The reception will be held in Sproat Hall at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, 138 Tremont Street, Boston.

Directions from Park Plaza:
Walking - Head north on Arlington St. to Boylston St. Turn Right. Follow Boylston along the Public Garden and Boston Common to Tremont St. Turn Left. (Total: 1/2 mile ~ 10 minutes)

Subway - Get on the Green Line Inbound train at the Arlington T stop. Get off 2 stops later at the Park St. T stop. The Cathedral is across the street from the Park St. T.

{Back to Top}

Community Food Security 101
Confused about what community food security really is? This introductory workshop will review some of the terminology, concepts, and principles behind community food security. Come prepared with your list of questions!
Kai Siedenburg, CFSC; and others TBA

Questioning the Moral Claims of GMOs: Faith-Based Perspectives in the Global Debate
The potential for genetic engineering in agriculture to impact farmers, consumers and the environment is enormous. This workshop will tackle this issue according to Biblical teachings. We will discuss the social, economic and political issues of food production and hunger relief in respect to action and coalition-building at local, national and international levels.
Robert Gronski, National Catholic Rural Life Conference; Andrew Kang Bartlett, Presbyterian Hunger Program; June Kim, United Methodist Committee on Relief

Connecting Across Borders to Fight Against Globalization
Connecting Across Borders brings together the voices of those most directly impacted by the globalization of agriculture. The purpose of the workshop is to make clear the impact of globalization on farmers and farm workers, and its direct threat to sustainable agriculture and food security around the globe. In addition, presenters will discuss how cross-border solidarity between farmers and farm organizations is an essential strategy for confronting free-trade.
Representatives from MST Brasil; National Family Farm Coalition (USA); Farm Labor Organizing Committee (USA); CONEF, El Salvador

Field to Table Festival and Campaign
Come hear about Toronto FoodShare's Field to Table Campaign and Festival. You will learn about their efforts to summarize our movement's complex message of food security, as well as some of the important issues to consider in hosting an annual event to profile local programs, links to local farmers and small alternative, organic producers and restaurants.
Debbie Field, FoodShare

The Community Food Projects (CFP) Program: Past, Present, and Future
USDA administrators of the Community Food Projects program will review the history of the CFP, including funding levels, number and types of applications received, and grants made. Technical assistance services available to CFP grantees, applicants and others will be presented. Workshop attendees will have an opportunity to provide input and make suggestions on the composition of the fiscal year 2004 request for applications prior to its design.
Elizabeth Tuckermanty and Zy Weinberg, USDA CSREES; Kai Siedenburg Community Food Security Coalition

Community Food Security - should we change the name?
The term "Community Food Security" can be confusing and subject to misinterpretation. Should we find a terminology that expands to include all aspects of sustainable, community-based food systems while not diminishing the need to increase food democracy in this country? Two veterans of the community food security movement lead a discussion on how to resolve the dilemma, and invite workshop participants to help formulate appropriate responses that would be communicated broadly to Community Food Security Coalition audiences.
Mike Hamm, Michigan State University; Hugh Joseph, Tufts University

{Back to Top}

Recent Community-Based Strategies Promoting Local Urban Agriculture Policies and Projects
Current examples in several U.S. cities show food security objectives being aided by local governments. This panel will present activities in Detroit, Madison and elsewhere that indicate emerging support for urban agriculture on the part of public planners and policymakers influenced by grassroots strategies promoting economic development, neighborhood improvement, youth development, nutrition, and food security.
Martin Bailkey, University of WI; Marcia Caton-Campbell, Univ of WI; Kami Pothukuchi, Wayne State University

A Guide to Urban Agriculture and Community Food Security in the United States
Presenters will describe a variety of forms of urban agriculture in terms of who is involved--urban backyard gardeners, community gardeners, and commercial growers-in light of how each type contributes to the urban "foodshed" by provisioning vegetables, herbs, and animals for urban eaters. The session will conclude with a facilitated discussion between the audience and presenters, on the potential of urban agriculture for community food security, and the challenges it faces.
Peter Mann, World Hunger Year; Alison Meares Cohen, Heifer International; Karen Washington, Just Food.

