Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, Know Your Future

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, Know Your Future

University Club of Chicago

July 14th, 2016

8:30 am – 3:00 pm

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, Know Your Future 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 programs, grants and more. This year’s convening will focus on healthy food choices, millennials’ influence on the new food and agriculture economy, food waste, and specialty crop block grants.

8:30 – 9:00 am Registration & Networking (coffee & tea available)

Illinois Farm Bureau

9:00 – 9:40 am Welcome and Introduction

Colleen Callahan, Director, USDA Illinois Rural Development

David Erickson, Vice President, Illinois Farm Bureau

9:40-10:10 am FARM Illinois

Lee Strom, Director

10:10-10:30 am Break

10:30 – 11:45 am Millennials: New & Future Farmers Discussion

·  Darius Jones, Garfield Park Produce, Beginning Farmer Graduate

·  Amy Randazzo, Angelic Organics Learning Center & Upper Midwest CRAFT Farmer Alliance Farmer of the Year 2016

·  Rosario Maldonado & Fernando Orozco, Creciendo Farms, Windy City Harvest Beginning Farmer Graduate

·  Jen Miller, Sandhill Family Farms

Moderator: Karen Lehman, Fresh Taste

Please join us in Tweeting about your experience at this year’s event by using #KYF16.

11:45 am – 12:00 pm The Future of the Farm Bill

Video Greeting from Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow

Healthy Food Access, Past & Future

Mari Gallagher, Principal, Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group

12:00 – 12:50 pm Lunch

1:00 – 2:15 pm New Technologies Discussion

·  Irv Cernauskas, Irv & Shelly’s Fresh Pick, Small Business Innovation Research Grant

·  Lydia Mills, Program Manager, Farm to School Network, Farm to School Grant

·  Kevin Daughtery, Educator Director, Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom, Specialty Crop Block Grant

·  Brad Uken, Steering Committee, Chanute Fields, Rural Business Development Grant

·  Connie Spreen, Executive Director, Experimental Station, SNAP & Farmers Markets

Moderator: Cynthia Haskins, Illinois Farm Bureau

2:15 – 2:30 pm Break

2:30 – 3:30 pm The Future of Food Waste Discussion

·  Julie Schilf, US EPA Region 5

·  Kevin Erickson, Urban Agriculture Coordinator, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Loyola University

·  Gary Cuneen, Founder & Executive Director, Seven Generations Ahead

·  Megan Klein, Farmed Here

Moderator: Alan Shannon, USDA Food & Nutrition Service

3:30 Closing