In this popular series, NAFSN provides participants with insights and connections to help them identify next steps for their careers in community food systems.
This four-part series for Fall 2024 highlights job creators and others across the food systems profession. This webinar series is offered free of charge and open to the public. 

In this episode, we feature: 

 

Dhalia serves as the Director of Development and Programming at the Well, Inc., and is also the Co-Founder and CEO of WellFed Community. She specializes in researching food systems, food sovereignty, and sustainability, and is a strong advocate for community food systems and high-quality education. Dhalia is also an Adjunct Faculty teaching a course on community food systems at the University of South Florida.

LOCATION: Tampa, FL

M Antonia Silas, PhD, Baltimore City Extension Director, University of Maryland Extension

Growing up in my small hometown of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, I have always recognized the importance of community. In my current role as the Baltimore City Extension Director for University of Maryland Extension, I have the privilege of working with community members throughout Baltimore to assist them with overcoming challenges, strengthening beneficial partnerships, and leveraging education as a means of personal and professional development. In many ways, I view my work as a full-circle moment that speaks to my desire to positively impact communities and to empower community members to do the same. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to oversee grant panels, articulate the importance and impact of agricultural research, provide leadership and oversight throughout a global pandemic, lead volunteers, and manage projects to completion. I love meeting new people and hearing different perspectives. 

LOCATION: Washington DC/Baltimore Area

Benji Ballmer, Co-Founder, Yellowbird Foodshed

We work with more than 150 small growers and producers from around the state of Ohio and we see the challenges that they face each day. As they work their land, they are some of the most innovative and resilient groups of people in our society. They are constantly faced with challenges from weather, disease, pests, and pestilence. Once a product is produced and harvested, an entirely new set of challenges awaits them as they try and sell it for a price that can keep them “in business”. Our growing group of customers is committed to this invisible network of our state’s best growers because they want to know who grew their food, and what growing practices were used on their food. We have shown those customers that our state can grow literally hundreds of varieties of fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, and dairy products. 

The Yellowbird Foodshed has uniquely positioned itself as a direct-to-consumer model that removes all barriers to entry for the end-user. We have spent thousands of hours building an infrastructure that is serving thousands of families throughout the state and paying the real cost of real food back to the growers. 

LOCATION: Mount Vernon, OH