Growing the Appalachian Food Economy:
A Forum on Local Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture

7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Registration Desk Open

7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m.
Grand Ballroom (First Floor)

Breakfast

8:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
Grand Ballroom (First Floor)

Opening Session and Welcome

Welcome:
Scott Hamilton, President and CEO, AdvantageWest, Fletcher, North Carolina

Dale Carroll, Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Chief Operating Officer, North Carolina Department of Commerce, Raleigh, North Carolina

Remarks:
James McCleskey, Director, State of North Carolina Washington Office, Washington, D.C.

Earl Gohl, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission, Washington, D.C.

Presiding:
Bill Yarborough, Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Agriculture, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Waynesville, North Carolina

9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Grand Ballroom (First Floor)

Presentation

Local Food Systems as Economic Development: A Framework for Local Leaders
Local farms and food entrepreneursthe components of a local food systembenefit local economies by supporting job creation, increasing tax revenue, and boosting tourism, as well as by keeping a greater share of local dollars in the community. This session will help community leaders understand how food systems operate and how supporting these systems can lead to stronger local economies.

Speaker:
Charlie Jackson, Executive Director, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, Asheville, North Carolina

10:00 a.m.–10:15 a.m.

Break

10:15 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
Grand Ballroom (First Floor)

Plenary Panel

Growing Diversified Local Food Economies: Models and Resources
What food hubs and value chain models are being developed and what is the economic potential associated with them? How can communities encourage a buy local mindset? In this session, panelists will discuss best practices in developing local food systems, and resources for community leaders looking to facilitate the growth of local food economies.

Panelists:
Anthony Flaccavento, Organic Farmer; Owner, SCALE, Inc.; Founder, Appalachian Sustainable Development, Abingdon, Virginia

Brian Snyder, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Millheim, Pennsylvania

Stacy Miller, Executive Director, Farmers Market Coalition, Charlottesville, Virginia

Leah McGrath, Corporate Dietitian, Ingles Markets, Inc., Asheville, North Carolina

11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
Grand Ballroom (First Floor)

Local Foods Luncheon

Speaker:
Joani Walsh, Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

1:15 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Break

1:30 p.m.–2:50 p.m.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS I: IMPLEMENTING LOCAL FOOD ACTIVITIES

Choose one of the following four concurrent sessions. Sessions will feature interactive discussion with regional leaders on successful ways to implement local food economies.

• Models of Innovation: Educational Institutions as Incubation Hubs and Centers for Sustainability
  Windsor Ballroom A (First Floor)
  This session will discuss how local educational institutions can promote innovation in sustainable agriculture and support food entrepreneurship. Panelists will present examples of projects based in or supported by local educational institutions that are boosting economic diversity and environmental sustainability in their communities.
  
  Moderator:
  Stuart Rosenfeld, Principal and Founder, Regional Technology Strategies, Inc., Carrboro, North Carolina
  
  Speakers:
  Walter Hill, Dean, College of Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Sciences, and Director, George Washington Carver Agricultural Experiment Station, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama

  Meagan Roberts, Instructor, Horticulture Technology and Sustainable Agriculture, Western Piedmont Community College, Morganton, North Carolina

  Thomas Sewell, Dean, Technical Education Division, Walters State Community College , Morristown, Tennessee

  Terry Tucker, Dean, School of Arts and Sciences, and Director, Center for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture, Alfred State College, Alfred, New York



• Food Heritage and Culinary Arts as Economic Drivers
  Windsor Ballroom B (First Floor)
  Appalachias strong food heritage is an asset local leaders can build on to develop sustainable local food systems and strengthen local economies. In this session, panelists will describe how communities across Appalachia are using local food resources to foster entrepreneurship, attract tourists, and diversify local economies.
  
  Moderator:
  Katherine Hoffman, Assistant Professor, University College, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
  
  Speakers:
  Christine Gyovai, Associate, Institute for Environmental Negotiation, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

  
  Rosann Kent, Program Manager, Georgia Appalachian Studies Center, North Georgia College and State University, Dahlonega, Georgia

  Mark Sohn, Chef and Author, Pikeville, Kentucky

  Kevin Welch, Coordinator, Center for Cherokee Plants, North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension, Cherokee, North Carolina



• Getting Product to Market: Models of Aggregation and Distribution
  Alexander Room (Second Floor)
  Developing robust local food systems requires a thorough understanding of how to build supply capacity so wholesale buyers can access significant quantities of locally grown food for markets such as restaurants and grocery stores, and institutions such as schools and hospitals. This session will explain how local leaders can help ensure supply capacity, even when geography and distance pose significant challenges.
  
  Moderator:
  Michelle Decker, Executive Director, Rural Action, Trimble, Ohio
  
  Speakers:
  Eric Bendfeldt, Extension Specialist, Community Viability, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Harrisonburg, Virginia
  
  Robin Robbins, Appalachian Harvest Food Safety and Marketing Manager, Appalachian Sustainable Development, Abingdon, Virginia
  
  Debra Tropp, Branch Chief, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Washington, D.C.


