Speaker Biographies
John Ameroso, Urban Agriculture and Georgia Angelakis, Training Manager
Markets Initiative JHS 126, District 14
Cornell University Cooperative Extension Georgia Angelikas has been working with SchoolFood
John has been working in the fields of horticulture and for the past nine years. She started from the bottom and
agricultural production since 1964. In 1976 he piloted worked her way up while in school, holding positions
the Urban Gardening Program with Cornell University such as cook, auditor, food safety advisor, school food
Cooperative Extension, and through his efforts suc- manager, and finally training manager. She has an As-
cessfully set the ground for Extension education in sociates degree from LGCC in Food Service Manage-
urban horticulture and food production for New York ment, a BA from NYU in Nutrition and Food Studies,
City. John is currently working with Cornell Coopera- and is currently working towards my Masters in Nutri-
tive Extension’s New Farmers New Markets Program tion and Dietetics from NYU.
which received the “Community and Rural Develop-
ment Innovator Award” from Cornell University, and Mikey Azzara, Outreach Coordinator
the Northeast Extension Director’s Award, Honorable Northeast Organic Farming Association of
Mention, for the Northeast States. New Jersey (NOFA-NJ)
At NOFA-NJ, Mikey oversees state-wide educational
Linda M. Ameroso, Extension Educator programs for organic farmers, gardeners, consumers,
Cornell University Cooperative Extension and youth. Through NOFA-NJ’s Community Food
Linda Ameroso is an urban horticulture/agriculture Education Program, he implements school gardens and
specialist who has been working in New York City works to connect New Jersey’s farms with restaurants,
since 1977. Ms. Ameroso was instrumental in found- schools, and institutional dining facilities. A 2002
ing one of the nations’s largest community garden sites graduate of Middlebury College, he farmed in Italy and
at Floyd Bennett Field, Gateway National Recreation Vermont before returning to his hometown of Law-
Area in Brooklyn. She worked closely with the Board renceville, NJ. He has also participated in The Food
of Education’s Gateway Environmental Study Cen- Project’s BLAST Cadre and is a member of the 2-year
ter in establishing school based gardens throughout NJ Agricultural Leadership Development Program.
parts of Brooklyn and Queens, and trained teachers in
Environmental Science and Food Production as part of
that effort. Today, Linda concentrates her Extension ef-
forts on food security, and bringing nutrition and health
education to targeted communities.
Schools, Food and Gardening: Cultivating a Healthy Future 1
Hilary Baum, Director Harry J. Bubbins, Director
Baum Forum Friends of Brook Park
Hilary Baum produces educational seminars, confer- Harry attended school in the Bronx, and upon graduat-
ences and special events focusing on critical issues in ing from Cornell University returned to teach at the
food and farming. She is president of Baum Forum/ junior high school he attended. He has led outdoor
Public Market Partners, a not-for-profit, and coordinat- environmental education programming on land and the
ing director of the NYC Food Systems Network, an water in the South Bronx for over 10 years.
emerging collaboration of agencies and individuals
engaged in furthering access to wholesome, regional Scott Burg, Senior Health Research Analyst
food. A pioneer in the farmers’ market movement, Hil- Rockman et al, San Francisco
ary is active in community supported agriculture and Scott has worked with numerous school districts and
co-author of Public Markets and Community Revital- public health organizations on development, implemen-
ization. tation and evaluation of programs dealing with diet,
nutrition, coordinated school health, chronic disease
Andrew Benson, Executive Chef and Director management and health informatics.
of Food Service
Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy Cristina Chapman, Farm Educator
Chef Benson’s kitchen focuses on improving the health FoodChange/Added Value
of the children and families within the Harlem area. Cristina Chapman is a Farm Educator, working for
We accomplish this through nutrition education, access the FoodChange/Added Value partnership to develop
to locally grown fresh produce at our in-house farm- and deliver the farm-based curriculum. She has spent
ers markets, and the healthy meals which are provided the last 6 years working on farms, and as an outdoor
utilizing NY state products. educator. She is presently quite happy to be working
in Red Hook soil alongside many careful, caring little
Jacquie Berger, Executive Director farmers.
