Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, Know Your Funding

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, Know Your Funding

Union League Club of Chicago, Crystal Room, 5th Floor

September 11, 2015

8:00 am – 3:45 pm

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, Know Your Funding is a one-day convening hosted by USDA’s Illinois Rural Development & Food & Nutrition Service Midwest, Illinois Farm Bureau & Fresh Taste. This unique convening offers farmers, businesses, organizations, state and federal agencies, institutions and others involved with agriculture an opportunity to learn about USDA agencies, programs, grants and other possibilities.

8:00 – 9:00 am Registration & Networking

Illinois Farm Bureau

9:00 – 10:15 am Welcome and Introduction

Colleen Callahan, Director, USDA Illinois Rural Development

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack

10:15 – 10:30 am Networking Break

10:30 – 11:30 pm Local Food Funding Panel

·  Bruce D. Karmazin, Executive Director, The Lumpkin Family Foundation

·  Michael Davidson, Senior Program Officer in Sustainable Communities, The Chicago Community Trust

·  A.J. Singletary, Kellogg School of Management, ‘Floating Green Capital’

·  Jason Keller, Economic Development Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Moderator: Colleen Callahan, USDA, Illinois Rural Development

Please join us in Tweeting about your experience at this year’s event by using #KYF15.

11:30 – 12:00 pm Local Food Leaders

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow (video greeting)

Oran Hesterman, President/CEO, Fair Food Network

12:00 – 12:45 pm Lunch

12:45 – 1:00 pm Stretch Break

1:00 – 2:15 pm Concept to Reality: USDA Programs in Play—Part I

·  Farm to School: Betti Wiggins, Detroit Public Schools; Susan Peterman, Middleton (Wisconsin)

·  FINI (Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program): Dale Hazlewood, Aurora’s Farmers Market (Illinois)

·  Local Foods Promotion Program: Dr. Jifunza Wright, Black Oaks Center & Jim Slama, FamilyFarmed

·  Farmers Market Promotion Program: Robin Schirmer, Band of Farmers: The Chicagoland CSA Coalition

·  Specialty Crop Block Grant: Marji Hess, Manager, Gary Comer Youth Center Garden

Moderator: Alan Shannon, USDA Food & Nutrition Service

2:15 – 2:30 pm Break

2:30 – 3:45 pm Concept to Reality: USDA Programs In Play—Part II

·  Value Added Producer Grant Program: Marc Bernard, Rustic Road Farm

·  Beginning Rancher & Farmer Program: Tom Spaulding, Angelic Organics; Rick Weinzierl, University of Illinois and Angela Mason, Chicago Botanic Garden

·  Micro-loans: Lori Fink and Tony Schmillen, Farm Loan Managers, Farm Service Agency; Andy Heck, Owner, Small Axe Market Gardens; and Kimberlee Staley, Owner, Cramer Creek Farms (video)

Moderator: Karen Lehman, Fresh Taste