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

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Stacey Abrams is a New York Times bestselling author, business owner and political leader whose innovative approach has continued to break barriers and support transformational progress. A prolific author, she has written award-winning political thrillers, children’s books, romantic suspense novels, and non-fiction books. She previously served as Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, and she was the first Black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in United States history. Abrams has devoted her career to democracy protection, and voting rights, tackling policy issues and building a more equitable future. She is also a serial entrepreneur and business advisor. In 2020, Abrams founded Sage Works Productions, Inc., a media company dedicated to leveraging the power of storytelling to craft creative solutions and engage.

Adam Schwieterman is the Executive Director of Local Roots Market & Café in Wooster, Ohio, and a longtime practitioner and advocate within the farm stop and local food movement. A recurring speaker at the National Farm Stop Conference, Adam’s involvement has grown alongside the conference itself, reflecting his hands-on experience operating, expanding, and sustaining mission-driven food enterprises.

At Local Roots, Adam leads a diverse, multi-channel market supporting farmers, food producers, and food entrepreneurs through retail, shared-use infrastructure, and community-based programming. His current work is focused on spearheading a multi-million-dollar expansion project while balancing fundraising, design, construction, and long-term organizational health.

Adam’s career in local food is complemented by a foundational background in both corporate and entrepreneurial food-based systems. Together, these experiences inform his operationally grounded, systems-focused approach, helping food entrepreneurs navigate startup and growth strategies while staying rooted in mission-driven values.

Across his work, Adam is committed to mentorship, including helping new and emerging farm stops build resilience in an evolving national landscape.

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.

Anna Almanza is a tenacious anti-poverty advocate based in Michigan, with a passion for advancing racial and health equity, social justice, and addressing the social drivers of health. Anna brings nearly two decades of experience in the public health and nonprofit sectors, improving access to federal nutrition and economic security programs, like SNAP and Medicaid. Often working within the intersection of policy and practice, Anna developed a particular interest in applying human-centered design in human services to strengthen and streamline public benefits programs. 

As Senior Consultant at Rachel Cahill Consulting, Anna is excited to leverage her skills and expertise in administrative and legislative advocacy at both the state and federal levels to support SNAP advocates across the country in their efforts to strengthen and protect SNAP in their state.

Bobbi has been dedicated to local food and farming for over 25 years.  She has farmed organically for most of those. She is a fan of co-ops of all kinds, serving on boards of consumer and agricultural co-ops. The combination made managing the Bloomington Farm Stop Collective a perfect fit. She is inspired by an amazing community of small growers, dedicated Board, all-star staff, and grateful customers.

Bonnie Gettys is the founding President of the Barry Community Foundation, leading its growth from an initial $350,000 investment to more than $55 million in assets. Based in Hastings, Michigan, Bonnie is a passionate advocate for rural communities and equitable access to essential resources.

A nationally recognized speaker and trainer, Bonnie works with communities across the United States on leadership, volunteerism, and rural fund development, with a focus on addressing systemic challenges such as food access and housing. She previously served as co-chair of the Michigan Rural Philanthropy Affinity Group (Council of Michigan Foundations) and currently chairs Rural Partners of Michigan (CEDAM), where she advances collaborative solutions to improve food access and community well-being in rural areas.

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.

As Chief Financial Officer at Fair Food Network, Cassandra brings a strategic, mission-driven approach to stewarding the organization’s financial health and fueling its national impact. With deep experience in nonprofit finance, investment strategy, and operational leadership, Cassandra oversees Fair Food Network’s financial systems, reporting, risk and investment capital management—ensuring resources flow effectively to support healthy food access, resilient local food economies, and community-driven solutions.

A values-first leader, Cassandra ensures that every financial decision reflects Fair Food Network’s core commitments: to equity, to community partnership, and to long-term systems change. She plays a key role in managing the Fair Food Fund, FFN’s catalytic impact investment fund, and helps shape innovative capital strategies that expand access for food entrepreneurs—particularly those historically excluded from traditional financing.