Just Food
Jacquie became Just Food’s Executive Director in Jaimie P. Cloud, Founder and President
August 2006. She had been a long-time admirer of The Cloud Institute for Sustainability
Just Food since 1996 when she first volunteered with Education
the organization. Over the past eight years, Jacquie Ms. Cloud teaches, writes and facilitates programs that
has held both direct service and senior management are designed to teach topics across disciplines through
positions with a of number non-profit organizations the lens of sustainability including Ecological Eco-
focused on sustainable food systems and environmental nomics for Life; Civics and Sustainable Communities;
issues, including Holcomb Farm Learning Centers in Indicators of Sustainability; Changing Consumption
West Granby, CT. She received a Master of Business Patterns; and From Global Hunger to Sustainable Food
Administration degree at the Yale School of Manage- Systems. She serves as Chair of the Green Map Sys-
ment, and holds a BA in Environmental Science from tem, Chair of the Center for the Study of Expertise in
Barnard College. Teaching and Learning, and is Co-Chair of the Board
of the Global Information Network.
2
Shayna Cohen, Senior Consultant Education: Linking Research, Theory and Practice.
Karp Resources
Karp Resources is a food business consultancy which Amy Cotler
researches, designs, implements and project man- Fresh and Company
ages sustainable food programs and businesses. Karp For the last 14 years, Amy Cotler has worked as a lo-
Resources’ clients include entrepreneurs, social service cal food advocate, primarily as director of Berkshire
organizations, farms and farm-based businesses, food Grown, a local food and farm initiative whose farm
and nutrition advocacy organizations, agricultural eco- to restaurant program been modeled nationally. Today
nomic development groups, and government agencies. Amy works as a consultant on local food, farm and
Key current projects include developing a three-year school food issues. She is about to finish The Mas-
local food procurement plan for NYC’s Office of sachusetts Farm to School Cookbook in partnership
SchoolFood; conducting the second phase of research with statewide agencies and Buy Local campaigns.
on the development of a Wholesale Farmers’ Market in Amy Cotler’s background is as a chef, cooking teacher,
NYC; and evaluating the SchoolFood Plus Initiative. cookbook author, recipe developer, and food writer.
Jorge L. Collazo Executive Chef Margo Crabtree
SchoolFood Center for Ecoliteracy
Prior to joining SchoolFood, Chef Collazo was a Chef Margo Crabtree is a freelance editor and curriculum
Instructor at the New England Culinary Institute, in consultant based in Santa Cruz, California. She cur-
Montpelier, Vermont specializing in the history of rently works with the Center for Ecoliteracy as their
food and culture. Previously, he held Executive Chef science education consultant focusing on K-8 curricu-
positions with a number of major corporate dining lum planning and integration.
management companies. His last position in New York
City was as Executive Chef for the law firm of Slate, Alev Dervish, Teacher
Meagher and Flom. Chef Collazo holds an Associate’s P.S. 15
Degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of Alev is a reading intervention teacher at P.S. 15 in
America (1982) and an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Brooklyn. She is currently the teacher liaison for Cook-
Arts from Union Country College, in New Jersey. shop and Farm to Classroom. She has been teaching
for 10 years, and is proud to be one of the first teachers
Isobel R. Contento, Ph.D, Program in Nutrition at her school to participate in the Added Value/Cook-
Teachers College Columbia University shop collaboration. She holds a Master of Arts Degree
Isobel Contento is the Mary Rose Professor of Nutri- from the University of Florida.
tion and Education and Coordinator of the Program in
Nutrition, Department of Health and Behavior Stud- Wendy Dubit, Founder and Director
ies. Her research is on factors influencing food choice FarmHands-CityHands
and decision-making among children and adolescents; FarmHands-CityHands is a 21-year-old organization
children’s and adolescents’ understanding of the impact dedicated to keeping local agriculture alive and to link-
of food and food systems on the environment; and ing farm and city for the social, cultural, economic and
development and evaluation of nutrition education environmental enrichment of both. In keeping with its
curricula. She is a co-developer of Linking Food and tag line, “New York, Love it AND Leave It,” Farm-
the Environment (LiFE), and author of Nutrition and Hands has enabled thousands of area youth to experi-
3
ence first hand what does and doesn’t grow on trees. Hunter College’s Nutrition Advisory Committee and a
Other initiatives Wendy has started under her pro-social member of the Kids Can Make a Difference and West
Vergant brand and for others include: Wine Enthusiast Side Campaign Against Hunger Advisory Boards.
magazine, The Senses Bureau, and The Renewables.
