KEYNOTE SPEAKER

From 1979 to 2003, Mark Winne was the Executive Director of the Hartford Food System, a Connecticut non-profit food organization. He is the co-founder of numerous organizations including the Community Food Security Coalition and the State of Connecticut Food Policy Council. He was a Kellogg Foundation Food and Society Fellow and a member of the U.S. Delegation to the 2000 Rome Conference on Food Security. As a writer on food issues, Mark’s work has appeared in the Washington Post, The Nation, Sierra, Orion, and Yes!, to name a few. He is the author of five books: Closing the Food Gap, Food Rebels, Guerrilla Gardeners, and Smart Cookin’ Mamas and Stand Together or Starve Alone, Food Town USA, and most recently,The Road to a Hunger-free America: Selected Writings of Mark Winne. Through his own firm, Mark Winne Associates, Mark speaks, trains, and writes on topics related to community food systems, food policy, and food security. He also serves as a Senior Advisor to the Center for a Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Mark lives and writes in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Adam Schwieterman serves as Executive Director of Local Roots Market & Cafe in Wooster, Ohio, where he has been since 2018.

Alex Blume is a marketing professional currently serving as Argus Farm Stop's Marketing Manager. With over 6 years of experience working with a variety of local food and food waste organizations across the urban-rural spectrum, Alex works to extend local food sales channels to all market segments, across demographic boundaries. Born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Alex attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Upon graduation, Alex worked in the live music industry, but transitioned soon after into sustainable ventures. He spent 3 years administering customer service and digital marketing for Turn Compost in Dallas, Texas, a subscription based consumer and business composting service. After moving to Michigan in 2020, Alex's desire to learn more about sustainable food systems led him to the regenerative ranching and maple sugaring farm, Whitney Farmstead in Ann Arbor. Working directly with rotational grazing, organic feed production, wood fired maple sugaring, and traditional building techniques, Alex gained valuable experience at the ground level of sustainable food production. In 2022, Alex began working at Argus Farm Stop. As Marketing Manager, Alex uses website design, search engine optimization, digital and physical advertising, email, and customer service techniques to amplify Argus Farm Stop's branding and messages. Alex's goal is to use his knowledge of local food systems and farmers' needs with his experience and expertise in marketing to expand local food's reach beyond its traditional barriers.

Alex is a Conservation Specialist at Washtenaw County Conservation District. She is responsible for administering the Transition to Organic Partnership Program, funded by the USDA Organic Transition Initiative. Through the TOPP program, Alex connects certified organic farmer mentors with farmer mentees who want to transition their crops and livestock to organic production.

Alex also owns and operates Seeley Farm, a small, diversified market farm north of Ann Arbor. Her farm is preserved under the City of Ann Arbor Greenbelt program, and was certified organic for 9 years. Alex has been a vendor at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market for 14 years, and formerly served on the Public Market Advisory Commission for the city of Ann Arbor. She currently serves on the Ann Arbor Township Farmland and Open Space Preservation Board, working to preserve farmland in conservation easements. Alex founded the Michigan Flower Growers Cooperative, a farmer-owned marketing co-op for wholesale cut flowers.

Alex Canepa is the Director of Policy at Fair Food Network, where he works with policymakers across the political spectrum to develop policies that build health and wealth through food.

Alex directs Fair Food Network’s policy efforts in Michigan and works with the Fair Food Fund team to further the Fund’s policy priorities nationally. In 2020, Alex was appointed to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Food Security Council. He also provides policy support and expert technical assistance to SNAP incentive programs across the country through the Nutrition Incentive Impact Hub.

Before joining the Fair Food Network team, Alex served as the Sustainable Food Center’s Policy Officer in his hometown of Austin, Texas. In Texas, Alex led the development and successful implementation of the SFC’s policy goals in the Texas Legislature.

Alex grows tomatoes year-round and is an avid baseball player. He holds an MSc. in History from the University of Oxford and a BS in History and Politics from Trinity College Dublin.

Dr. Amanda Philyaw Perez is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in Food Systems and Safety with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. With more than 15 years of experience, her work focuses on identifying barriers and advancing practical solutions to strengthen local and regional food systems.

Dr. Philyaw Perez leads the Local, Regional, and Safe Foods Team, providing guidance and supply-chain coordination for farms and food businesses. Her areas of expertise include value-added food startup development, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and FSMA Produce Safety, food manufacturing safety, regulatory compliance, and technical assistance.