Cassandra brings more than three decades of financial, operational, and corporate development experience driving growth and impact-enhancing strategies across corporate and investment banking, food service, media, and technology industries. She has spent the last fifteen years in the non-profit sector where her passion for climate change and food justice work intersects with her love of finance.

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.

David Knezek is the Chief Operating Officer at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, he maintains oversight of all units within the department and directly oversees the Economic Stability Administration, Financial Operations Administration, State Hospital Administration, Strategic Integration Administration, Communications Administration, and Office of Legislative Affairs.

Previously, Knezek was Senior Chief Deputy Director for Administration at MDHHS and Director of Legislative Affairs at the Michigan Department of Attorney General. Prior to joining civil service, he was an elected member of the Michigan State Senate and Michigan House of Representatives, representing Detroit and parts of western Wayne County. Knezek also served our country as a United States Marine, rising to the rank of Sergeant throughout two tours of duty in Iraq as a scout sniper platoon member.

Knezek is a lifelong and active member of the Dearborn Heights community. He has served as a coach with the Mandela Washington Fellowship in Washington, D.C., and has been active with the Redford Township Jaycees, Dearborn Heights Goodfellows, and American Legion Stitt Post 232. He is a Silver Life Member of the Detroit Branch NAACP, a past board member of Starfish Family Services in Inkster, and past board chair of the University of Michigan-Dearborn Alumni Society Board.

He holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

Ismail Samad is a chef, social entrepreneur, enterprise developer and social critic, hailing from East Cleveland, OH. His body of work is not bound by geography but by its confronting nature, challenging the status quo and addressing fundamental food system issues and intentional policies. Holding key roles across nonprofits, boards and community-owned markets, Ismail’s approach is informed by decades of experience reimagining community-owned food systems with community as the definers of food as medicine and food sovereignty: from Loiter’s Healthy Drive Through in East Cleveland to Nubian Market’s medically tailored meals in Boston and Corbin Hill’s research and narrative projects that redefines food as medicine. These community-driven initiatives inform the national movement, where Ismail sits on the steering committee of National Produce Prescription Collaborative (NPPC),  a member of the National Advisory Council for SEMTAC (SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center) and sits on the USDA Food and Urban Ag Advisory Group.

Jacob Inosencio is a nonprofit executive, food systems practitioner, and policy advocate working at the intersection of food access, community development, and economic and food justice. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Grow Jackson, a community-based organization in Jackson, Michigan that advances equitable access to fresh food through community and school gardens, nutrition education, youth workforce development, and locally sourced food enterprises.

Through his work, Jacob has helped build a regional food ecosystem that connects small farmers and food entrepreneurs with low-income consumers, while centering dignity, affordability, and community ownership. He is currently leading the development of the Jackson Farm Stop and Food Hub, a multi-phase project that includes a consignment grocery store, mobile market, incubator kitchen, and community gathering space designed to strengthen local food economies and improve public health outcomes.

Jacob is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science in 2020, and he is completing his Master of Social Work with a concentration in policy and political social work. His professional work emphasizes coalition building, SNAP access and enrollment strategies, cross-sector partnerships, and data-driven evaluation, with a focus on food systems as critical infrastructure for health, workforce development, and place-based economic resilience.

Outside of his professional work, Jacob enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, cooking, and gardening. He enjoys triathlons and values time spent on the lake with family and friends. Above all, he enjoys spending time with his son Forest, who continues to shape and inspire his commitment to building healthier, more equitable communities.

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.

Jenna Rice grew up learning about the connections between food, community and story, spending a lot of time in her family's 121 year old market in New Haven, CT. Currently, she focuses on building and maintaining farmer relationships, and leading equitable procurement work at the Corbin Hill Food Project, across the organization’s Farm Share, Farm Stand, wholesale, and Food as Medicine programs. She brings over a decade of experience in procurement and food systems, including work in new product innovation, institutional procurement, and values-aligned supply chain development.

