Celebrate
Locally-Grown Food
Hear the 2027 Virginia
Food System Vision
Enjoy Networking After
Day One at Valley Pike
Farm Market
Peer-To-Peer Learning
With Producers &
Practitioners
Market Readiness
Workshops
ZingTrain Visioning &
Giving Great Service
Pic: One Stop Medina
Cultivating Resilient Food Systems and Communities
for the Common Wealth and Common Good
Wednesday, December 6th & Thursday, December 7th, 2017 Blue Ridge Community College Plecker Work Force Center
www.conference.virginiafarmtotable.org @virginiafarmtotable
#VAF2T2017
Welcome to the 6th Annual Virginia Farm to Table Conference!
Everyone is Welcome
We are glad you are at the table. Each year we bring together practitioners from Virginia and across the nation who have wrestled with economics, soil, ecology, nutrition, cultural food pathways, food access, agriculture of the middle, distribution chains, farm to school, farm to table issues and can offer insights or solutions. We hope that the sessions you attend leave you inspired to take your farm, food business, and local food system to the next level. We value your thoughts and work in this area– to strengthen our local, state, and regional foodsheds, while improving water quality and soil health. We welcome your collaboration at this conference and beyond as we rise to these challenges together.
Deepest gratitude to our partners and sponsors who believe in these principles and help ensure the conference happens each year through their gifts of time and financial resources. Please take the time to notice who we partner with and thank them for their contributions.
We hope you enjoy your time in the Shenandoah Valley!
Eric Bendfeldt and Kathy Holm, Conference Co-Chairs
Thank you to the people & organizations who made this possible!
Eric Bendfeldt, VCE, Conference Co-Chair
Kathy Holm, USDA-NRCS, Conference Co-Chair
French Price, VCE, Farm-to-Table Coordinator
Megan Dunford, VCE, Farm-to-Table Coordinator
Kenner Love, VCE, Rappahannock County
Kim Niewolny, VT/VCE/VBFRC
Chris Lawrence, USDA-NRCS, Cropland Agronomist
Alyssa Mark, VT/VBFRC
Debbie Glenn, BRCC Plecker Workforce Center
Steve Cooke, Friendly City Food Co-op
Allison Spain, Virginia Food System Council
J.B. Daniel, USDA-NRCS, Forage & Grassland Agronomist
Kevin Camm, VCE, Lynchburg
Christy Gabbard, Chesapeake Foodshed Network
Robin Jones, VA Division of Energy
Kyley Clevenger, Farm Credit of the Virginias
Dave Robishaw, VDACS, Marketing
Caitlin Miller, VCE, Prince Edward County
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2017 CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Diane Imrie University of Vermont Medical Center
WEDNESDAY, 9:15 AM
Elnian Gilbert ZingTrain
THURSDAY, 9:15 AM
Anne & Jack Lazor Butterworks Farm Westfield, VT
WEDNESDAY, 1:10 PM
Shorlette Ammons
The Center for Environmental Farming Systems THURSDAY, 1:10 PM
SOCIAL MEDIA
Use the hashtag #VAF2T2017 to share
highlights and connect with other attendees!