• Marketing and Branding: Improving the Viability and Integrity of Local Food Markets
  Victoria Room (Second Floor)
  Building local food economies in Appalachia requires marketing and promotion strategies that successfully increase awareness and demand for local food as well as maintaining food quality and standards. This session will discuss marketing best practices, the importance of quality branding and certification, and ways to strengthen markets so they serve as community assets while providing income opportunities for local farmers.
  
  Moderator:
  Kostas Skordas, Regional Planner, Appalachian Regional Commission, Washington, D.C.
  
  Speakers:
  Kristen Branscum, Executive Director, Office of Agricultural Marketing and Product Promotion, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Frankfort, Kentucky
  
  Peter Marks, Program Director, Local Food Campaign, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, Asheville, North Carolina
  
  Stacy Miller, Executive Director, Farmers Market Coalition, Charlottesville, Virginia

2:50 p.m.–3:10 p.m.

Break

3:10 p.m.–4:30 p.m.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS II: IMPLEMENTING LOCAL FOOD ACTIVITIES

Choose one of the following four concurrent sessions. Sessions will feature interactive discussion with regional leaders on successful ways to implement local food economies.

• Developing Shared-Use Food Processing Centers
  Windsor Ballroom A (First Floor)
  Successful shared-use food processing centers have the potential to create job opportunities and spark entrepreneurial ventures that strengthen local food economies. While popular, these projects require widespread collaboration and significant planning and capital resources to succeed. In this session, panelists will discuss how to develop and strengthen shared-use food processing facilities.
  
  Moderator:
  David Hughes, Business Development Analyst, Appalachian Regional Commission, Washington, D.C.
  
  Speakers:
  Kevin Kilburn, Chef; Instructor, Shoals Entrepreneurial Center, Florence, Alabama
  
  Leslie Schaller, Director of Programming, Appalachian Center for Economic Networks, Athens, Ohio
  
  Mary Lou Surgi, Executive Director, Blue Ridge Food Ventures, Candler, North Carolina


• Local and Sustainable Meat and Meat Processing
  Windsor Ballroom B (First Floor)
  Demand for local and sustainably produced meat is on the rise. However, Appalachian farmers and meat producers face unique challenges in getting their products processed and certified for local and regional markets. Panelists in this session will discuss issues in developing successful local meat processing facilities, including assessing capacity needs, meeting legal and regulatory regulations, and securing financing.
  
  Moderator:
  Larry Fisher, Director of Finance, Appalachian Center for Economic Networks, Athens, Ohio
  
  Speakers:
  Danny Boyer, Farmer; President, Grayson LandCare, Inc.,, Independence, Virginia
  
  Casey McKissick, Farmer; Coordinator, NC Choices, Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Old Fort, North Carolina
  
  Smithson Mills, Researcher and Consultant, Asheville, North Carolina
  
  Jerry Moles, Facilitator, New River LandCare, Independence, Virginia


• Models of Sustainability: The Role of the Agripreneur
  Alexander Room (Second Floor)
  Entrepreneurial farmers and food producers throughout Appalachia are finding new markets and niche products to sell, increasing revenue and creating business ventures that are both profitable and environmentally sustainable. In this session panelists will discuss innovative ways agripreneurs are adapting to changing market conditions, satisfying customer demand, and creating new agricultural and culinary experiences.
  
  Moderator:
  Roland McReynolds, Executive Director, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Pittsboro, North Carolina
  
  Speakers:
  Travis Edgerton, Manager, Farmers Fresh Market, Rutherfordton, North Carolina
  
  Dale Hawkins, Chef and Farmer, Fish Hawk Acres; Founder, New Appalachian Farm and Research Center, Rock Cave, West Virginia
  
  Michael Porterfield, Farmer and Founder, New Sprout Organic Farms, Asheville, North Carolina


• Farm-to-School, Farm-to-College, Farm-to-Hospital: The Value of Institutional Buyers
  Victoria Room (Second Floor)
  Partnerships with local schools and other large-scale institutions such as hospitals, colleges, and universities help drive local-food demand, build supply capacity, and strengthen links between institutional consumers and local farms and food producers. This session will showcase examples of these partnerships in Appalachia, and how they are benefiting local communities.
  
  Moderator:
  Pam Curry, Executive Director, Center for Economic Options, Charleston, West Virginia
  
  Speakers:
  Emily Jackson, Program Director, Growing Minds Farm to School Program, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, Asheville, North Carolina
  
  Bekki Leigh, Coordinator, Office of Child Nutrition, West Virginia Department of Education, Charleston, West Virginia

4:30 p.m.

Adjourn for the Day/Dinner on Your Own

Information on local restaurants and food-related events will be available.

7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m.
Grand Ballroom (First Floor)

Breakfast

8:30 a.m.–9:45 a.m.
Grand Ballroom (First Floor)

Plenary Panel

The Future of Local Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture in Appalachia
Leaders and practitioners from a variety of perspectives discuss their vision for the local food movement in Appalachia, as well as opportunities and challenges for growth in this field.

