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 Tour Harrisonburg City School’s Mobile Café! Valley Pike Farm Market

Parking Lot

5:30-7:30 PM Farm to Table Conference Networking Reception & Local Food Expo 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 BigSoil 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

SPONSORED BY

Stop in to Valley Pike Farm Market and meet area farms ready to sell to businesses, indulge in a selection of Virginia-made beverages (not included) and look forward to friendly conversation, complimentary refreshments, and networking!

Conference Reception Comments? Contact Eric Bendfeldt at (540) 432-6029 Ext. 106

FREE to attend, everyone is welcome!

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 those who are preparing the next generation of agriculture’s workforce.

Panelists: Johnny Craig, TEENS, Inc.; Todd Cook, Dept. of Labor Apprenticeship Program; Eric Stogdale, Massanutten Technical Center

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 products from the farm.

Presenter: JoAnn Connell, VDACS Technical Resource Advisor; Dennis Jamison, Dividing Spring Farm

Moderator: J.B. Daniel

AUDITORIUM

4

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 McRay, 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

5

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 Dept. of Education’s Farm to School Specialist; Rodney Taylor, Fairfax County Public Schools’ Nutrition Director

Moderator: Megan Dunford

Breakout Sessions

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

2:45-4:30pm

Farm Bill 101

This session will serve as an opportunity to discuss The Farm Bill and issues at hand. Paul Wolfe of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition will share how attendees can make their voice heard.

Presenter: Paul Wolfe, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Moderator:

P 122

Where?

Valley Pike Farm Market

3494 Lee Hwy, Weyers Cave,

VA 24486

What?

FREE Conference Reception

When?

Farm to Table Conference Networking Reception &

Local Food Expo

SPONSORED BY

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; 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; Abby 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 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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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 & Mike Snow, 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: Dr. Kim Morgan, VT/MarketMaker; Hei-di 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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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 partici-pate 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-

AERIAL VIEW & MAP KEY