Jenna works closely with small- to mid-sized growers to support fair compensation, guaranteed sales, and consistent distribution. She has helped build infrastructure connecting BIPOC and QTBIPOC farms in the Hudson Valley to community-based markets in Harlem, with an intentional focus on centering historically marginalized growers. In collaboration with regional partners, she co-creates procurement routes and distribution strategies that expand market access and support long-term farm sustainability. She is committed to advancing a sovereign food system rooted in dignity and joy.

Jenna holds an MA in Food Studies, was recognized as a 2025 40 Under 40: Rising Stars in NYC Food Policy by the Hunter College Food Policy Center, and is a member of the NYC Food Policy Alliance.

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. 

Karissa Kary is the founder of Ozarks Farm Stop in downtown Springfield, Missouri - a producer-led retail and event space designed to function not just as a market, but as an incubator for ideas, relationships, and community-centered food businesses.

So how does someone with degrees in philosophy and literature, time spent in global operations, educational camps, theatre, literary festivals, and international peace studies end up building a farm stop? Add a farming family, lived experience with land stewardship, a lifelong curiosity about people, and an obsession with the invisible “third places” where connection happens - and suddenly it makes sense.

Karissa has been drawn to environments where people learn by doing, ideas are tested in real time, and place matters. Whether through experiential education, the arts, or community food systems, her work has consistently asked the same questions: “What is belonging? How do we gather? What makes a space feel alive?” - but with increasingly practical answers. Farm stops emerged as the natural intersection: grounded, operational, and deeply human.

She previously spent seven years as Executive Director of Farmers Market of the Ozarks, guiding multiple large regional farmers markets through significant growth, expanding vendor education and SNAP access, and helping establish the organization as a regional anchor for farmers and food entrepreneurs. She also serves as President of the Missouri Farmers Market Association, supporting market managers statewide through peer learning, training, and advocacy. For Karissa, farm stops are where philosophy meets potatoes, systems meet stories, and the third place finally gets a cash register.

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.

Kim Bayer is the owner and farmer at Slow Farm in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Slow Farm is a certified organic U-pick farm with 187 acres that include woods, and restored native prairie and wetlands. Slow Farm is devoted to the principles of Slow Food, agroecology, and justice in the food system. Kim’s professional background is in Information and Library Science, but Slow Farm has continuously shown her ways to improve as a farmer and as a steward of the land.

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.

Lauren Kelso started in agriculture at Growing Gardens of Boulder where she has led a team of farmers, livestock managers and educators dedicated to resilient, community-centered food systems for the past 14 years. She is the Director for the Boulder Center for Food and Agriculture, was a National Young Farmers Coalition Water Fellow, and served for four years as Policy Chair for the Flatirons Farmers Coalition. Lauren is driven by the belief that barriers facing those who feed our communities are not inevitable—and that thoughtful policy, collaboration, and persistence can meaningfully improve lives and livelihoods. She holds a BA in Communication and Political Science from Colorado State University, and an Executive Masters of Public Administration and Environmental Policy from the University of Colorado, Denver.

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. 

Marissa Dake is a farmer and food systems leader, working to build supply chains that work for both producers and communities. She serves in leadership at her family’s diversified farming operation, Hidden Hill Farms, in Shawnee County, Kansas. The farm raises and retails direct-to-consumer grass-fed and finished beef, pastured poultry and eggs, honey, and vegetables. In addition to being a working farm, agritourism offerings include a farmstay, farm camps, and a variety of community events.

Alongside her work on the farm, Marissa has built a career at the intersection of agriculture, policy, and business. She began her food systems work running a USDA Summer Food Service site as a college student, then went on to work in agricultural policy and communications in Washington, DC, including time on Capitol Hill. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led a USDA hunger relief program that redirected millions of pounds of fresh food from broken down supply chains to families in need. Marissa later joined the produce industry, where she built programs and cross-sector partnerships to expand access to fresh fruits and vegetables in school nutrition programs across 17 states.

