by Meggan Loveland

A Fair Food System: Summit 6 Recap

Summit Five
March 23, 2023 9:00AM–1:00PM EST

Speakers

We are proud to welcome a litany of talented food systems experts from across Appalachia. Below, you can read about each speaker slated to present at the second session of A Fair Food System: A Summit on Scalable Solutions to Creating Community Food Systems. 

Amalie Lipstreu, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association

Amalie Lipstreu is the Policy Director at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). For nearly 40 years, OEFFA has worked to build a healthy food system that brings prosperity to family farmers, meets the growing consumer demand for local food and safeguards the environment. OEFFA offers an annual conference, farm tours, workshops, grower support, organic certification services and other resources for farmers and consumers.

 

 

 

Baylen Campbell, Invest Appalachia

Baylen Campbell (he/him/his) is Invest Appalachia’s Director of Community Impact. Originally from and based in Hazard, Kentucky Baylen brings experience working as an economic development and social impact practitioner. In partnership with the Community Advisory Council Baylen leads IA’s Catalytic Capital development, deployment, and community accountability. Additionally, he manages IA’s impact measurement, policy research, and partnership development with a focus on capacity building. He is passionate about utilizing strategic communications and storytelling to shift outdated narratives of Appalachia. Baylen holds a BA in International Affairs from John Cabot University in Rome, Italy and an MSc in Development Practice from Trinity College Dublin/University College Dublin. He is a co-founder of the Lige Clarke Liberation Fund supporting LGBTQ+ infrastructure and advocacy in Eastern Kentucky. He currently serves on the Boards of the Appalachian Impact Fund, Commonwealth Alliance Donor Table, Appalachian Arts Alliance, and is a Fellow of the Appalachian Leadership Institute (2022-2023).

 

Cheryl Graffagnino, Osteopathic Heritage Foundations

As a Program Officer, Cheryl supports development and implementation of the Foundations’ grantmaking strategy as well as impact management related to the Foundations’ funding priorities. Cheryl joined the Foundations with over 30 years of experience in health care and public health. She most recently served as the Local Food Systems Strategies Coordinator at Columbus Public Health, where she led the development and implementation of the City of Columbus and Franklin County Local Food Action Plan. Cheryl is a registered dietitian and has extensive experience in both direct patient care delivery and policy efforts in weight management and obesity prevention.

Cheryl received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in medical dietetics from The Ohio State University.

 

Jennifer Weeber, Community Farm Alliance (CFA)

Jennifer’s work as Northfork Local Food Coordinator focuses on helping farmers to scale up, opening markets up to local food, and engaging the community, particularly households who are low-income, in accessing local food. Prior to her involvement in local food, she worked for over two decades on food security, homelessness, and housing issues in her community. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Kentucky and resides in Busy, Kentucky.

 

 

 

 

JuliAnna Arnett, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

JuliAnna Arnett serves as the Local and Regional Food Systems Senior Agricultural Marketing Specialist for the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Transportation and Marketing Program. In her role, she leads the USDA Local and Regional Food Systems (LRFS) Working Group and supports strategic interagency coordination and collaboration across the USDA around LRFS. JuliAnna previously worked as the Farm to School Lead for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Western Regional Office in San Francisco, California. She partnered with state agencies, school districts, producers, distributors and community organizations located throughout Alaska, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington to make farm-to-school the norm.

Before FNS, JuliAnna developed triple bottom-line food guidelines for the country’s fifth-largest county operation. As the former director of operations and food systems at Community Health Improvement Partners, she co-founded the San Diego County Farm to School Taskforce and Nutrition in Healthcare Leadership Team to support schools and hospitals in systematic advancement of local and healthful food procurement. She also served as a member of the California Food Policy Council, California Farm to School Network, and California Health Care Without Harm Healthy Food in Healthcare Team. Before moving to California from the Midwest, JuliAnna completed two terms as an AmeriCorps volunteer working across the U.S. When not at work, JuliAnna likes to explore national parks and the outdoors with friends and the nearest thrift shops for local treasures.

