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Multi-Session, Multi-Speaker

Virginia Farm-to-Table Conference

Featured Speakers:

Dr. Ricardo Salvador

Director, Union of Concerned Scientists’ Food and Environment Program

Alex Hitt

Owner of Peregrine Farm

Rev. Nancy Yarnell

Executive Director, Urban Recipe

Ellen Kahler

Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Chef Michael Twitty

Founder, Afroculinaria

Tony Kleese

Founder/President, Earthwise Organics

Glyen Holmes

Founder, New North Florida Cooperative

For extended bios, please visit http://conference.virginiafarmtotable.org

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With Support from the Following Organizations:

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7th & THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8th, 2016 (PRE-CONFERENCE TOUR, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016 — See page 6)

BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE · PLECKER WORKFORCE CENTER · ONE COLLEGE LANE · WEYERS CAVE, VA 24486

“Cultivating Healthy Farms and Resilient Communities”

The 2016 Virginia Farm to Table Conference will be of interest to producers,

buyers, community and agricultural development officials, policymakers, and

food system stakeholders. The event features a pre-conference tour, along

with diverse presentations from national and state experts and practitioners

on the practical applications of soil and water health; finding leverage and

your niche; local food for all; building a solid business foundation; nutrition

and community health; opportunities for military veteran farmers; food sys-

tem leadership and development; and Collective Impact 101.

Register at http://conference.virginiafarmtotable.org

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SCHEDULE: Day 1: Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Blue Ridge Community College Plecker Workforce Center

8:00 — 8:45am Registration & Refreshments — Provided by Friendly City Food Co-op Room C

8:45 — 9:15am

Opening Remarks & Welcome Rooms A & B

Eric Bendfeldt, Community Viability, Virginia Cooperative Extension

Kathy Holm, Assistant State Conservationist, USDA-NRCS

Dr. Tom Thompson, Associate Dean and Director of International Programs, Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

9:15 —10:15am

Speaker Rooms A & B

“Does the “Food System” Really Need Fixing?”

Dr. Ricardo Salvador, Director, Union of Concerned Scientists’ Food and Environment Program

10:15 — 10:45am Refreshment Break — Catered by A Bowl of Good Room C & Foyer

10:45a — 12:00p

Track 1: ROOM A Practical Applications of Soil and Water Health

“Putting Soil Health Management Principles into Practice on a Diversified Small Vege-table Farm ” Alex Hitt of Peregrine Farm. Introduced by Chris Lawrence of USDA-NRCS.

Track 2: ROOM B Finding Leverage and Your Niche: “Experiences from the Field”

Panelists: Jeremy Engh of Lakota Ranch Farm Store, Thora and Ed Pomicter of Teeny Tiny Spice Co., Sarah Cohen of Route 11 Potato Chips, and Dawn Story of Farmstead Ferments and New Moon Naturals. Moderated by Dale Gardner.

Track 3: AUDITORIUM Local Food For All: Improving Connections and Access

Panelists: Rev. Nancy Yarnell of Urban Recipe, Trevor Piersol of Alleghany Mountain Institute Urban Farm at Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind, Glyen Holmes of New North Florida Cooperative, and Elizabeth Borst of Virginia Nutrition Incentive Net-work. Moderated by Kevin Camm of VCE.

Track 4: P122 Building a Crop Budget before Spending Money or Time!

Speaker: Tony Kleese of Earthwise Organics. Moderated by Tom Stanley of VCE.

Track 5: P124 Military Veterans forming the VA Chapter - Farmer/Veteran Coalition

Convened and moderated by John Fant and Jason Foscolo of the Farmer Veteran Coa-lition, in partnership with the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition. (Limited scholarships available for the first 10 registered veterans.)

12:00 — 1:00pm Lunch — Catered by A Bowl of Good Rooms A & B

1:00 — 1:10pm Common Ground: Profiles of Soil Health by AE Media — “Waterpenny Farm”

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SCHEDULE: Day 1 Continued: Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Blue Ridge Community College Plecker Workforce Center

1:10 — 2:15pm

Plenary Panel Rooms A & B

“Perspectives from the Field and Research: Resilience and Innovation from the Soil Up”

Panelists: Alex Hitt of Peregrine Farm, Leo Tammi of Shamoka Run Farm, Lynn Trizna of Rodale Institute and St. Luke’s Hospital, Glyen Holmes of New North Florida Cooperative, and Dr. Marcia DeLonge of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Moderated by Eric Bendfeldt of VCE.

2:15 — 2:45pm Refreshment Break — Catered by A Bowl of Good Room C & Foyer

2:45 — 4:30pm

Track 1: ROOM A: Crop Rotation Is A Cornerstone of Soil Health and Farm Health: Core Concepts and Practical Advice for Making It Happen

Speaker: Alex Hitt of Peregrine Farm. Moderated by Chris Lawrence of USDA-NRCS

Track 2: ROOM B: Making Distribution Work in the Value Chain for Everyone

Panelists: Glyen Holmes of New North Florida Cooperative, Rev. Nancy Yarnell of Urban Recipe, Alan Moore of the Local Food Hub, and_____. Moderated by French Price of VCE.

