Summit Agenda

Downloadable agenda here

DRAFT AGENDA

8:00 Registration
Free parking validation available only for parking in the Ivy Road garage lot

8:30 Welcome and Introductions
Tanya Denckla Cobb, Senior Associate, Institute for Environmental Negotiation, University of Virginia

Joe Eifert, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Food Science & Technology, Virginia Tech

 

PART I: THE BIG PICTURE

8:40 Looking at Virginia’s Food Security

• What is a Secure and Sustainable Food System?
  Timothy Beatley, Ph.D., Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities, Department of Urban and Environmental Planning, School of Architecture, University of Virginia
• Virginia Agriculture, What Are We Growing and Where Are We Going?
  Spencer Neale, Senior Assistant Director, Commodity/Marketing Department, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
• Macro Trends For Virginia Food Security: Food Imports, Food Exports, Hunger, Economic “Leakages”
  Ken Meter, Ph.D., President, Crossroads Resource Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Discussion

9:40 Participant Mini-Visioning for Virginia’s Food Security

Developing a Vision for Virginia’s Food System – what would be visionary yet realistic goals for enhancing Virginia’s food system security in the next 10 years?

10:00 Break

 

PART II: POLICIES THAT IMPACT VIRGINIA’S FOOD SECURITY

10:15 Keynote: An Integrated Approach to Food Policy - Lessons and Successes

Michael Hamm, Ph.D., C.S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture, Department of Resource Development, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University, and Director, C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems, and Council Member of Michigan Food Policy Council

11:00 Healthy Food, Local Farms, and Local, State, Federal Policy

• The Federal WIC (Womens, Infants, Children) food program package: proposed changes and impacts on farmer's markets
  Donna Seward, Director of WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) and Community Nutrition Services, Virginia Department of Health
• Farm Bill issues relating to community food security
  Stephanie Larsen, Policy Organizer, Community Food Security Coalition
• VDACS Specialty Agriculture Initiative
  Charles Green, Project Manager, Agricultural Development Services, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• State Regulatory Issues, Representing Smaller Sustainable Farms
  Katherine Smith, President, Virginia Association for Biological Farming
• Discussion

12:00 Participant Mini-Discussions for Virginia’s Food Policy

Developing ideas for policy needs in Virginia - what are your ideas for ways to strengthen Virginia’s food security, through the local or state or federal policy level?

12:30 Lunch

 

PART III: INITIATIVES, LESSONS, MODELS AND INSPIRATION

1:15 Public Health Issues and Innovations

• Innovations in Reducing Food Insecurity (Hunger and Poverty) in Virginia
  Marty White, CEO, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
• Innovations in Access to Healthful Food in Virginia (Obesity, Diabetes, Poverty)
  Kathy Hosig, Ph.D., Virginia Action for Healthy Kids, Associate Professor, Virginia Tech
• Innovations in Microbial Food Safety
  Renee Boyer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Food Science & Technology, Virginia Tech
• Discussion

2:00 Strategies to Increase Environmental and Economic Farm Viability

• Strategies To Make Small Farms Viable (agri-tourism, agri-business, value-added, etc.)
  Andy Hankins, Extension Specialist in Alternative Agriculture, Virginia State University
• Strategies and Weak Links For Viable Small-Scale Meat Production
  David Tatman, Hilldale Farm, Fluvanna County

2:35 Community-based Strategies for Sustainable Food Systems

• Urban Ag Strategies: Growing a Urban Agriculture Food System Economy
  Michael VanNess, President, Lynchburg Grows
• Creating a Regional Food Policy Council
  Barbara Schwenk, Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission, and A-N Food Policy Council
• A Regional Approach To Increase The Viability of Small Farms (Preview of evening session)
  Anthony Flaccavento, Executive Director, Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD)

3:30 Break and Move to Small group discussions

3:45 Small Group discussions

• How can we connect all of these different issues together, to create an integrated approach to Virginia’s food security? Is an integrated approach even desirable?
• What 1 or 2 actions (leverage points) might offer the greatest potential for increasing Virginia’s food security with the least amount of effort?
• What specific initiatives would you like to contribute to – community-based? State-based?
• Are there initiatives underway that you would like to share or announce to the Summit?

4:40 Wrap up of Summit

• Small group sharing of results/top ideas
• Next steps

5:00 Adjourn

PART IV: COMMUNITY “TOWN HALL”

6:00 Community Potluck Dinner Albemarle County Building Front Lawn (inside if raining), 401 McIntire Road

7:00 Community “Town Hall” Discussion Albemarle County Office Building Auditorium
Moderated by Tim Beatley,

Strategies To Increase The Viability of Small Farms Through a Regional Approach
Anthony Flaccavento, Executive Director, Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD)

Open moderated discussion about community initiatives that participants wish to share and community food system sustainability: needs, challenges, opportunities

9:00 Adjourn