Today, Marissa works with the produce industry-led Supply Chain of the Future initiative, collaborating with US and international growers, retailers, logistics providers, standards bodies, and technology partners to design next-generation supply chain infrastructure. She also leads the Fresh Ambassador Network for the International Fresh Produce Association.

Mark Maynard has been an active supporter of Argus Farm Stop over the past decade and most recently served as a member of the planning committee for the 2024 Farm Stop Conference. He is a founding partner of Bellflower, an award-winning restaurant in Ypsilanti, Michigan that prioritizes its relationships with Michigan farms. In addition to his work in local food, Maynard operates Landline Creative Labs, an incubator space for small creative companies doing work in the areas ranging from graphic design and filmmaking, to podcasting and architecture. His career, which started in historic archeology, and most recently saw him doing communications and strategy work in the world of academic technology commercialization, includes stints as a radio host, magazine publisher, and writer for a popular website on art, culture, politics, and economic development. He lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan with his wife Linette, the owner of a design agency serving the non-profit sector, and their two children, Arlo and Clementine. 

Mark Nicholson is a highly respected and entrepreneurial leader in national nutrition security advocacy and an experienced business leader. Mark is known for successfully securing $75 million in Federal COVID funding and launching the Alliance for National Nutrition Incentives (ANNI) where he led ANNI’s 2023 Farm Bill campaign. Mark’s executive leadership skills are drawn from his experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors including as chairman of the board of the U.S. Apple Association where he led the organization through a CEO change. As co-owner of a family farm and beverage company, Mark launched a regional beverage brand in East Coast retailers. Mark’s current endeavors include supporting Fair Food Network in expanding its expertise in local and regional food system programs and federal advocacy, and leading Red Jacket Orchards’ new business development.

Mark Tirey is the co-owner and co-operator of the Bethel Lane Farm Stop in Bloomington, Indiana, where he spends most days doing the glamorous work of running a farm stop: hauling plants, answering vendor texts, explaining pricing margins, and occasionally asking himself, “How did we end up carrying this?”

What started as a small, hyper-local farm stand has grown into a multi-vendor farm stop representing over 70 farmers and food producers from South Central Indiana. Along the way, Mark has learned—sometimes the hard way—that success isn’t about saying yes to every great product, every passionate vendor, or every “you really should carry this” suggestion. It’s about figuring out what actually fits your space, your customers, and your sanity.

Mark lives in the real world of farm stop operations: consignment math, margin pressure, greenhouse timelines, delivery logistics, and the ongoing challenge of defining what “local” really means once your shelves start filling up. He’s especially interested in helping farm stop operators develop clear frameworks for selecting vendors, declining them well, and building long-term relationships that don’t rely on awkward conversations in the parking lot.

When he’s not running Bethel Lane Farm Stop, Mark is usually planning the next season, moving something heavy that probably could have waited, or trying to explain to his family why one more piece of infrastructure is definitely necessary. He believes strong farm stops are built with intention, clarity, and just enough humility to laugh at your mistakes and keep going.

Noah Fulmer is a Senior Fellow at Fair Food Network, a non-profit focused on the power of food to advance the health, wealth and resilience of communities. Noah supports Fair Food Network’s strategy and incubates new projects. Recently Noah is working with states, advocates and policymakers to enhance fruit and vegetable incentive programs, often called Double Up Food Bucks, to improve delivery and reach for SNAP participants. Previously, Noah co-founded and led Farm Fresh Rhode Island, an organization that develops and operates local food system programs to enhance the environment, health and quality of life in the nation’s smallest state. Noah is based in Toronto.

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. 

Tess Rian is a manager at Argus Farm Stop as well as a leader on their Food Access Team. Originally from Minnesota, Tess brought her excitement for local food and her passion for equity and justice to the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area. Here she has found the powerful combination of working for justice within food systems. Tess helped establish a yearly round up at the register to support food access at Argus, and she works collaboratively with other team members to bring more people into the local food economy. Always interested in building relationships and community, Tess is a volunteer at We The People Opportunity Farm and a board member at Growing Hope, both located in her new hometown of Ypsilanti.

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.