Keri Evjy, Education Associate, Adopt a School
Anne Duplessis, Junior (Student) GardenTM Coordinator
World Academy for Total Community Health The National Gardening Association (NGA)
High School, Brooklyn Keri Evjy lends her strengths and talents from the fields
After completing her first semester with EATWISE this of Bilingual and Experiential Education teaching in a
fall as an Academic Year Intern, Anne was hired as a variety of educational atmospheres from the East Coast
Junior Staff member. This semester Anne is investigat- to the West Coast. A self-taught gardener since she was
ing Food Advertising. After high school she hopes to 9 years old, Keri has worked in horticulture and organ-
study to become a plastic surgeon. ic agriculture fields, as well as farmer’s markets. Her
role at the NGA includes facilitating effective school
Jerry Dygert, Proprietor gardens for the ASG program, curriculum develop-
Champlain Valley Orchards ment and fostering community outreach in the Vermont
(Biography unavailable at press time) community. Presently, she is a community gardener
and board member for the Burlington Area Community
Debra Epstein, Director of Children’s Educa- Gardens and is an organizer for a local food education
tion Programming outreach group.
New York Botanical Garden
A veteran in the field of horticulture and children’s Craig Ferguson, Physical Education Teacher
education, Debra first joined the Botanical Garden in PS 81
the early 1980s, when she developed and managed the (Biography unavailable at press time)
Family Garden, a 1.5-acre garden devoted to hands-on
gardening. After establishing a successful landscape Susan Fields, Deputy Director of GreenThumb-
design business in Westchester County, Debra returned NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
to NYBG in 2001, where she directs the Garden’s NYC Department of Parks & Recreation supports over
children’s education programs and facilities. 600 community and school gardens throughout the five
boroughs. Susan is a founding member of the Water
Fern Gale Estrow, R.D., Founder Resources Group, serves on the board of the Manhattan
The FGE Food and Nutrition Team Land Trust and is currently organizing the expansion of
Fern Gale Estrow is working to improve health and GreenThumb services to include urban agriculture/mar-
quality of life through integration of food programs, ket garden sites. In addition to 14 years of community
nutrition education, media literacy, and public policy. development experience she is a licensed social worker
Fern is the Chair of the New York City Food Systems with an MSW, a BA in Psychology, a Certificate in
Network, column editor for the Journal of Hunger Gardening from the New York Botanical Gardens and
and Environmental Nutrition, and, as a member of the is currently studying horticultural therapy.
New York City Nutrition Education Network Steering
and Envisioning Committee, the liaison to their Pub-
lic Policy Working Group. Fern is currently Chair of
4
Judy Fink, Education Programs Director ships with nearby farmers. For example, students can
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture choose from 10 varieties of apples and pears grown
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture is a non- right in Lawrenceville. And they can choose wisely, as
profit farm and education center that offers a unique Gary provides information about each varietal to the
experience: an opportunity to learn about agriculture students. Even more importantly, Gary has gotten the
firsthand on a working farm and build connections students into the kitchen.
to the food we eat. Judy has implemented a compre-
hensive selection of field trip experiences for students Sid Grabill, Regional Chef
kindergarten through high school, and supervises staff School Food Plus Initiative, SchoolFood
in providing a summer farm day camp, after-school Chef Sid Grabill has been involved with professional
programs and professional development opportuni- food service for over 36 years. Currently, he is devel-
ties for teachers. Prior to coming to Stone Barns, Judy oping and implementing the SchoolFood Plus Initiative
taught elementary school for many years and was a with NYC School Food. Nurturing healthy culinary
curriculum/staff developer for teachers and administra- awareness with children is a wonderful addition to his
tors. diverse culinary experience.
