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Amplifying Appalachian Voices
Food for All Summit 2022
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November 16 | Buckhannon, West Virginia
The 4th Annual Food for All Summit
is a place to learn
about the decisions that state and federal policy makers are making
that affect both food access and farm viability.
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The Food for All Coalition is honored to welcome
Dr. Ricardo Salvador
as our Keynote Speaker of the Food for All Summit 2022
Ricardo J. Salvador is Director and Senior Scientist of the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, DC. He is an agronomist with a focus on sustainability and systems analysis. Previously, at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation he worked with colleagues to support a national array of programs in Good Food (healthy, green, fair and affordable), and at Iowa State University he chaired the first graduate program in sustainable agriculture in the United States.
Dr. Salvador has over four decades of experience working with citizens, scientists, economists, and politicians to transition our current food system into one that grows healthy foods while employing sustainable and socially equitable practices.
Keynote
What is the farm bill?
The farm bill is a package of legislation passed roughly once every five years that has a tremendous impact on farming livelihoods, how food is grown, and what kinds of foods are grown.
The responsibility is on us- whether we grow food, consume food, or fight for our right to food- to ensure this important bill works for everyone.
Because of the importance of the farm bill,
the 2022 Food for All Summit will feature two complementary tracks to engage key players in these fields.
Track 1: Farmers and Food Entrepreneurs
This track is for farmers, food entrepreneurs, and food and farm advocates who have an interest in how policy decisions effect their businesses and livelihoods. This track will explore the upcoming 2023 farm bill, create policy priorities for the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition based on key issue areas and strategize with agencies and policy makers about how to make these changes.
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1pm session: 2023 Farm Bill 101
Authorized once every five years, the Farm Bill is the single largest piece of legislation that authorizes funding for food and nutrition programs, agricultural programs, and land conservation. In this session, Mike Lavender from NSAC will provide a primer on the farm bill while also discussing policy priorities that are important to West Virginia farmers and what we can do to engage. Target audience: farmers, food entrepreneurs, agriculture advocates
Featuring
Mike Lavender, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Mike leads NSAC's overall policy strategy and advocacy efforts. Prior to NSAC he was the Senior Manager of Government Affairs for the Union of Concerned Scientists' Food & Environment program, a NSAC member, and served for three years on the Organizational Council of NSAC. At UCS, Mike advocated for a science-based, equitable, healthy, and sustainable food and farm system. Previously, Mike served as a policy analyst at the Environmental Working Group and spent six years in the office of former Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), where he worked on agriculture appropriations, dairy policy, and other farm and food policy issues. He has a B.A. in American history and French language from Marquette University.
2pm session: What Should Change? Ag Rules and Regs!
Do you encounter rules and regulations that, if changed, would change your business? If so, you are going to want to join this facilitated brainstorming session! This session is an opportunity to share all of your woes so that we can start to look for solutions! We will put marker to paper and call out specific issues and create specific priorities to research and engage. Target audience: farmers and food entrepreneurs
Facilitated by
Spencer Moss
Executive Director, WV Food and Farm Coalition
3pm session: Making Practical Policy Changes: Strategies and Structures
In the previous session, participants spend an hour sharing issues that could lead to policy change. In this session, we're going to talk about how! Panelists will share practical strategies for making statewide policy changes. Target audience: farmers, food entrepreneurs, agriculture advocates
Panelists
Del. Johnathon Pinson
13th House District
Crescent Gallagher
Director of Communications and
Business Development, WV Dept. of Ag
Moderated by
Track 2: Food Access & Food Security Advocates
This track is designed for anyone working in food access or anyone with an interest in food security here in West Virginia. According to Feeding America's 2020 Map the Meal Gap study, 12% of West Virginians are food insecure. What's being done to address this gap, and what other solutions are out there? This track addresses those questions and closes with an action planning session designed to give participants the tools to address hunger in their communities.
1pm session: Opportunities and Barriers to
Food Access in West Virginia
Spencer Moss
Executive Director, WV Food and Farm Coalition
With so many avenues to address food insecurity, why are West Virginians still hungry? This session maps the numerous ways that government, nonprofit, private and community organizations are trying to address food insecurity statewide. A brief presentation will lay out food assistance programs statewide, including how they are funded and accessed by people who need them. Then, a panel of food security advocates will discuss their own experiences in the field along with the system's strengths and opportunities for change.
Panelists
Amanda Harrison
State Agency Director,
WV Dept. of Education
Kristin McCartney
WVU Extension Specialist-
Public Health
Cyndi Kirkhart
Chief Executive Officer,
Facing Hunger Food Bank
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Jenny Keener
Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator,
Heart+Hand Outreach Ministries
Jackie Hoppee
Director, EBT and Banking Services, WV DHHR
Lora Hammack
Program Director,
WV Dept. of Agriculture
Moderated by
Iris Sidikman
SNAP Stretch Coordinator, WV Food and Farm Coalition
2pm session: Can Food Solve Hunger? Let's Talk
about income!
In this interactive session, we will learn from the ingenuity and “outside the box” thinking of people who are food insecure [but shouldn’t have to be]. Together we will explore policy solutions that address root causes of hunger, including concepts like the Right to Food, the Child Tax Credit, and guaranteed income.
Amy Jo Hutchison
Rattle the Windows
Joshua Lohnes
Director, Food Justice Lab
WVU Center for Resilient Communities
Elizabeth Brunello
WV Youth Program Director, American Friends Service Committee
Featuring
Lida Shepherd
WV Youth & Economic Justice Director, American Friends Service Committee
3pm session: Stone Soup
How do we take what we were introduced to today and turn that into nourishment for our communities? Amy Jo Hutchison of Rattle the Windows leads this closing session designed to send food security advocates back to their communities with actionable ideas.
Featuring
Amy Jo Hutchison
Rattle the Windows
Tracks
What else can you
expect
at Food for All 2022?
An authentic Appalachian lunch by
Chef Matt Welsch
Newly named as Chef Ambassador for the Northern Panhandle, Chef Matt is a founding member of WV Cooks. His Restaurant, Vagabond Kitchen, in the heart of downtown Wheeling, West Virginia, showcases the best of the area's art, culture, and food.
A 'state of the state' on food security in West Virginia with
Seth DiStefano
Policy Outreach Director,
WV Center on Budget and Policy
Other
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