She has led more than $4 million in grant-funded projects through programs such as the USDA Local Food Promotion Program, Specialty Crop Block Grants, Regional Food Systems Partnerships, and Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure initiatives. Dr. Philyaw Perez has also contributed to research and evaluation efforts aimed at improving school meals, reducing childhood obesity, supporting Farm to School procurement, establishing and expanding farmers markets, mapping food systems, and developing school wellness policies—many of which have informed state and national policy.

Dr. Philyaw Perez believes local food systems have the power to transform health, strengthen local economies, and shape community culture, and she is particularly interested in the farm stop model as a promising tool for advancing these outcomes.

Andrew has been building community around food projects for over 45 years as a chef, educator and farmer.  From 2001-2012 he was the co-director of Slow Food Denver’s Seed-to-Table School Food Program and developed protocols for Youth Farmers’ Markets and Garden to Cafeteria programs for Denver Public Schools that became a model for other school districts.  From 2009-2014, Andrew was the District Partner for Denver Public Schools and Jefferson County Schools helping to source local fruits, vegetables and meats for the cafeterias, to develop scratch cooking and salad bars in schools, and the development of school farms to grow organic vegetables for school kitchens.   Andrew was appointed to the CO Farm to School Task Force in 2010 and headed up working groups on Farm to School Evaluation and Marketing.  On the National level, Andrew was one of 6 chefs invited to the White House in 2010 to help develop the Chefs Move to Schools Program and was the Director of the National School Garden Program for Slow Food USA from 2014-2017.   For the past 8 years, Andrew and wife Lisa have operated Community Table Farm in Longmont, CO to inspire and empower our community to gather around local, healthy food through experiences in growing, preparing and enjoying farm fresh meals on an actual working farm.  This past year, our CSA program fed over 120 families and supplied fresh produce to 15 restaurants. Andrew is now working with Boulder County to bring the first Farm Stop to Colorado next year.

Caroline has worked for a decade in organic farming and food justice initiatives, including co-founding a 2-acre organic vegetable farm in Ann Arbor, MI in 2021. She has been working with Real Organic Project as the Midwest Regional Organizer since May of 2024.

Casey Miller has worked with Argus Farm Stop in various capacities since 2014. After spending almost 20 years working in human resources in higher ed, non-profits, and private industry, Casey is happy to have made a home with Argus where she can meld her people and organizational skills with her love of vegetables. Energized by the tangible impact on Ann Arbor’s local food economy, she does what she can to help Argus thrive. In her current role as External Training Manager, she does her best to stoke the fires of the farm stop movement nationally and, sometimes, internationally. In her free time, she can be found pushing the boundaries of what can be grown in her tiny yard, or relaxing with her partner and son. She would love nothing more than to hear about your farm stop aspirations.

Chris Dilley has been working in and with cooperative grocery retail over 25 years. Most of his experience was with People’s Food Co-op of Kalamazoo, starting with board service in 1998 then as general manager from 2003 to 2023, where he helped the co-op to move locations and quadruple the store size and sales, take on operation of the Kalamazoo Farmers Market, and address inequities in the local food system. After leaving PFC and spending two years as a manager on contract, Chris is now the Director of Start-Up Support at Food Co-op Initiative, a national non-profit supporting the community-based efforts to develop startup food cooperatives. He is passionate about the cooperative model, great grocery experiences, local food systems development, and equitable access for all. He lives in Kalamazoo, MI, with his wife and son, and their pup, Cayanne. In his spare time, he enjoys playing board games, cooking new things, and walking in the woods.

Dave Huntoon is a location research analyst who has spent his career helping retailers to quantify those factors that drive successful store performance. Dave has been a partner in consulting firms focused on retail location research, including Howard L. Green & Associates, Thompson Associates, MapInfo Corporation, Intalytics, and most recently Kalibrate. 

Dave has worked with retailers, restaurants, banks, healthcare firms, services providers, and private equity firms throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. His primary focus has been to develop sales forecasting models that can be used to project sales for proposed locations. In addition, he has leveraged those forecasting models to develop regional, national, and global expansion strategies for retail clients (estimating how many additional units can be successfully supported, and creating a list of specific recommended locations). Some of the clients who Dave has worked for include The Home Depot, lululemon, Williams-Sonoma, The Fresh Market, Sprouts, ALDI, Healthy Living, and other grocery chains.