Urban Gardens and Food Justice in West Oakland
We will talk about our experiences getting five gardens in West Oakland off the ground, about how they fit into the People's Grocery mission to "uphold the human right to healthy and affordable food and increase access to locally-produced fruits and vegetables and by promoting social enterprise, youth entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture and grassroots organizing."
Caroline Loomis & Malaika Edwards, People's Grocery

{Back to Top}

Building a Comprehensive National Policy Agenda for Food and Agriculture Systems Change
This workshop will touch on the key findings and insights from the recent Sustainable Agriculture Roundtable process. Presenters representing a diversity of intersecting issues and constituencies will engage workshop participants in a dialogue about future plans, and how best local food systems work can inform and be directly linked to federal and even international policy initiatives.
Kathy Lawrence, National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture;

Municipal Food Security Councils: Local government and food security
Community-based Food Councils are increasing in numbers and significance. With federal tax/budget cutbacks pushing local governments to pick up services and find new ways of addressing the needs of citizens, reducing health care costs by increasing healthy eating is one solution. This requires multi-sector approaches involving farmers, retailers, markets, consumers, nutritionists, gardeners, chefs, schools, community developers, What role can food security councils play in facilitating this process?
Herb Barbolet, Farm Folk / City Folk, Mark Winne, Hartford Food System; Bob Thomson, Ottawa Food Security Council; Wayne Roberts, Toronto Food Policy Council

Power in the Food System: Who Has It, Who Doesn't, and What Are the Implications for Community Food Security?
The dynamics of food system power affect any efforts to create community food security, but there is little public understanding of who makes critical food system decisions and to whom they are accountable. We will explore kinds of power in the food system; the sources and means of perpetuation of different kinds of power; their consequences to creating and maintaining community food security; and the points at which consumers, activists, and policy advocates can influence existing power structures.
Michelle Mascarenhas, Rooted in Community; Mary Hendrickson, University of MO; Molly Anderson, Tufts University

Using Research and Collaboration to Close the Urban Grocery Store Gap
The Food Trust has engaged a diverse group of supermarket industry executives, community activists, social service agencies, and policy makers in an innovative collaboration to stimulate supermarket development in low-income areas of Philadelphia. This workshop will discuss the innovative strategies used by the Food Trust and other groups across the country in developing the supermarket access campaign and offer insight for participants interested in shaping similar campaigns in other communities.
Duane Perry & Hannah Burton, The Food Trust

{Back to Top}

Strategies to Reduce Food Insecurity in New England
This workshop will highlight various approaches to providing food to low-income communities, including Revision House's urban CSA, the Long Island Shelter farm, The Food Project's Dudley neighborhood farmers' market, USDA food distribution programs, and SHARE New England's food co-op. Discuss the challenges and opportunities of working with low-income communities, and develop strategies for reducing food insecurity in New England's communities.
Linda Berlin, University of VT; Judy Lieberman, Re-Vision House; Charles DeJulius, USDA; Tina Derby, Serve New England; Jean-Claude Bourret, SOS Farm at Boston Long Island Shelter; Liz Luc Clowes, The Food Project Dudley Farmers Market

Seafood and Community Food Security
A New England fisherman, chef, and seafood distributor will provide an overview of the issues surrounding sustainable seafood that comes from both local and non-local sources. The session will explore the pros and cons of aquaculture. Discuss the role of seafood in community food security and learn how to be a savvy seafood consumer.
Chris Douglass, Icarus restaurant; Representative, The Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Association; Henry Lovejoy, EcoFish; Scott Soares, MA Dept. of Food and Agriculture

Buy New England Grown
Join representatives from non-profit, state, and retail organizations to discuss the challenges and opportunities for increasing the availability of locally grown/processed food in New England. Participants will be encouraged to share their own experiences with growing, marketing and/or buying local products, and will work together to develop a list of ways to encourage and strengthen buy local programs in New England.
Molly Anderson, Tufts University; Mary Jordan, MA Dept of Food and Agriculture;