Track 3: AUDITORIUM: Forging Connections for Nutrition and Community Health

Panelists: Jenna Clarke of Project Grows, Maureen McNamara Best of LEAP, Greg Knight of Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (i), Dr. Andrea Basche of the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Lynn Trizna of Rodale Institute and St. Luke’s Hospital project. Moderated by Kelli Scott of VCE.

Track 4: P 122: Building a Whole Farm Budget for a Solid Business Foundation

Speaker: Tony Kleese of Earthwise Organics. Moderated by Tom Stanley of VCE.

Track 5: P 124: Stakeholder Listening Session for Community, Local, Regional Food Systems Facilitated by Kim Niewolny, Joyce Latimer, and Caitlin Miller of VCE.

4:30 — 6:00pm Refreshments & Networking Opportunities Rooms A, B & C

Enjoy time with the conference exhibitors.

7:00 — 9:00pm Young/Young at Heart and Emerging Farmer Mixer Off Site

(*Please see additional details below)

This FREE Young/Young at Heart and Emerging Farmer event will be held off site at the LOCATION TO BE DETERMINED on Wednesday evening, Dec. 7th. Look forward to friendly conversation, networking, and a

chance to learn more about the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition. Open to individuals look-ing for support in the very beginning or early stages of their farming trajectory, or seasoned producers that

also want to network and mingle. Refreshments will be available from 7-9 PM. Come join the networking fun! Comments? Please contact French Price at (540) 432-6029 ext. 117

LOCATION TO BE DETERMINED!

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SCHEDULE: Day 2: Thursday, December 8, 2016

Blue Ridge Community College Plecker Workforce Center

8:00 — 8:45am Registration and Refreshments — Provided by Friendly City Food Co-op Room C

8:45 — 9:15am Opening Remarks & Welcome Rooms A & B

Mr. Jack Bricker, State Conservationist, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service

9:15 — 10:15am

Speaker Rooms A & B

“Re-localizing the Food System for Jobs and Communities”

Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund/VT Farm to Plate

10:15 --10:45am Refreshment Break — Catered by A Bowl of Good Room C & Foyer

10:45a—12:00p

Track 1: ROOM A: Reduced Soil Disturbance in Vegetable, Specialty, and Organic Crop Production: Core Principles and Key Examples

Speakers: Dr. Ron Morse, Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech and Alex Hitt of Peregrine Farm. Moderated by Chris Lawrence of USDA-NRCS Virginia

Track 2: ROOM B: The Just and Cooperative Economy: Models from the Field

Panelists: Glyen Holmes of the New North Florida Cooperative, Rev. Nancy Yarnell of Ur-ban Recipe, Brad Burrow of Artisan’s Hope, Katrina Didot of A Bowl of Good, and Dr. Morris Henderson of 31st Street Baptist Church. Moderated by Steve Cooke of Friendly City Food Cooperative.

Track 3: AUDITORIUM: Reducing Food Waste: Embracing Ugly Produce

Panelists: Representatives of DC Central Kitchen, Hungry Harvest, Capitol Area Food Bank, and Misfit Juicery. Moderated by Eric Bendfeldt of VCE.

Track 4: P122: Building a Crop Budget before Spending Money or Time!

Speaker/Instructor: Tony Kleese of Earthwise Organics. Moderated by Tom Stanley of VCE.

Track 5: Houff G186: Guiding Local Food Systems Level Change

(For those interested in state– or county-wide food system change initiatives)

Speaker: Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund/VT Farm to Plate. Moderated by Christy Gabbard, Director, Virginia Food System Council/Chesapeake Foodshed Network.

12:00 —1:15pm

Lunch — Catered by A Bowl of Good Rooms A & B

Rev. Nancy Yarnell of Urban Recipe – “Building a Network of Friends and Neighbors”

**(Food System Funders meeting with Ellen Kahler – By invitation only)** Room P124

1:15 —1:30pm 2016 Carl Luebben Soil Health & Water Quality Award Rooms A & B

Sponsored by Houff’s Feed & Fertilizer

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SCHEDULE: Day 2 Continued: Thursday, December 8, 2016

Blue Ridge Community College Plecker Workforce Center

1:30 — 2:30pm

Plenary Speaker Rooms A & B

“Historical Food Pathways: Reconnecting Communities to Food, Culture, and Cooking”

Chef Michael Twitty of Afroculinaria and The Cooking Gene

2:30 — 2:45pm Refreshment Break — Catered by A Bowl of Good Room C & Foyer

2:45 — 4:30pm

Track 1: ROOM A: Reduced Soil Disturbance in Vegetable, Specialty, and Organic Crop Production: Virginia Case Studies, Farmer Panel, and Q&A Session with Experts

