A statewide summit to improve Virginia’s food systems brought together people from agriculture, food aid, and academia. WMRA’s Ayse Pirge reports.
LIA KELINSKY-JONES: We’re here today to talk about this idea of resilience, which is really about how our food systems can change and adapt to shocks and disruptions. That can be public health shocks, that could be longer term disruptions like policy changes, or both shocks and disruptions like environmental and weather disasters.
Lia Kelinsky-Jones is the assistant director of the Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation at Virginia Tech. She is also a research assistant professor at the university’s Department of Agricultural Leadership and Community Education. She was a co-host at "Connecting for Resilience: A Virginia Food Systems Summit," an event held at Blue Ridge Community College supported by Virginia Tech and the Virginia Cooperative Extension.
KELINSKY-JONES: The aim is to really bring people together to think about what are our priorities, what are our actions as it pertains to moving us towards increased resilience in the food systems of Virginia.
She also points to the importance of revising a plan for Virginia’s food systems. A collaborative project to improve Virginia’s food system was developed in 2010, with Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech’s Department of Agriculture and Life Sciences, as well as other state agencies and partners.
KELINSKY-JONES: It has been about 15 years since we had a plan for Virginia’s food systems. That was the Farm-to-Table plan, which was really well thought-out. And has seeded a lot of action in Virginia since then.
Past initiatives included conferences and a harvest celebration. Kelinsky-Jones says there have been a lot of changes in the state's food systems in those years. She says they hosted listening sessions throughout Virginia, and were able to hear feedback about Virginia’s food system and how it could be improved.
KELINSKY-JONES: And we got to hear about strengths and opportunities for our commonwealth. And today we’re bringing those findings and what we learned to the conversation today, to help us say, how do we build on this? How do we move together?
Carla Cash is the executive director for the Mid-Atlantic Food Resilience and Access Coalition, also known as MAFRAC. Cash was also the co-host of the conference. Cash says MAFRAC’s vision is to build a sustainable food pipeline.
CARLA CASH: And I feel like the only way we can build that sustainable food pipeline is putting all the efforts into ensuring that our farmers have a succession plan. They have what they need to be able to carry on this food pipeline. … We also want to help them with, how do they market, when do they market.
In Virginia, the average age of a farmer, as of 2022, is around 59. And small farms, which make up the majority of farms in Virginia, are struggling against larger-scale competitors. In light of these challenges, Cash believes it’s important for farmers to mentor other farmers.
Joanie Beverley is a former agricultural technician and currently an office coordinator for the Upper Mattaponi Tribe’s agricultural partners. Beverly is also a citizen of the Monacan Indian Nation. She points to the importance of people with traditional knowledge in farming and preventing food waste. As for how she sees Virginia’s food system going forward–
JOANIE BEVERLEY: I think policy, we want to get better with that. Most definitely. But I do think that we have a lot of amazing people that are working in different capacities in our foodways in Virginia. And I think that’s really positive. I think just having summits like this where you can come together, and communicate are really important for strengthening the systems in the future.
Bryce Burrell is a PhD student at Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education. He is also a student manager of the Indigenous Community Garden at Virginia Tech, as well as a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. He believes it’s important to understand the food system as a whole, as well as being aware of the land one is on.
BRYCE BURRELL: When it comes to stewarding the land, and understanding the idea of like, when you harvest or fish … what are your responsibilities as a land steward person?
While the summit concluded that day, the work to find long-term solutions for resilience in Virginia’s food systems continues.
