Wednesday, June 12th 2024
(130 New Scotland Ave, Albany, NY 12208) & Virtual
Megan Larmer
Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming
Megan Larmer is Senior Director of Regional Food Programs. She leads projects that convene food and farming professionals to execute training, collective efforts, and creative projects that further the development of a regional food system in the Hudson Valley. Primary amongst these are Glynwood's Cider Project, the Hudson Valley CSA Coalition, and the Food Sovereignty Fund. Previously, Megan was Director of Strategic Initiatives and Community Outreach for Slow Food USA. In 2024 she received her PhD in anthropology for her research amongst regional food and farming advocates in the Hudson Valley from the University of Exeter where she is an associate of the Center for Rural Policy Research. Megan also holds an MA with distinction in Anthropology from SOAS, University of London, where her research focused on seed exchange, first-generation women farmers and food heritage. Her broad range of experience in food and agriculture, including ten years as a restaurant professional, farmer's market manager, and community garden organizer, inspire Megan's continued determination to build more just and joyful food systems.
Speaking In:
The Food Sovereignty Fund: investing in shared abundance
Originating in a year’s worth of community conversations and resource sharing, Glynwood’s Food Sovereignty Fund has been contracting small-scale farmers from historically marginalized backgrounds to supply fresh, nutrient-dense, culturally significant food to frontline food access programs since 2020. To date, more than 230,000 pounds of vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat, and poultry have been distributed, and in 2023 approximately 15,000 households received food through the program. In 2024, the Food Sovereignty Fund will support and facilitate partnerships between approximately forty farms and food access programs. Critical elements of the program that will be discussed are the process for contracting farms and reporting deliveries, building and operating refrigerated “mini-hubs” for aggregation and distribution of food, and implementing language justice practices with the program cohort. This panel features the experts on the ground (farmers, organizers, food pantry managers) who designed and implement this program. It will also preview the forthcoming Food Sovereignty Fund toolkit that summarizes challenges, lessons learned, and suggested best practices for others to adopt and replicate this program in their communities.
2:00 p.m.
Armory Main Stage
Wednesday, June 12th 2024
(130 New Scotland Ave, Albany, NY 12208) & Virtual