On February 28, Food Tank will host a completely SOLD OUT one-day summit on the campus of The George Washington University (GWU), titled “Cultivating the Next Generation of Young Food Leaders,” in partnership with GWU, the World Resources Institute, the National Farmers Union, the National FFA Organization, and the National Young Farmers Coalition.
This event will feature more than 35 speakers and panelists from the Washington, D.C. area and around the world, including farmers, members of Congress, nonprofit and business leaders, and many more! The Summit’s engaging panels will be moderated by journalists from National Public Radio, The Washington Post, Vox, and POLITICO.
Tickets to attend in person have sold out, but you can join still join the conversation! Tune into our FREE livestream on Food Tank’s Facebook page and engage with us on social media using #FoodTank. After the event, all videos will be immediately archived on Food Tank’s YouTube Channel.
Food Tank has just announced an intimate post-Summit reception and dinner immediately following the Food Tank D.C. Summit at Busboys and Poets to “Celebrate the Next Generation of Young Food Leaders.” Tickets are on sale now to join this incredible conversation over a dinner specially curated by Andy Shallet, the Founder of Busboys and Poets. We expect this event will sell out within 24 hours so please CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets today!
A limited amount of tickets are still available for Food Tank’s Inaugural Seattle Summit on March 17, 2018 titled “Growing Food Policy,” in partnership with the Environmental Working Group, Food Action, Garden-Raised Bounty (GRuB), the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Seattle University’s Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability. This event will sell out so CLICK HERE and get your tickets today!
Get ready for next week and check out the 2018 Food Tank Washington, D.C. Summit all-star line up of food leaders and innovators leading discussions on cultivating the next generation of young food leaders!
M.J. Altman, World Food Program USA’s Editorial Director, highlights food stories from around the world as the host of World Food Program USA’s Hacking Hunger podcast. She has also worked at the Smithsonian Institution and contributed content to publications such as TIME magazine and National Geographic.
Allison Aubrey, Correspondent for NPR News, has won awards from the James Beard Foundation and the American Society for Nutrition for her coverage of issues related to food and nutrition. Her work has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and The Salt, as well as the PBS NewsHour.
Eliza Barclay, Science and Health Editor at Vox.com, is a former editor and reporter for NPR’s food blog The Salt and now oversees Vox.com’s coverage of issues related to the environment, health, energy, and science.
Anne-Teresa Birthwright, PhD student in Development Geography at the University of the West Indies, won the 2016 Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition Foundation (BCFN) YES! (Young Earth Solutions) contest and received funding for her study “Surviving the Drought: An Irrigation Curriculum for Jamaica’s Small-Scale Farmers.”
Jessie Bovay, Director of Business Development at Mercaris, seeks to increase the transparency of the marketing process for organic and non-GMO products. Her background includes evaluating supply chains and working in the areas of food and water security.
Tim Carman, Food Writer for The Washington Post, won a James Beard Award for Food-Related Columns and Commentary, and his writing has been featured in the Best Food Writing collection, Cornbread Nation, and numerous publications, such as American Scholar.
Caitlin Dewey, Reporter for The Washington Post, covers food and agriculture policy and writes for The Washington Post’s Wonkblog. She was a 2017 Food Fellow through the UC Berkeley-11th Hour Food and Farming Journalism Fellowship program.
Meredith Epstein, Lecturer and advisor in Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Maryland’s (UMD) Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA), has a background in organic farming and farmer education. In addition to coordinating the Sustainable Agriculture program at IAA, she manages the UMD Community Learning Garden.
Helena Bottemiller Evich, Senior Food and Agriculture Reporter for POLITICO Pro, has covered a range of topics related to food politics and policy, such as NAFTA, food safety, and federal nutrition assistance. She reported for Food Safety News before joining POLITICO.
Mara Fleishman, Chief Executive Officer at the Chef Ann Foundation, focuses on school food reform and contributes to the foundation’s blog The Lunch Line. Previously, she worked for Whole Foods Market, leading marketing and working on a national school food reform initiative.
Seth Goldman, Co-Founder of Honest Tea, began his bottled tea business by brewing tea at home. As Co-Founder and TeaEO Emeritus, Seth leads the brand, sourcing from organic and Fair Trade Certified™ suppliers. He also serves as Executive Chairman of Beyond Meat and in leadership roles for other organizations including the sustainability organization Bethesda Green.
Bennett Haynes, Chief of Produce at Beefsteak, is in charge of the fast-casual and vegetable-centric restaurant concept’s sourcing strategy and sustainability practices. A past recipient of a Fulbright scholar award, he has worked as a community organizer in Thailand for the Alternative Agriculture Network (AAN) and as a farmer after starting Ralston Farm.
Jill Isenbarger, CEO at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, connects a range of food systems actors such as farmers, policymakers, and chefs as a leader of the nonprofit farm and education center. Previously, she served as chief of staff at The Nature Conservancy.
