Steering Committee

Regina Beidler

regina.beidlerREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@organicvalley.coop
(802) 728-5601

Regina and her husband, Brent, own and operate a small organic dairy farm in Randolph Center, VT. Regina also works for Organic Valley's Farmers in Marketing Department connecting coop farmer owners to marketing activities around the region.

Megan Camp

mcampREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@shelburnefarms.org
802-985-8686

Vice President/Program Director
Shelburne Farms
shelburnefarms.org
1611 Harbor Road
Shelburne VT, 05482


Vermont Farm to School Network
vermontfarmtoschool.org
1611 Harbor Rd
Shelburne Vermont, 05482

Megan Camp serves as Vice President and Program Director at Shelburne Farms providing leadership for organizational and educational program development. Much of her work over her 30 years at the Farm has focused on building public private partnerships to conduct research, influence policy, and build networks to strengthen Education for Sustainability in Vermont and around the world. Megan helped create and facilitate a multi-stakeholder process that resulted in the state of Vermont incorporating the nation’s first education standards for sustainability. She also fostered collaboration between Shelburne Farms and the Burlington School District, which led to the opening of the first public K-5 sustainability-themed magnet school in the country in 2009. Along with the Directors of NOFA Vermont and Food Works at Two Rivers she co-founded Vermont’s nationally recognized Farm to School program VT FEED. She was also a founding board member of the Farm-Based Education Network . Megan currently serves on the boards of the Castanea Foundation, the Vermont Council on Rural Development, the Vermont Fresh Network, and the Energy Action Network. She also serves on the Vermont Sustainable Agriculture Council, the Farm to Plate Steering Committee and the University of Vermont College of Agriculture and Life Sciences advisory board.

Jake Claro

JakeREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vsjf.org
(802) 828-5669

Farm to Plate Program Director
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
vsjf.org
3 Pitkin Court
Suite 301E
Montpelier VT, 05602

Sarah Danly

sarahREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vsjf.org
(802) 828-3745

Farm to Plate Network Manager
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
vsjf.org
3 Pitkin Court
Suite 301E
Montpelier VT, 05602

Jean Hamilton

Jean.myung.hamiltonREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@gmail.com

Ellen Kahler

ellenREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vsjf.org
(802) 828-5320

Executive Director
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
vsjf.org
3 Pitkin Court
Suite 301E
Montpelier VT, 05602

I assist in coordinating the Farm to Plate Network and our organization is responsible for implementing the Farm to Plate Initiative, at the request of the Vermont Legislature. I serve on the Boards of Red Tomato, the Working Lands Enterprise Fund, and the Sustainable Agriculture Council. I am also active in helping other New England states in developing their own food system plans and implementation efforts.

Lydia Pitkin

lydiaREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vsjf.org
802-828-5670

Office Manager & Program Coordinator
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
vsjf.org
3 Pitkin Court
Suite 301E
Montpelier VT, 05602

Jennifer Porter

jennieREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@nofavt.org
802-434-4122

Community Food Security Programs Coordinator
NOFA Vermont
nofavt.org
14 Pleasant Street
Richmond VT, 05477

Tony Risitano

tonyrf2pREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@gmail.com
802-790-0340

Aggregation and Distribution working group Co-Chair 2020-2021

Betsy Rosenbluth

brosenbluthREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@shelburnefarms.org
985-8686


Vermont FEED (Food Education Every Day)
vtfeed.org
1611 Harbor Road
Shelburne VT, 05482

Liz Ruffa

lizREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@merckforest.org
(802) 394-2579

Project Director
Northshire Grows
147 Green Peak Orchard North
East Dorset Vermont, 05253

Liz Ruffa is the Director of Institutional Advancement at Merck Forest & Farmland Center, a 3,200 acre conserved property in Rupert, VT. Merck Forest is on a mission to inspire curiosity, love and responsibility for working and natural lands. Liz lives in East Dorset where she continues to champion regional food systems through her work as a member of the Dorset Select Board.