2017 SPECIAL
GUESTS
Andrew Mefferd
Author of The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook THURSDAY 10:30 AM & 2:45 PM
Dr. Robin ‘Buz’ Kloot
Soil health investigator and filmmaker THURSDAY 10:30 AM & 2:45 PM
TIME TITLE LOCATION
8:00-8:45 AM Registration & Refreshments ROOM C & FOYER
8:45-10:15 AM Opening Remarks, Welcome & Keynote Address—Diane Imrie AUDITORIUM
10:15-10:30 AM Refreshment Break ROOM C & FOYER
SESSIONS AT-A-GLANCE
10:30AM-
12:00PM
Farm to Hospital and Healthcare
Voices From The Field The Future of the Agricultural Workforce
Market Readiness with Tim Woods
Harvesting and Selling Farm Livestock & Poultry Products
AUDITORIUM ROOM A ROOM B HOUFF ROOM 1 P 122
Lunch, 2017 Carl Luebben Soil Health and Water Quality Award, Keynote Address—Anne & Jack Lazor 12:00-2:15 PM ROOMS A & B
2:15-2:45 PM Refreshment Break ROOM C & FOYER
4:00-5:30 PM Stop By and See Harrisonburg City School’s Mobile Café! Valley Pike Farm Market
Parking Lot
5:30-7:30 PM Farm to Table Conference Local Food Expo & Networking Reception Valley Pike Farm Market
TIME TITLE LOCATION
8:00-8:45 AM Registration & Refreshments ROOM C & FOYER
8:45-10:15 AM Opening Remarks, Welcome & Keynote Address— “Creating a Vision of Greatness” ~ Elnian Gilbert AUDITORIUM
10:15-10:30 AM Refreshment Break ROOM C & FOYER
12:00-2:15 PM Lunch, 2017 Carl Luebben Soil Health and Water Quality Award, Keynote Address—Shorlette Ammons ROOMS A & B
2:15-2:45 PM Refreshment Break ROOM C & FOYER
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6, 2017
THURSDAY DECEMBER 7, 2017
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2:45-4:30 PM Farm to School and University
Voices From The Field Community Food System Work
Market Readiness with Tim Woods
Farm Bill 101
AUDITORIUM ROOM A ROOM B HOUFF ROOM 1 P 122
10:30AM-
12:00PM
Fostering Hope and Equity Together
Five Big Soil Ideas in 60 Minutes
Scaling Up: Local Food Distribution
ZingTrain: Building a Culture of Great Service
Extend Your Season and Market— Andrew Mefferd
AUDITORIUM ROOM A ROOM B HOUFF ROOM 1 HOUFF ROOM 2
2:45-4:30 PM Case Studies in Food Systems Planning
Organic/ Conventional Dichotomy
Finding Local Food: Tech Resources
ZingTrain: The Leaders Role In Great Service
Dutch-Style Greenhouse Growing Tips—Andrew Mefferd
AUDITORIUM ROOM A ROOM B HOUFF ROOM 1 HOUFF ROOM 2
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Wednesday
December 6, 2017
Breakout Sessions
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
10:30am-12:00pm
Holistic Health and Food Systems: Experiences from Hospitals and Healthcare
Due to its buying power and interest in preventing disease, the health care sector is perfectly positioned to improve access to healthy foods within their facilities and the communities they serve. This panel will showcase work health care professionals are championing within the state of Virginia and beyond.
Panelists: Diane Imrie, University of Vermont Medical Center; Kristen Markley, Healthcare Without Harm; Aaron Boush, Carilion Clinic
Moderator: Megan Dunford
Sustainability from the Farm to Table: Voices from the Field
Hear from successful sustainable growers as they share wide-ranging economic and ecological insights, practical tips, and inspiring case studies on making direct-market agriculture work in the real world, with special focus on livestock enterprises.
Panelists: Amanda and Buck Holsinger, Holsinger Homeplace Farms; J.P. Pall, Glade Road Growing; Danny Boyer, Blue Ridge Plateau Initiative
Moderator: Chris Lawrence
ROOM A
ROOM B
The Future of the Agricultural Workforce: Youth Connections
An experienced farming generation will be needed to meet the growing demands of global food security. This will only happen if young people see a viable future in farming, and are given opportunities early to experience agriculture first-hand. Hear from the educators and food system practitioners who are preparing the next generation of agriculture’s workforce.
Panelists: Johnny Craig, TEENS, Inc.;
Moderator:
HOUFF LEARNING CENTER ROOM ONE
Market Readiness: Finding Your Leverage, Position, and Niche
With state-wide support in Kentucky, Tim Woods developed MarketReady as a training program designed to educate producers and others on best business practices associated with selling to grocery, restaurant, wholesale, and other institutional markets. Those who attend will have the opportunity to learn from Tim and partake in moderated discussions.
Presenter: Tim Woods, PhD, University of Kentucky Department of Agricultural Economics
Moderator: French Price
Can’t make this session? Another will be featured in the afternoon!
