Youth-Driven Solutions – Pedaling Youth for Community Social Change — Nathan Hale North
Developing youth-driven programming is a powerful way to address issues in your community, as well as adds meaningful capacity to a non-profit or farm. Nevertheless, doing so also brings its fair share of challenges. Join staff from West Virginia State University Extension Service with the Produce Pedalers of Huntington and Charleston, West Virginia, and Southside Community Land Trust in Providence, Rhode Island in scenario-based discussions that challenge you to develop a youth-driven program from scratch. Discussion will be facilitated by the youth staff of Southside Community Land Trust and seek to consider such community issues as: obesity, food access, technical farming skills and high school retention.
Presenters:Zach Daniels, Valerie Bandell, & Jennifer Totten, Produce Pedalers, West Virginia State University Extension; Adam Quinones, Jariliz Taveras, Joshua Mayford, Sergio Perez, Laura Bozzi & Maggie Krueger, Southside Community Land Trust
YOUTH TRACK: Youth Engagement in Evaluation of Community Food Initiatives — Nathan Hale South
This is a hands-on learning session led by youth leaders and community partners in youth evaluation techniques of the Nuestra Comida collaborative program in Holyoke, MA. What is evaluation? Why do we do it? What are key ingredients for powerful and fun youth-generated evaluation? We’ll set our discussion in the frame of evaluation as cooperative knowledge building, something we all do in our lives to improve the impact of our work and intentions. We will demonstrate fun and practical strategies that empower young people to assess the impact of their work. We will share tools and offer sample interview questions and end the session with an evaluation of the youth track at the NESAWG conference.
Presenters:Julian Hartmann-Russell, Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School, Nuestra Comida Project; Neftalí Duran, Nuestras Raíces; Catherine Sands, Fertile Ground & University of Massachusetts–Amherst; Erik Cullen, UMass Amherst Sustainable Food and Farming Program
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Block 4: Saturday 10:00 am – 11:15 am
A New England Food Vision: New Narratives — Hartford Commons What are our “counter stories” about food system work required in the New England Food Vision? We will: 1) Discuss the power of regionalism and regional networks for communities of color; 2) Explore the unique role of culture and ethnic crops in urban settings in that Vision, 3) Learn how political will at the grassroots level can influence the change and transformation required and can effect policy. Participants will gain a greater understanding of the opportunities and rewards in “ally-building” with communities of color in service of a new narrative for the equitable and sustainable food system we envision.
Presenters: Karen Spiller, KAS Consulting, Food Solutions New England, NESAWG Board Member; Julius Kolawole; African Alliance of Rhode Island, African Urban Ventures, Food Solutions New England; Marilyn Moore, State Senator, Witness Project, Food Solutions New England
Enhancing Food Security in the Northeast: Six Years of Academic-Community Collaborative Research — Mark Twain Can greater reliance on regional foods improve food access for low-income communities? And what is the impact on farmers and supply chain players? This session summarizes learnings from six years of multi-sector investigation of the production, distribution and consumption components of the Northeast’s food system. We will share how eight N.E. academic institutions partnered with nine low-income communities, USDA and NESAWG in this ground-breaking transdisciplinary project.
Presenters: Kate Clancy, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future; Tim Griffin, Tufts University Agriculture, Food and Environment Program; Linda Berlin, University of Vermont Center for Sustainable Agriculture; Anne Palmer, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future
A Full Harvest: How Farm to Preschool Improves Food Security and Farm Viability — Salon A Explore how Farm to Preschool (F2P) increases access to local foods by connecting farmers to preschools serving low-income populations and be ready to delve deeper as you discuss how this model can be adapted to engage broader communities. F2P New York State is a SNAP-Ed funded program that tackles two problems in our food system: food insecurity and farm viability. We’ll explore how different regions implement the program and how each is making a lasting impact on our littlest eaters, their families and small farmers.