Moderator:
Jean Haskell, Co-Editor, Encyclopedia of Appalachia, Portsmouth, Virginia

Panelists:
Michelle Decker, Executive Director, Rural Action, Trimble, Ohio

Roland McReynolds, Executive Director, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Pittsboro, North Carolina

Leslie Schaller, Director of Programming, Appalachian Center for Economic Networks, Athens, Ohio

Kathlyn Terry, Executive Director, Appalachian Sustainable Development, Abingdon, Virginia

9:45 a.m.–10:00 a.m.

Break

10:00 a.m.–11:20 a.m.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS III: IMPLEMENTING LOCAL FOOD ACTIVITIES

Choose one of the following three concurrent sessions. Sessions will feature interactive discussion with regional leaders on successful ways to implement local food economies.

• Innovative Financing Programs and Ideas for Farmers and Food Producers
  Alexander Room (Second Floor)
  A common barrier to implementing local food and farm initiatives is access to capital and credit. In this session, participants will hear from funders and investors how Appalachian entrepreneurs can access funding for their food and farm businesses.
  
  Moderator:
  Ray Daffner, Manager, Entrepreneurial Development, Appalachian Regional Commission, Washington, D.C.
  
  Panelists:
  Carol Peppe Hewitt, Co-Founder, Slow Money NC
  
  Mark Kudlowitz, Associate Program Manager, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Washington, D.C.
  
  Anna Tefft, Director of Lending and North Carolina Senior Business Lender, Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc., Winston-Salem, North Carolina


• Increasing Access to Healthy Food
  Windsor Ballroom (First Floor)
  Improving access to high-quality, nutritious food is key to reducing health disparities in Appalachia, where many communities suffer from disproportionate rates of diet-related diseases. Increasing the use of locally grown healthy food is one way to address this issue. In this session panelists will discuss programs that have incorporated the use of locally grown food in efforts to improve community health.
  
  Moderator:
  Savanna Lyons, Program Manager, West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition, West Virginia Community Development Hub, Beckley, West Virginia
  
  Speakers:
  David Cooke, Director, Grow Appalachia, and Director, Berea College Appalachian Fund, Berea College, Berea, Kentucky
  
  Nikki DAdamo-Damery, Coordinator, Appalachian Foodshed Project, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
  
  David Holben, Professor, School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
  
  Kathlyn Terry, Executive Director, Appalachian Sustainable Development, Abingdon, Virginia


• Agritourism: Economic Opportunities for Local Farmers and Communities
  Victoria Room (Second Floor)
  To expand revenue streams, many Appalachian farmers have opened their farms to visitors. This requires an understanding of the tradeoffs involved in running a farm operation while allowing visitors to experience on-the-farm life. In this session, panelists will discuss how local leaders and entrepreneurs can support these agritourism efforts.
  
  Moderator:
  Martha Glass, Manager, Agritourism Office, Marketing Division, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Raleigh, North Carolina
  
  Speakers:
  Pamela Bartholomew, Agritourism Marketing Specialist, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee
  
  Mary Jeanne Packer, President, Ghostwriters Communications, Watkins Glen, New York
  
  Monika Roth, Extension Issue Leader and Agriculture Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, Ithaca, New York

11:30 a.m.–1:45 p.m.
Grand Ballroom (First Floor)

Local Foods Luncheon and Funders Panel

Representatives of public and private funding institutions will discuss what they have learned from past investments and how they measure success, and will identify future funding priorities to support local food systems and sustainable agriculture.

Moderator:
Bill Yarborough, Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Agriculture, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Waynesville, North Carolina

Panelists:
Ray Daffner, Manager, Entrepreneurial Development, Appalachian Regional Commission, Washington, D.C.

Wayne Fawbush, Program Officer, Ford Foundation, New York, New York

William Hobbs, Director, Community Programs, USDA Rural Development, Raleigh, North Carolina

Tim Richards, Senior Program Officer, Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, Asheville, North Carolina

1:45 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

Closing Remarks

2:00 p.m.

Conference Adjourns

Participants who have registered for the optional food and farm tours will meet in the hotel lobby for 2:15 p.m. departure.

2:15 p.m.

Buses Depart from Renaissance Asheville Hotel for Optional Local Food and Farm Tours

Tour participants will meet in the hotel lobby immediately after the conference adjourns at 2:00 p.m.

The local food and farm tours will showcase local food business ventures and sustainable farms. Please sign up for the tours when you register for the forum. Register early! Tours are limited to 55 participants each.

West Tour: The West tour will visit Blue Ridge Food Ventures and Hominy Valley FarmsLand and Cattle.

North Tour: The North tour will visit Annie's Organic Bakery Production Facility and Echoview Farm and will include presentations from Riverbend Malt House and Madison Farms.

East Tour: The East tour will visit New Sprout Organic Farms and Hop'n Blueberry Farm.

6:00 p.m.

Buses Return from Local Food and Farm Tours