P 122
Harvesting and Selling Safe Livestock and Poultry Products from the Farm
Hear an update from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) on issues surrounding safe animal products from the farm. Also, learn from a livestock producer on his farming and marketing endeavors!
Presenter: JoAnn Connell, VDACS Technical Resource Advisor; Dennis Jamison, Dividing Spring Farm
Moderator: J.B. Daniel
AUDITORIUM
4
ROOM FOR
SPONSOR AD
ROOM A
Sustainability from the Farm to Table: Voices from the Field
Hear from successful sustainable growers as they share wide-ranging economic and ecological insights, practical tips, and inspiring case studies on making direct-market agriculture work in the real world, with special focus on livestock enterprises.
Panelists: Anne and Jack Lazor, Butterworks Farm; CJ Isbell, Keenbell Farm; Wayne Beery, Mountain Branch Creamery, LLC
Moderator: J.B. Daniel
ROOM B
Community Food System Work: Equity, Justice, and Health
Attend and leave inspired after presentations from individuals who have facilitated projects that im-prove food access and equity in their communities.
Panelists: Sally Schwitters, Tricycle Gardens; Jonathan McCray, Blacks Run Forest Farm; Kelli Scott, VCE, Montgomery County; Meredith Ledlie Johnson, VCE/SNAP-ED/Farmacy Garden
Moderator: Erin Shehane
HOUFF LEARNING CENTER ROOM ONE
Market Readiness: Finding Your Leverage, Position, and Niche
With state-wide support in Kentucky, Tim Woods developed MarketReady as a training program designed to educate producers and others on best business practices associated with selling to grocery, restaurant, wholesale, and other institutional markets. Those who attend will have the opportunity to learn from Tim and partake in moderated discussions.
Presenter: Tim Woods, PhD, University of Kentucky Department of Agricultural Economics
Moderator: French Price
Tour Harrisonburg City School’s
Mobile Café in the Valley Pike
Farm Market parking lot
starting at 4pm!
Virginia Farm to Table Conference Networking Reception!
From 5:30-7:30 pm stop in and meet area farms ready to sell to businesses, enjoy a selection of Virginia wines and beers (not included) and look forward to friendly conversation, refreshments,
and networking!
Conference Reception Comments?
Contact Eric Bendfeldt at (540) 432-6029 Ext. 106
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AUDITORIUM
Enhancing Virginia’s Farm-to-Table Footprint with Schools and Universities
Hear from individuals and practitioners who are re-visioning what school food means for Virginia K-12 schools and major universities.
Panelists: Tanya Denckla Cobb, UVA Institute for Environmental Negotiation and the Virginia Sustainable Food Coalition; Trista Grigsby, Virginia Department of Education’s Farm to School Specialist; Rodney Taylor, Fairfax County Public Schools
Moderator: Megan Dunford
SPONSORED
BY
December 6, 2017
Valley Pike Farm Market
Weyers Cave, VA
FREE to attend, everyone is welcome!
Breakout Sessions
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
2:45-4:30pm
Breakout Sessions
Thursday, December 7, 2017
10:30am-12:00pm
AUDITORIUM
Fostering Hope, Together: A Conversation about Creating Equity and Social Justice in the Food System
Attend and leave inspired thanks to presentations from individuals who are leading powerful work in the local food and farm-to-table movement.
Panelists: Shorlette Ammons, Center for Environmental Farming Systems, North Carolina State University; Ebonie Alexander, Black Family Land Trust Inc.; Tom Benevento, New Community Project; Beth Schermerhorn, Skeo Solutions/Harrisonburg EATs
Moderator: Dr. Kim Niewolny
ROOM A
Five Big Soil Ideas in 60 Minutes
Hear from and ask questions of leading soil health investigator and filmmaker, Dr. Robin ‘Buz’ Kloot.
Presenter: Dr. Robin ‘Buz’ Kloot of the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health
Moderator: Chris Lawrence
ROOM B
Scaling Up: Opportunities and Challenges of Local Food Distribution
It takes coordination to operate as a successful lo-cal food aggregator, distributor, or food hub. Hear from and ask questions of businesses that are making it work.