Presenters: Darlene Yule, Capital District Child Care Council; Dana Youkilis, Child Care Council of Nassau
Gleaning: A Vital Component of Relocalized Food Systems — Salon B Given that 16% of all food loss in America occurs on farms – gleaning is vital to building independent and resilient food systems. Gleaning moves wholesome food into all of our communities through strategic alliances. This session will be led by gleaning organizations in the Northeast who aim to create a framework for collaborations, technical assistance, and best practices that ensure the responsible management of agricultural surplus on farms across the region. Participants will discuss what information needs to be shared between gleaners, farmers, volunteers and institutional stakeholders, to establish best practices and investment opportunities in food recovery efforts.
Presenters: Theresa Snow, Salvation Farms; Laurie “Duck” Caldwell, Boston Area Gleaners; Hannah Semler, Healthy Acadia; Sarah Harpster, Keene Community Kitchen
Growing entrepreneurs: the role of community kitchens, business incubators, and co-packers in scaling up local food — Salon C Demand for local food has grown, and in response food entrepreneurs like chefs, caterers, value-added producers, and food truckers are proliferating. By law, food entrepreneurs are required to produce food in licensed commercial kitchens costing between $50,000 and $250,000 to build, making it impossible for most local food startups. In response, networks of community kitchens, food business incubators, and co-packers are emerging to evaluate capacity and support food business startups through various stages of growth. Come hear about some of the most innovative resources and programs in New England aimed at scaling up local food.
Presenters:Laura Parrilla Kaltman, Finger Lakes Eat Smart New York, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County; John Waite, Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center; Jen Faigel, Common Wealth Kitchen
Moderator: Ashley Colpaart, The Food Corridor
Writing a Strong Grant Proposal — Nathan Hale North
Whatever grant program you apply to, certain components are typically needed to sell your idea to reviewers. These include: a documented need, a specific goal that addresses the need, logical steps to achieve the goal, a plan to measure progress, an appropriate team, and a connection to previous relevant work. This workshop will provide guidance on how to craft these components, and participants will practice writing goals for their own projects, then getting feedback from one another. Vern has written dozens and reviewed hundreds of grant proposals; he will share examples of strong and not-so-strong proposal components, along with tips for success he has learned over the years.
Presenter: Vern Grubinger, University of Vermont
There’s Not An App For It: Bringing Millennials Into Leadership Roles — Nathan Hale South What do the next 30 years of the food movement look like and how are we going to get there? This session will ignite a conversation between the now-leaders of the food movement and those who are up-and-coming to discuss the challenges, frustrations and opportunities that exist within leadership transition and empowerment. Between the generations we need to work out how millennials can assume responsibility and shape the future of the food movement to build on the work already done. We need to begin thinking and planning how the movement can sustain itself past careers of existing leaders by bringing the two generations together now.
Presenters: Gideon Burdick, Red Tomato; Liz Ryan, Breezy Hill Orchard; Naomi Clark, Clark Brothers Orchards; more presenters TBA
Cristina Cabrera
Hello! I’m Christina Johantgen – Head of Marketing at Walden Mutual Bank* (*soon-to-be bank, we’re currently “in organization”). It still feels foreign to say I work at a bank, since frankly it’s not an industry I would have imagined for myself (and not an industry generally known for mission-driven work). That being said, I’ve been committed to food for a while now. At first as a baker, pizza maker, falafel roller, rice fryer, and cashier for my university’s dining services. Later as a part of the early team at Walden Local Meat and now as an occasional cider maker, sheep milker, and egg washer. I love that food gives people a tangible way to interact with the environment. But for me, it’s as much about the food itself as the community it attracts. In school, I chose to work in dining services because it meant spending time in places that were meeting points for our community. 
What is the problem/issue you see that Walden Mutual was created to address?
What are you doing to address those issues? How are you supporting sustainable farm and food systems?
How do you plan to be in relationship with farmers and your customers? How do you think about partnerships with NESAWG and other organizations?
The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) is a network of over 500 participating organizations and thousands of individuals carrying out farm and food systems endeavors in 12 states and Washington D.C.