Dave has a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Geography from Dartmouth Collage, and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. Dave resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is a regular Argus Farm Stop patron.

Jae Gerhart, MS, is the Manager of the Food is Medicine Network at Trinity Health Michigan. Her work centers on local and regional food system development while improving health equity in Michigan’s communities. Her experience as a small-scale farmer and cooperative extension local food coordinator guides The Farm’s unique Food is Medicine approach that includes direct farm coordination, local food system development, and clinical evaluation. Gerhart’s most recent contribution to the program includes advancing Michigan’s new Medicaid In Lieu of Services program through a cooperative network model to include small community based organizations. Gerhart finds great value in using data to demonstrate the impact of Food is Medicine programs and stewarded the integration of the Farm’s FIM programs into the electronic medical system to improve clinical outcome measures.

Jasmin LeBlanc is the Founder and Executive Director of Roots & Harvest Community, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Missouri’s first rural Farm Stop, based in Ash Grove. She leads the development of producer-centered Farm Stop models that expand market access for small and mid-sized farms while increasing food access and health outcomes in rural communities. Under her leadership, Roots & Harvest serves producers across 14 counties and operates as a proof-of-concept site within the national Farm Stop network.

Originally from Vermont, where local food systems are deeply embedded in rural culture, Jasmin brings a long-standing passion for community-based food economies to her work in the Midwest. Her experience spans nonprofit leadership, rural retail and aggregation models, and the integration of Food-as-Medicine programming, including partnerships that connect local farmers with healthcare and community access points.

In 2025, Roots & Harvest Community received the Missouri Farm-to-Table Award, recognizing its leadership in strengthening local food connections and advancing rural food access. Jasmin is also a mother of four teenagers, a perspective that shapes her commitment to building resilient food systems that support both farm viability and community health for future generations.

Jimmy Wright is a lifelong Independent Grocer. He serves as owner and operator of Wright's Market, a traditional neighborhood retail food store in Opelika, Alabama, along with Wright2U, an e-commerce fresh food delivery company. Wright's Market was the first Independent Grocer in America to offer the ability to use SNAP benefits to shop online. Wright's Market also offers its SNAP customers incentives on fresh produce purchases as part of the USDA GUSNIP program. He has testified before both the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture committees on the importance of the SNAP program in our country.
In January 2020, he formed Wright Food Solutions to offer his consulting services to retailers, wholesalers, non-profits and community development groups in the areas food access, food security and food affordability, with a focus on urban inner city and rural America.

Joe grew up on his family farm which has been blessed to operate in it's current location in Riga, MI for over 120 years. Over the years it has had many different focuses from livestock to row crops and for the last 35 years the main focus has been a diversified market farm with greenhouse, produce and flower products. As Joe began to farm full-time two years ago he has not only taken on more responsibilities on the family farm, he has started a new entity with his brother Jake to grow and process organic food grain grains and oil crops for local consumers. Their current crop line up includes hard red wheats for local bakeries, as well as high oleic sunflowers for cold pressed oil, and oats that are processed into rolled oats.

Jonathan Raduns is the founder of Merchandise Food, a food-focused consulting firm. Drawing on his background in farming, farmers markets, and fresh produce retail, he advises food retailers across North America who are opening new stores or evolving existing specialty, natural, produce, farm, and grocery operations. Jonathan works closely with owners and leaders on topics including: identifying a retail strategy, store layouts, merchandising, product mix development, operational efficiencies, shrink management, and equipment & technology sourcing. 

Kate Fitzgerald works on federal policy that links family farms with consumers and institutions to achieve healthier and more resilient local and regional food systems.

She has worked at the local, state and national levels designing and implementing programs, and turning the successes into better policy. This has included piloting initiatives in Texas that became USDA’s WIC and Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Programs; developing the first federal farm to school grant program; working with Congress to craft legislation and win permanent funding for SNAP incentive and produce prescription programs; and supporting independent grocers’ successful participation in these programs.

Most recently Kate served as USDA’s Senior Advisor for Food Systems, responsible for standing up the 12 Regional Food Business Centers and overseeing a range of initiatives to stimulate new markets for small and mid-sized producers including the Local Food for Schools, Local Food Purchase Assistance Programs, and Resilient Food System Infrastructure grants.

Kate has received the Gus Schumacher Award, the Sustainable Food Center's Changemaker Award, and the Distinguished Appropriate Technology Award for Sustainable Agriculture.