Reaching Out: Immigrant Farming Projects
Project directors of new farmer initiatives in the Northeast will share their experiences working with immigrant individuals and communities. Immigrant farmers will share their experiences transitioning from farming in their countries to becoming US farmers. Learn about the unique opportunities and challenges in these projects, and share strategies for marketing, land identification, overcoming language and cultural barriers, creating micro credit opportunities, etc.
Rachel Dannefer, New Farmer Development Project; Jim Hanna, New American Sustainable Agriculture Project; Hugh Joseph, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project

New England Dairy
Once one of the strongest agricultural sectors in the United States, New England dairy farms are increasingly struggling to stay competitive with the glut of milk on the market from Midwestern and Western states. Join Massachusetts' Commissioner of Food and Agriculture, representatives from Our Family Farms, and local dairy farmers to discuss successes and failures and to develop alternate strategies for strengthening dairy farming in New England.
Doug Gillespie, Commissioner of MDFA; Faith Williams, Our Family Farms

{Back to Top}

From Global to Local: Developing Strategies for System-Wide Change
This workshop will present a broad overview of the global food economy. Community food activists will come away from the session with a clear picture of the root causes of the current crises in food and agriculture, and a better understanding of why a shift to local food systems is so crucial. Empowered with this knowledge, participants will be better able to develop effective strategies for resisting the further globalization of food and renewing local food links.
Steve Gorelick, ISEC; Joani Walsh, FoodRoutes Network

Farmer - Chef Connections: Strategies for Building the Relationships
With our growing dependence on long-distance food comes the weakening of our connection to the farmers, growers and producers that make our food. Restaurants have successfully provided needed market opportunities for smaller scale and sustainable growers and ranchers. Chefs and farmers will describe successful models of farmer-chef connections, but also discuss with attendees strategies for overcoming barriers.
Betsy Johnson, Chefs Collaborative; Chefs TBA

Value-added foods, Value-added groups
One of the main problems small-scale producers - of primary produce and value-added foods - face is getting affordable access to markets which will give them a good price for their food. Participants will learn in this session the pros and cons of one possible solution: the development of marketing cooperatives which can provide unified sales representation, brokerage and distribution of food products for a group of producers.
Steve Hodges, Jubilee Project/Clinch-Powell Community Kitchens; Paul Miller, Appalachian Spring Cooperative

Bridging the Market: Tools for Transitioning Farmers and Consumers into a Local Food System
Time, skill, mobility, information access and social networks are factors that shape farmers ability to efficiently price, market and distribute their products. Workshop participants will explore research methodologies for maximizing restaurant and retail outlet responses, growing for ethnic communities, resources for market trends, expanding networking opportunities, fostering relationships with local economic development agencies and how to distinguish which farm products are best suited for specific market outlets.
Laura Bergman, Innovative Farmers of Ohio; Shoshannah Inwood, Organic Food Farming Education and Research Program

Growing Local: Policy Considerations for Rebuilding Local and Regional Food System Infrastructure
The concept of a regional food system derives from the natural linkage of an urban population to its surrounding rural areas and the production of food within that region for consumption within that region. This workshop will consider policy initiatives for rebuilding local and regional food system infrastructure.
Sarah Borron & Thomas Forster, CFSC; Allan Hance, Northeast Midwest Institute; Amy Mathews, Corporation for Enterprise Development; Hank Herrera, Center for Popular Research, Education and Policy

Meat of the Matter: Beyond Grain-fed vs. Grass-fed
Understanding the different factors affecting our meat supply is challenging, but what does all this mean to consumers AND producers. The panelists will explore the history of US meat production, raising and feed alternatives, processing infrastructure and alternatives, as well as issues related to supply and consumer acceptance. The session will conclude with a facilitated discussion of strategies for incorporating this important issue within the community food security movement.
Aley Schoonmaker, Heifer International ; Peter Hoffman, Savoy restaurant & Chair, Chefs Collaborative; Mark Grennan, Hudson-Mohawk Resource Conservation and Development Council, New York; Milton Rodewald, Farmer, Thistledownes Farms, Greenwich; Thomas Forster, Community Food Security Coalition

