Conference

Harvesting Opportunity: The Power of Regional Food System Investments to Transform Communities

August 3, 2017

Federal Reserve Board, Washington, D.C.

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Harvesting Opportunity: The Power of Regional Food System Investments to Transform Communities is a policy forum to be held August 3, 2017, at the Federal Reserve Board's Wilson Conference Center in Washington, D.C. Forum participants will discuss the use of regional food strategies to advance community and economic development goals, including models for collaboration between policymakers, practitioners, and the financial community. Participants will also explore research, policy, and resource gaps that, if addressed, might contribute to the success of regional food systems strategies.

The convening will be hosted by the Federal Reserve Board in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development and the Agricultural Marketing Service. The forum will coincide with the partners' publication of Harvesting Opportunity: The Power of Regional Food System Investments to Transform Communities, a book that focuses on regional food systems as a means for enhancing economic opportunity.

While attendance is by invitation, the publication and all materials presented at the forum will be available for download.

Links to Partner Websites

Agenda
Registration
10:30 a.m.
Welcome

Andrew Dumont, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, Federal Reserve Board of Governors

10:45 a.m.
Regional Food Systems: Economic Opportunity through Entrepreneurship

Senior policymakers will provide their perspectives on the opportunities made available through regional food systems, and the challenges to capitalizing on those opportunities.

Moderator: Andrew Dumont, Federal Reserve Board of Governors

Panelists:

  • Anna Alvarez Boyd, Federal Reserve Board of Governors
  • Julie Stackhouse, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Economic Impacts of Regional Food Systems: What are They and What Drives Them?

Communities across the U.S. are pursuing numerous industries and strategies to create economic opportunities for their residents. This session will explore the potential that regional food systems represent as one of those strategies, what we know about the key elements to successfully deploying regional food systems as an economic driver, and the experiences of several organizations involved in developing and implementing regional food strategies.

Moderator: Debbie Tropp, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service

Panelists:

  • Malini Ram Moraghan, DAISA Enterprises
  • Mary Hendrickson, University of Missouri
  • David Shabazian, Sacramento Area Council of Governments
  • Haile Johnston, The Common Market
Lunch
Lunch Keynote Speaker

Anne Hazlett, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Regional Food Jobs and Businesses: Working to Ensure Equitable Access for All

Investments in supporting regional food systems create opportunities for job creation and small business development. This session will explore the current understanding of how regional food system investments impact businesses and job quantity and quality throughout the supply chain, and work that is underway to ensure that traditionally underserved or marginalized populations have access to those new prospects.

Moderator: James Barham, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development

Panelists:

  • Pakou Hang, Hmong American Farmers Association
  • Lisa Benson, American Farm Bureau Federation
  • Christina Spach, Food Chain Workers Alliance
  • Kimberly Brown, DC Central Kitchen
Break
Investing in Regional Food Systems: Deploying Capital to Advance Opportunity

Regional food systems present numerous avenues for engagement by financial, philanthropic, and government stakeholders. This session will explore a number of those investment opportunities, ways that different stakeholders are partnering to deploy resources, and capital gaps that are holding the industry back from realizing its full potential.

Moderator: Kate Danaher, RSF Social Finance

Panelists:

  • Eric Kessler, Arabella Advisors
  • Donna Leuchten Nuccio, Reinvestment Fund
  • Kevin Goldsmith, JPMorgan Chase
  • Gary Matteson, The Farm Credit Council
Partnerships for the Future

Leading thinkers on regional food systems issues will reflect on the day’s conversation and explore what new investments, research, and policies could best advance the industry’s potential to create economic opportunity in our communities.

Moderator: Daniel Davis, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Panelists:

  • Tim Crosby, Thread Fund
  • Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University
  • Maureen McNamara Best, Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP)
Reception Until 7 p.m.
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Last Update: August 03, 2017