 

Kenya Abraham, SLAK Market Farm

Along with her family, Kenya is the Co-founder of SLAK Market Farm located in Lexington, Kentucky producing signature raw milk and halal meat products. She is first a wife and mother of 6 beautiful kids. The Abrahams have been on a farm for 6 years.

When she’s not out building relationships with other farmers, she’s at home on the farm, helping her family, and keeping up with their agritourism by mentoring young people, inspiring visitors, and promoting the success of beginning farmers and agricultural innovators.

Kenya has a strong dedication to utilize their farm as a place for serving the well-being of not only her family but for the well-being of the community that they have built through relationship-farming. The framework of her methods stems from her entrepreneurial free spirit and her background work experience in marketing, interpersonal communications, and business management. Kenya has begun her work as a liaison to farmers to help them push beyond the racism, limitations, and bottlenecks in the industry. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Community Farm Alliance.

 

Kimmie Ishamel, Community Farm Alliance

Kimmie Ishamel is the Policy Campaign Coordinator at Community Farm Alliance (CFA). She grew up on her family farm in Fleming County, Kentucky. From dairy, to tobacco, to beef cattle, this industry has given Kimmie many opportunities and life experiences that helped mold her into the person she is today. Throughout college, and now motherhood she has always worked to fight for the underdog. Kimmie has worked for over three years in Central Kentucky trying to pass state legislation and learning the ins and outs of our state house. Along with working with state legislators, she has extensive experience in community organizing and working with political campaigns.

 

 

Leslie Schaller, Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet)

Leslie Schaller joined the ACEnet staff in 2002. Originally the Food Ventures Business and Marketing Director, Leslie is now the Director of Programs & Business Development. She directs multiple training and technical assistance programs which assist micro-entrepreneurs through small business curriculum development, contract services and the formation of support networks of resource providers. Leslie secures public and private funding through grants and fees for services to support regional brand initiatives, targeted sector training, financial management support and capital access. Leslie is responsible for working directly with entrepreneurs throughout the intake and assessment process, start-up and expansion stages.

Leslie is currently a partner of the Aspen Institute’s Scale Academy, the Central Appalachian Network, the Ohio Food Policy Network, the Ohio Food Hub Network and UpGrade Athens County.

 

Marten Jenkins, Partner Community Capital

Marten Jenkins is the Founder of Partner Community Capital (PCAP) and is responsible for developing, implementing and overseeing all business strategies, operational and capital fundraising, and fund operations.

In addition to his PCAP responsibilities, he is a leader in Appalachian community development efforts and active in the CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) ecosystem. Marten serves on the Boards of Appalachian Community Capital and the CDFI Coalition; he is a member of the Advisory Boards of Appalachian Fund for Growth and MVB Community Development Partnership, Inc.

Previously, he was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines and a research assistant for the World Bank in the Environmental Policy and Research Division. Marten earned a Master’s in Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and holds a B.A. in Economic and Administrative Science from Colby College.

 

Register Here

Agenda

Time   Topic   Presenters
9:00–9:20   Welcome to Summit Six

Goals and Impacts of Summit Series

 Leslie Schaller, ACEnet
9:20-10:00   USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Programs

CAN project funding through USDA LAMP Investment

 JuliAnna Arnett, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

Leslie Schaller, ACEnet
10:00–10:50   Recommendations from Our Fields: Farmers on Farm Policy Kenya Abraham, SLAK Market Farm

Katie Lloyd, Rural Action
10:50–11:50   Funders Investing in Food System Solutions Cheryl Graffagnino, Osteopathic Heritage Foundations

Baylen Campbell, Invest Appalachia

Marten Jenkins, Partner Community Capital
11:50–12:00   Active Break Jennifer Weeber, Community Farm Alliance
12:00–12:55   Regional and State Policy Recommendations for a Fair Food System Amalie Lipstreu, The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association

Central Appalachian Network (CAN) Members

Kimmie Ishmael, Community Farm Alliance
12:55-1:00   Wrap-Up – What’s Next for CAN Leslie Schaller, ACEnet

 

in Beginning Farmer , Entrepreneurship , Food Hub , Food systems , Healthy Food Access , Policy , Public Education , Public Health , Stories , Value Chains