{Back to Top}

Distribution Strategies for Farm-to-School/ Institutions
Farm-to-school and farm-to-institution projects have multiplied dramatically in the last few years; however, successful distribution strategies are often the weak link in the system. This panel will explore a variety of models for distributing farm fresh products directly to institutions. The panel and audience participants will then engage in a discussion about how to use these strategies and models, particularly as projects begin to ramp up their purchases, expand the number of sites or otherwise build their institutional direct sales.
Gail Feenstra, UC Davis; Marion Kalb, Community Food Security Coalition; Karrie Stevens, Community Alliance with Family Farmers; Michael Nash, Iowa Farm Cooperative; Mark Winne, Hartford Food System

School Lunch Activism: Paving the Way for Healthier School Lunches
Key to efforts to improve the quality of school lunches is keeping unhealthy foods out. This workshop will explore lessons learned in campaigns to ban soda and irradiated food, and provide participants with the tools necessary to implement such bans in their own communities. These campaigns can serve as a starting point for a broader dialogue about the quality of food served in schools and the need for farm?to?school and buy local projects.
William (Bill) Myers, Point Arena, CA School Board President; Francesca de la Rosa, Center for Food and Justice; Monique Mikhail, Public Citizen

Forging the Link between Local Farms and Institutional Food Service Buyers: Pathways, Pitfalls and Sustainable Strategies
A world where people can eat fresh, local food from nearby family farms is one of the more appealing visions advanced by supporters of sustainable agriculture. The accomplishment of this vision on any significant scale can be thwarted by formidable challenges from market realities. Learn about diverse program models from an experienced panel of New England warriors and weavers who have overcome tough obstacles to develop viable institutional purchasing programs.
John Turenne, Yale University Food Service; Elizabeth Wheeler, The Hartford Food System; Robert Franks, Connecticut Department of Corrections; Mike Rozyne, Red Tomato

New York Farm to School: Building a Broad Based Coalition to Grow Farm to school from Pilot Programs to Wider Statewide Implementation
New York's Farm to School Program has been a very good example of a broad based collaboration of diverse organizations working together to both implement farm to school programs. The session will count on the presence of key partners in the NY experience, which will be shared in dialogue with workshop participants' experience.
Glenda Neff, NY Farms!; Jennifer Wilkins, Cornell Cooperative Extension; Bill Jordan; NY State Department of Agriculture and Markets; Meredith Taylor, Community Food Resource Center; Betsey Bacelli, New York State School Food Service Association

Beyond the Traditional Market Basket - Innovative Partnerships supporting Local Farmers, Schools and Low-Income Communities
The workshop showcases three innovative approaches for providing fresh fruits and vegetables in local institutions, schools and communities. Guided discussions will help identify opportunities and barriers to implementing such programs in other locations, and coming up with strategies to tackle them. The workshop will provide a basis for building collaborative relationships amongst organizations engaged in linking local farmers and the community and educating consumers about local agriculture / food systems.
Will Allen, Growing Power; Debbie Field, Foodshare; Anupama Joshi, Center for Food and Justice

Lessons Learned From the USDA's Farm to School Projects 2001-2003
For the past three years, a number of groups across the country have been implementing and researching farm to school projects linked under a common project. Speakers will share their successes, failures, and plans for the future. Studies and publications will be discussed that measure and inform future farm to school organizing efforts from these varied experiments This workshop session will be useful for anyone involved or interested in farm to school projects.
Claire Homitzky, Rutgers University; Alison Harmon, Penn State University; Karrie Stevens, Community Alliance with Family Farmers; Jennifer Wilkins, Cornell University; Gail Feenstra, UC SAREP; Rafaelita Curva, Davis Joint Unified School District; Mark Wall, Center for Food & Justice