Theresa Snow

TheresaREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@salvationfarms.org
(802) 522-3148

Executive Director
Salvation Farms
salvationfarms.org
PO Box 1174
49 Portland Street
Morrisville VT, 05661

Theresa has worked in Vermont’s agricultural sector for more than 20 years. She founded Salvation Farms in 2004, receiving both regional and national awards including the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility's Young Changemaker Award. Theresa has a degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management from Sterling College, has worked for Vermont agricultural businesses like Pete’s Greens and High Mowing Organic Seeds, and filled a Director of Agricultural Resources position with the Vermont Foodbank. Theresa has co-facilitated a national working group focused on infrastructure needs to manage farm surplus with the Harvard Food Law & Policy Clinic, served as an advisor for a World Wildlife Fund directed research project looking to maximize farm resources in America, and is a founding Board Member of the national Association of Gleaning Organizations. In Vermont, her work has included service to more than 100 farms, engaging community members in thousands of hours of volunteer opportunities, providing millions of servings of surplus produce to marginalized populations, offering technical assistance to partner organizations, and collaborating with diverse partners from inmates to state agencies. Theresa has a steadfast conviction for the responsible stewardship and use of our natural resources with a parallel dedication to the engagement of individuals across the socio-economic spectrum in the work that she leads.

Andrea Solazzo

asolazzoREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vtfoodbank.org
802-917-1283


Vermont Foodbank
vtfoodbank.org
33 Parker Road
Barre VT, 05641

Andrea Solazzo is the Gleaning and Community Outreach Coordinator for the Vermont Foodbank. Based out of the Burlington area, Andrea works with partnering food shelves in Northern Vermont to implement VT Fresh, a Vermont Foodbank program that improves access and appeal for health food choices by setting-up attractive produce displays and cooking demos. In the summer months Andrea coordinates the Vermont Foodbank’s local gleaning program by working with volunteers to harvest excess produce at local farms; that produce is then distributed throughout Vermont to low-income community members. Prior to this position she led and organized international agricultural volunteer trips abroad, worked at farms in Vermont and Florida, and organized for UN-affiliated organizations around international climate justice and food sovereignty issues.

Gaye Symington

GsymingtonREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vermontcf.org
(802) 388-3355

Executive Director
High Meadows Fund
highmeadowsfund.org
77 College St., Suite 3B
Burlington VT, 05401

The High Meadows Fund, based at the Vermont Community Foundation, promotes vibrant communities and a healthy natural environment in Vermont, while encouraging long term economic vitality. We focus on sustainable agriculture and local food systems; clean and efficient energy; and land use and watershed management consistent with a working landscape and vibrant village centers. We provide grants, sponsor research and convenings, invest a portion of our assets for mission impact, and directly engage in select initiatives. You can find more about us at www.highmeadowsfund.org.

Anson Tebbetts

Terry.SmithREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vermont.gov

Secretary of Agriculture, Food & Markets
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
vermontagriculture.com
116 State Street
Montpelier VT, 05620

State of Vermont Secretary of Agriculture

Graham Unangst-Rufenacht

grahamREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@ruralvermont.org
802-223-7222


Rural Vermont
ruralvermont.org
46 East State St
Montpelier VT, 05602

Becka Warren

beckaREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vitalcommunities.org
(802) 291-9100 x112

Manager
Valley Food and Farm
vitalcommunities.org/Agriculture/index.htm
195 North Main Street
White River Junction VT, 05001

Valley Food and Farm, a program of Vital Communities, works with farmers and consumers to strengthen the food system in Upper Connecticut River Valley of NH and VT.

Abbey Willard

abbey.willardREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vermont.gov
(802) 272-2885


Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
vermontagriculture.com
116 State Street
Montpelier VT, 05620

I actively participate in the Aggregation and Distribution Working Group, Food Access Crosscutting Team, and Farm to Institution Task Force. My position attends to the following aspects related to strengthening VT's food system: farm to institution program development, support for farmers' markets and CSAs, food access issues including EBT at farmers' markets, increasing local food in state government, food hub liaison, and management of the GAPs (Good Agricultural Practices) and local food market development matching grant programs.