Kate Krauss is CEO of Fair Food Network, a Michigan-based national non-profit that works to grow community health, wealth, and resilience through food. For more than two decades, Kate has dedicated her professional life to pursuing transformative, actionable solutions to deeply rooted problems. Her work is inspired by her belief in food as a source of joy, a path to justice, and a powerful way to create common ground.

Prior to joining Fair Food Network, Kate worked on global conservation initiatives for The Nature Conservancy and served as Managing Director of Slow Food USA, where she engaged a network of volunteer chapter leaders, inspiring people to explore the story behind their food—and rethink the way they grow, buy, and eat it.

A graduate of Columbia University, Kate began her career in television journalism, supporting the production of ABC’s World News Tonight and Nightline during the historic 2000 election and 9/11. She has spoken on state, national, and international stages, including at Terra Madre, the international food and agriculture gathering in Turin, Italy, and is currently on the board of the People’s Food Coop in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Kathryn is an organic farmer, researcher, consultant, and local food systems advocate. She received a master's degree in behavioral psychology and regional food systems planning at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability. She wrote the book, How to Start a Farm Stop, and published her research on how farm stops strengthen local and regional food systems in the Journal for Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. She currently works as an Associate at SupplyChange LLC, a firm dedicated to enhancing sustainable value chains across the U.S, specifically for underserved growers within institutional markets. She is a member of the Leadership Circle of the North American Food Systems Network, an Advisory Board member for Forum for the Future’s Growing our Future Initiative, and is currently working on developing a National Farm Stop Network to support existing and aspiring farm stop owners. Her work has been featured by Modern Farmer, Food Tank, and Resilience.

Kathy Sample & Bill Brinkerhoff started Argus Farm Stop in 2014 as an experiment – to see if a new model of the traditional farmers’ market would work, both for farmers and consumers. Having subscribed to CSAs for years, they have enjoyed locally grown food and were interested in a way to increase the economic prosperity of smaller farms. They believe a re-envisioned retail connection between small farms and consumers is the key to growing local food systems. 10+ years in, they are as enthusiastic about this model as ever – realizing how powerful it can be both economically and socially.

They are both graduates of the University of Michigan and bring deep business backgrounds from their former careers in the pharmaceutical and international business arenas.

Kevin Mackey is an entrepreneur and advocate for sustainable food systems from Cincinnati, Ohio. As founder of Halcyon Salsa in 2018 and the Urban Farming Initiative in 2020, Kevin has spent part of his career advancing circular food systems and empowering local food entrepreneurs. His work centers on creating infrastructure for small businesses and startups to strengthen their communities while improving their own financial health.

Kevin’s passion for food entrepreneurship grew out of a desire to reshape how cities support local producers and create lasting economic impact. At Halcyon Salsa, he demonstrated how food brands can build loyal customer base and foster flourishing local partnerships at farmers markets. Through the Urban Farming Initiative, Kevin has helped connect growers, makers, and consumers to build a robust, community-driven food ecosystem that keeps resources circulating locally.

Believing that strong food businesses are critical to both economic resilience and community well-being, Kevin combines practical business innovation with a vision for systemic change. He regularly consults with startups, small producers, and community organizations, sharing strategies for sustainable growth, efficient resource use, and collective financial success.

At the Farm Stop Conference, Kevin will share insights from his journey as a founder, lessons from scaling food ventures in urban areas, and practical tools for food entrepreneurs looking to boost local economies through circular business models. He champions the idea that every food entrepreneur can be a catalyst for positive change - improving financial outcomes for themselves and their communities, one delicious bite at a time.

Laura Matney, General Manager at Argus Farm Stop, has been an integral part of the company's growth since inception in 2014. Starting as Liberty St Store Manager, she organically transitioned into her current leadership role, overseeing both markets, cafes, online operations, and training. Laura's expertise lies in staff management, bookkeeping, and strategic planning. Her diverse background in wholesale, cafe, non-profit, and retail operations fuels her passion for localizing the food system and supporting the local economy. Known for her dynamic and energetic teaching style, Laura is affectionately referred to as the "Chief Cat Herder.