Roger Johnson, President of the National Farmers Union, is a third-generation family farmer. He formerly served as Commissioner of North Dakota Agriculture and President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).
Guy Kilpatric, Manager of the Terp Farm at the University of Maryland, is experienced in organic produce farming and completed the Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Amber Lambke, President and CEO at Maine Grains, Inc., which supplies organic and heritage grains to businesses in the northeastern United States, is the founding director of the Maine Grain Alliance and founder of the Kneading Conference.
Jeremiah Lowery, a member of the DC Food Policy Council, directs the Universal Childcare NOW D.C. Coalition and participates in advocacy around food systems issues in Washington, D.C., including workers’ rights and food justice.
Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of Sustainability and Professor of Public Policy at The George Washington University (GW), has an extensive background in agriculture policy, including serving as U.S. Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Her work has included creating and leading the USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative and leading the GW Sustainability Collaborative and the GW Food Institute.
Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-WA), is a member of the House of Representatives and a third-generation farmer, as well as a former Washington State legislator and Director of Washington State’s Department of Agriculture.
Regina Northouse, Executive Director of the Food Recovery Network, is in charge of the Food Recovery Network’s vision, strategy, and fundraising, working with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders to reduce food waste on college campuses and institutions across the United States.
Scott Norton, Co-founder of the condiments brand Sir Kensington’s, has been recognized as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business.
Logan Peterman, Agricultural Research and Analytics Manager at Organic Valley, draws upon research expertise to inform the agricultural cooperative’s strategy and operations. He has also served as an advisor to a range of governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), is a member of the House of Representatives, as well as an organic farmer and small business owner. Much of her work in Congress has focused on food and agriculture, and she received a James Beard Leadership Award in 2017 for her food systems leadership.
Mark Poeschl, CEO of the National FFA Organization and the National FFA Foundation, has substantial leadership experience in large animal nutrition companies and has worked on sustainable and responsible animal protein production issues.
Jennie Schmidt of Schmidt Farms helps to run her family farm and has served in multiple leadership roles with organizations including the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board and the Global Farmer Network.
Sarah Sem, Former President of The Store at George Washington University and a sophomore at GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs, has been active in student organizations since starting college, working to address food insecurity and gender inequality locally and globally.
Lindsey Lusher Shute, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the National Young Farmers Coalition, was recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change. In addition to serving as leader and spokesperson for the Network, Lindsey owns and operates Hearty Roots Community Farm in Tivoli, New York.
Scott Sibbel of Sibbel Family Farm, a Niman Ranch independent farmer and rancher using humane practices to raise hogs and cattle, has won several awards, including Niman Ranch’s 2016 Farmer of the Year Award.
Dan Simons, Co-Owner of the Farmers Restaurant Group and Co-Founder of their flagship restaurant Founding Farmers, draws from his long-term hospitality experience while speaking at educational and industry events.
Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute, leads a global research effort to identify solutions to economic and environmental challenges. Previously, he served as Special Envoy for Climate Change at the World Bank.
Tambra Raye Stevenson, Founder and CEO of WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, & Agriculture and a member of the DC Food Policy Council, has been recognized among Innov8tiv’s Top 50 Women in Tech 2018 and as a Champion of Children’s Wellbeing. She has spoken at numerous institutions and events and authored the children’s book series Where’s WANDA?
Myeasha Taylor, Urban Farming Specialist, works to address food insecurity and strengthen local food economies. In addition to coaching individuals and food businesses in urban agriculture, entrepreneurship, and volunteerism, she co-founded Two Moons Food Group LLP.
Haile Thomas, the 17-year-old CEO of HAPPY (Healthy Active Positive Purposeful Youth), founded the organization at age 12 and is the youngest Certified Integrative Health Coach in the U.S. She works to educate people around the world about healthy lifestyle choices and has been featured on numerous television programs including the Today Show.
Lauren Frances Tucker is the Executive Director at Kiss the Ground, which seeks to build healthy soils to address climate change through public engagement. She has a background working with national and international nonprofits, and as a chef, master gardener, and community organizer.
Cecily Upton is the Co-Founder and Vice President of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at FoodCorps, an organization working to create healthy school food environments through delivering lessons, working in school cafeterias, and helping schools develop a culture of health.
Mailee Walker is the Executive Director at the Claneil Foundation, which focuses on improving community health and operates grant programs supporting groups and organizations working to build a better food system. She also participates in committees with the Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders and the Philanthropy Network.
Liz Whitehurst owns and operates Owl’s Nest Farm, a small-scale farm growing Certified Naturally Grown produce, herbs, and flowers. The farm supplies a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, a farmers market, and local restaurants, and Liz was recently featured in a Washington Post article.
Emily Zweber, Farmer-Member of Organic Valley, co-owns and operates a fourth generation family farm in Minnesota. She also serves on the Organic Valley Coop-Committee and offers farm tours and school visits to educate community members in sustainability.
Don’t forget to join us on February 28 online or in person as we discuss the next generation of food policy leadership!