Panelists: Tom McDougall, 4P Foods; Abbey Massey, the Common Market; Dean Wadel, Wadel’s Farm Wagon
Moderator: Jim Barham
HOUFF LEARNING CENTER, ROOM ONE
ZingTrain: Building a Culture of Great Service
Zingerman’s has set the standard for great service in the specialty foods industry. This success has come from combining an innovative service philosophy with practical working systems, all of which ZingTrain will share in this workshop. Zingerman’s approach has been successfully applied in a wide variety of businesses and non-profits that are committed to improving the quality of their customer service, including banks, insurance agencies, health care providers, museums, libraries, movie theaters and non-food retailers.
Presenter: Elnian Gilbert, Trainer, ZingTrain
Moderator: Kevin Cubbage
HOUFF LEARNING CENTER, ROOM TWO
Extend Your Season & Market
Hear and learn from Andrew Mefferd, author of The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook, on how to accomplish season extension in today’s ever changing climate.
Presenter: Andrew Mefferd
Moderators: Dave Close
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ROOM FOR
SPONSOR AD
Breakout Sessions
Thursday, December 7, 2017
2:45-4:30pm
AUDITORIUM
Case Studies in Food Systems Planning: Innovative Development, Regional Efforts, and Equity For All
Sit back and listen to case studies from groups that are working to address equity and incorporate farms and local food in their community planning and food system work.
Beth Schermerhorn, Skeo Solutions Mike Sands, Prairie Crossing Deb Dramby, Willowsford Farm Maureen McNamara Best, LEAP
Moderator: Lindsay Smith
ROOM A
Dropping the Organic/Conventional Dichotomy
Hear from and ask questions of leading soil health investigator and filmmaker, Dr. Robin ‘Buz’ Kloot in this session that takes a dive into soil health, regenerative farming, and transformative thinking.
Presenter: Dr. Robin ‘Buz’ Kloot of the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health
Moderator: Chris Lawrence
ROOM B
Finding Local Food: The Value of Virginia Digital Resources in Business and Programming
In the digital age readily available technology is in place to improve food access while supporting Virginia’s farms and food businesses. Take in what sites are making it easier than ever to find local foods and ask questions of panelists in a moderated discussion.
Panelists: Kim Morgan, VT/MarketMaker; Heidi Hertz, Virginia Food Access Network; Molly Harris, Lulus Local Foods
Moderator: French Price
HOUFF LEARNING CENTER, ROOM ONE
ZingTrain: The Leaders Role in Great Service
Strong leadership and innovative management practices have been key to Zingerman’s success. In an era of increased competition and tight labor markets, a positive company culture and identity, together with an inspiring vision for the future, can have an enormous impact on customer and staff loyalty. In this presentation, ZingTrain will focus on the importance of walking the talk when it comes to service, and giving great service to your staff.
Presenter: Elnian Gilbert, Trainer, ZingTrain
Moderator: Kevin Cubbage
HOUFF LEARNING CENTER, ROOM TWO
Dutch-Style Greenhouse Growing Tips
Hear from Andrew Mefferd, author of The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook, on how to apply Dutch-Style greenhouse growing tips in your farming operation.
Presenter: Andrew Mefferd
Moderator: Dave Close
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Something about ZingTrain?
Zingerman’s Visioning?
2017 Virginia Farm to Table Themes/
Vision?
Sponsor AD?
With Support from the Following Organizations:
conference.virginiafarmtotable.org
buylocalshenvalley.org
#VAF2T2017
Keep Up With Us Online!
Conference Address: Blue Ridge Community College Plecker Workforce Center, One College Lane, Weyers Cave, VA 24486
Questions? Call Eric Bendfeldt at 540-432-6029 Ext. 106. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services, or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Eric Bendfeldt, VCE Northern District Office, at 540-432-6029 Ext. 106 during business hours of
8am and 5pm to discuss accommodations 5 days prior to the event. *TDD number is (800) 828-1120
Plecker Workforce Center
Houff Learning Center
Parking
Valley Pike Farm Market
BRCC PLECKER WORK-
FORCE CENTER LAYOUT
AERIAL VIEW & MAP KEY