Lewis Hughes serves as a Local Foods Innovation Counselor in Washtenaw County. In his role as a Community Food Systems Educator with Michigan State University Extension, Lewis helps connect local and regional food producers with consumers in equitable and efficient ways. As an Innovation Counselor for the MSU Product Center, he guides food and value-added agriculture businesses through planning and development, including market research, product innovation, processing and licensing, testing, packaging, labeling, pricing, and wholesale marketing. Lewis brings experience as an organic grower, food hub operator, grant administrator, and educator, and has conducted research on farming practices across Asia, Europe, and the U.S. He holds an M.A. in Food Studies from Indiana University, where he focused on global food systems and regenerative agriculture.

Lisa McCauley is the building owner & manager for Meadowlark Market & Kitchen, a farm stop in Lander, Wyoming. She loves finding new ways to support local food entrepreneurs and farmers. Through her small business, Sunfisher Farm, she produces fruit sorbet and other value-added products under the Wyoming Food Freedom Act.   She was the Wyoming Representative on the Connecting and Scaling Entrepreneurs Theme Team, sponsored by the USDA Northwest & Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center. Before moving to Wyoming from the Philadelphia area, Lisa was a consultant for survey research and data analysis, taught experimental psychology, and worked in higher education administration.  

Magda Nawrocka-Weekes is the co-founder of Dog Star Farm. A small market garden focused on growing heirloom, culturally relevant crops along with climate resilient vegetable varieties. She met her partner Zach in Colorado where they started a 5-year journey working on organic farms across the US until they settled in Ann Arbor, MI to manage Slow Farm in 2023.

 
Originally from London, Magda has spent most of her work life in the service industry from busy London pubs to wine bars and fine dining. She took a brief detour from waitressing to obtain a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Edinburgh and to work as the head of sales and marketing for a start-up growing coral reefs to prevent coastal erosion. But her passion has always been food (and tangible delicious science). She made the jump to agriculture, with a focus on plant breeding and seed keeping, in 2021 and hasn’t looked back since.

 
Magda is always looking for ways to make the organic produce they grow more accessible. To build the local food-shed and to keep the soil happy while doing so. She charts her journey on her Substack (Scrap Farm) and on the farm Instagram (@DogStarFarm.MI), finding a use for her ill-gotten marketing skills promoting produce. She is also a published poet and overly-confident knitter. 

After spending the last 25 years as either the GM or owner of a chain of action spot retail stores and specialty sporting goods store in San Diego I have made the switch to the other side of the counter and now spend my day helping our customers navigate the crazy works of retail and understanding all that is involved in running your business effectively. We specialize in teaching our customers the tricks of the trade and bringing them up to speed on data analysis or working through the Open to Buy and teaching all that RetailEdge POS software has to offer.

When I am not nose down in an excel file, I can be found in the back country hiking and camping and enjoying time off grid.

Seth Seeger has been writing software for 30 years. Local food and food systems are important to him, and he and his family have spent years connecting to the local food system in their area. He truly enjoys supporting projects that bring together communities with their local food and local products. 

Dr. Tim Boring serves as the Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) supporting the department's continued commitment to investing in the state’s rural communities, providing opportunities for food and agriculture businesses, protecting consumers from the pump to the plate, and preserving Michigan’s environmental resources. Director Boring approaches those commitments with a focus on economic prosperity, regenerative agriculture and diversifying agricultural production across the state. His family operates a six-generation farm in Stockbridge, Michigan, which is why ensuring the next generation of farmers have the support they need is personal for him. Director Boring’s previous roles include State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency, President and Founder of Michigan Agriculture Advancement, and Research Director of the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee. He has a Ph.D. in Crop and Soil Sciences from Michigan State University.

Will Moyer started with Argus Farm Stop in 2019. He now runs Argus’s online store, subscription programs, and wholesale accounts. Prior to working at Argus, Will spent several years working on and managing mixed vegetable farms all over the Eastern half of the U.S. and earned a Master’s in watershed management. While at Argus he helped create and operate the online grocery store and established a year-round weekly produce box program that packs over 10,000 boxes annually. Will is deeply interested in creating and expanding new markets for local farms, allowing farmers to do what they do best- grow great food. His favorite phrase is “Yeah, we can sell that for you!”

Zachary Goodman is a mechanical engineer turned farmer. He owns and operates Dog Star Farm in Ann Arbor Michigan with his partner Magda which they started in the beginning of 2025. Zach has 5 years’ experience working on organic market-garden farms across the US, most recent of which was managing Slow Farm here in Ann Arbor. He is passionate about growing food and working outdoors and loves to incorporate lean principles into daily farm activities. When not farming, Zach can be found riding bikes with the Two Tired Bicycle Club.