Case Study 1: David Sours, Public House Produce, Page County, VA

Case Study 2: Jim Hankins, Fauquier Education Farm, Warrenton, VA

Case Study 3: Beth Sastre-Flores/Chris Lawrence, Potomac Vegetable Farm, Loudoun

Case Study 4: Tim Ohlwiler, VCE Fauquier and Jessi Cushman of Evergreen Acres

Open Discussion with Panelists/Audience/Experts, including Dr. Ron Morse and Alex Hitt. Moderated by Chris Lawrence of USDA-NRCS

Track 2: ROOM B: Finding Leverage and Your Niche: Experiences from the Field

Panelists: Glyen Holmes of the New North Florida Cooperative, Wendy Wenger Hochstetler of Wenger Grapes, Christie Huger of Mountain View Farm Products, and Gary Lantz of Canon Hill Farm. Moderated by Matt Lohr of FCV Knowledge Center

Track 3: AUDITORIUM: Reconnecting Communities to Food and Culture

Panelists: Chef Michael Twitty of Afroculinaria, John Garber of Red Front Supermarket, Regina Schweitzer of Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community and the Farm at Willow Run, Andrew Wingfield of George Mason University and the Virginia Sustainable Food Coalition, and Lynn Trizna of Rodale Institute and St. Luke’s Hospital project. Moderated by Allison Spain of the Virginia Food System Council.

Track 4: P122: Building a Whole Farm Budget for a Solid Business Foundation

Speaker/Instructor: Tony Kleese of Earthwise Organics. Moderated by Tom Stanley of VCE

Track 5: Houff G186: Food System Change: Maintaining Momentum and Measuring Progress

(For those interested in state– or county-wide food system change initiatives.)

Speaker: Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund/VT Farm to Plate. Moderated by Christy Gabbard, Director, VFSC/Chesapeake Foodshed Network.

4:30pm Wrap-Up, Evaluations, and Adjournment

Additional Conference Notes:

Sign up for the pre-conference tour of farms and food businesses in the Greater Augusta County Area

Enjoy an networking with producers at the Young/Young at Heart and Emerging Farmer Mixer

Celebrate locally-grown foods during the Buy Fresh Buy Local producer/buyer networking time

Donate a canned or dried goods to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank

Be inspired and motivated to take your farm and food business to the next level!

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Special thanks 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 Coordination Kim Niewolny, VT/VCE/VBFRC

Steve Cooke, Friendly City Food Co-op Tracey Coltrain, Central Shenandoah PDC

Allison Spain, VA Food System Council Christy Gabbard, Chesapeake Foodshed Network

Theresa Nartea, Virginia State University/VCE Eric Walter, Black Bear Composting

Dale Gardner, NFWF Farm-to-Table Project Robin Jones, VA Division of Energy

Barbara Bowen, USDA-NRCS Chris Lawrence, USDA-NRCS, Soil Health Coordination

Kenner Love, VCE — Rappahannock County Dave Robishaw, VDACS — Marketing

Leanne Dubois Harrow, VDACS Virginia Grown Caitlin Miller, VCE— Prince Edward County

Kevin Camm, VCE — Lynchburg Spencer Eavers, BRCC Plecker Workforce Center

Spencer Neale, VA Farm Bureau Debbie Glenn, BRCC Plecker Workforce Center

Chris Cook, Virginia FAIRS Kyley Clevenger, Farm Credit of the Virginias

Betty Hoge, Central Virginia SBDC Allyssa Mark, VT/VBFRC

Conference Address: Blue Ridge Community College Plecker Workforce Center, One College Lane, Weyers Cave, VA 24486

Questions? Call Eric Bendfeldt or French Price at (540) 432-6029 ext. 106 or 117

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activi-

ty, please contact Eric Bendfeldt, VCE Northern District Office, at 540-432-6029 Ext. 106 during business hours of 8 a.m. and 5

p.m. to discuss accommodations 5 days prior to the event. *TDD number is (800) 828-1120.

Find us online!

http://conference.virginiafarmtotable.org

http://buylocalshenvalley.org

Times Tour Stops as of October 15, 2016

9:30-10:00 Meet and registration at BRCC Plecker Center

10:00 Leave BRCC for Cool Breeze Farm

10:10 Cool Breeze Farm: 297 Salem Church Rd. Mount Sidney, VA 24467

11:30 Lunch: Farm Fresh Fixins food truck

12:20 Leave Cool Breeze Farm for AMI Urban Farm at VSDB

12:45 Allegheny Mountain Institute Urban Farm at Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind: 113

New Hope Rd., Staunton, VA 24401

2:20 Leave VSDB for Sunrise Farms, Inc.

2:45 Sunrise Farms, Inc.: 2177 Tinkling Spring Road, Stuarts Draft, VA 24477

4:15-4:30 Leave for BRCC Plecker Center

5:00 Return to Blue Ridge Community College

Pre-Conference Tour Schedule for Tuesday, December 6, 2016:

Register for the Pre-Conference Tour at http://conference.virginiafarmtotable.org

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Map of BRCC Plecker Workforce Center and Houff Student Center

INTERIOR FLOOR PLAN FOR BRCC PLECKER WORKFORCE CENTER