Lynn Fredericks, Founder Dr. Joan Dye Gussow
FamilyCook Productions Dr. Gussow is a serious food producer, a somewhat
Lynn Fredericks is the author of Cooking Time Is serious writer and officially a retiree from Teachers
Family Time and founder of FamilyCook Productions College, Columbia where she was the Mary Swartz
(FCP). An award-winning nutrition and culinary educa- Rose Professor, former chair of the Nutrition Education
tor, Ms. Fredericks and her team of chefs and dieticians Program, and still teaches every fall. She has chaired
offer curricula that engage students and their families and served on many boards and is currently on the
in the empowering, skills building and bonding activity boards of Just Food, the Sustainability Fund, and the
of cooking meals using farm-fresh ingredients. Over Frontera Farmer Foundation. She has also served on
60 FCP programs operate across New York, Maryland, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy
and Washington D.C. of Sciences, the FDA’s Food Advisory Committee and
on the National Organic Standards Board. Her books
John Gagliardi, Farmer include The Feeding Web, The Nutrition Debate, and
New York Beef Company Chicken Little, Tomato Sauce and Agriculture. Gussow
The grandson of a Westchester County dairyman, John lives, writes, and grows organic vegetables on the west
Gagliardi raises 100% Grassfed beef on his farm in bank of the Hudson River. Her most recent book is This
Dutchess County. He distributes throughout NYC and Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader,
participates in the Greenmarket at Union Square. Chelsea Green Publishing Co. She is at work on a new
book.
Gary Giberson, Executive Chef
Amie Hamlin, Executive Director
The Lawrenceville School, NJ
New York Coalition for Healthy School Food
When Gary took over Dining Services, The Law-
renceville School received most of their food from Amie Hamlin leads New York Coalition for Healthy
one large provider. Now, Gary sources almost all of School Food, a statewide nonprofit that works to im-
his food from local producers and has built relation- prove the health and well-being of New York’s students
5
by advocating for healthy plant-based foods, farm to tor of the New York State Healthy Eating and Physi-
school programs (including organic where possible), cal Activity Alliance (NYSHEPA), a newly formed
the elimination of unhealthy competitive foods in all statewide coalition dedicated to improving policies
areas of the school (not just the cafeteria), comprehen- and practices that promote healthy eating and physi-
sive nutrition policy, and education to cultivate food cal activity. As the former Executive Director of the
and health literacy. Westchester Coalition for Better School Food, she was
a lead organizer of the School Food and Fitness for
McKinley Hightower-Beyah, Urban Life Conference at the Stone Barns Center for Food
Agriculturist and Agriculture in April 2006.
McKinley is Director and Founder of McKinley’s
Children’s Garden Group, Trainer of Trainers with Just Alma Idehen, Health Expert
Food-City Farms, Manager of Hamer-Campos Farm- Bronx Office of Youth Development
ers’ Market (since 1994), Board Member of Rockaway Ms. Idehen has been the Health Director for Region
Waterfront Alliance, Consultant with NYCHA Garden One and involved in connecting schools with programs
and Greening Program, and workshop presenter NYC for nutrition and fitness support and activities.
Parks and Recreation’s Greenthumb NYC. McKinley
has administered several EFPA programs in Far Rocka- Lauren Jarrett, Farm Director
way, Queens from 1994 to present. EECO Farms
Lauren Jarrett, Executive Director of EECO Farm (East
Margrethe Horlyck-Romanovsky, MPH, Assis- End Community Organic Farm) is an artist, naturalist,
tant Director, Food and Nutrition environmentalist, teacher, and life-long organic garden-
FoodChange er. She designed and heads EECO Farm’s new in-class
Margrethe Horlyck-Romanovsky is the Assistant educational program, the Learning Cart, a moveable
Director of the Food and Nutrition Services group at agricultural resource that offers lessons and activities
FoodChange. Ms. Horlyck-Romanovsky grew up in for Pre-K through 6th grade students.
Denmark in a family of hunters and gatherers with
a large kitchen garden, and went on to earn a BS in Susan Kaen, Physical Education Teacher
Nutrition and Home Economics as well as a Masters of P.S. 29
Public Health Nutrition. As a public health nutritionist Susan Kaen has been a teacher in the NYC school sys-
and chef, she has throughout her career incorporated tem since 1966. She is presently the physical education
extensive food, gardening, and nutrition knowledge to instructor.
inspire excitement about and awareness of good food,
mindful eating, nutrition education, cooking-based Amy Kalafa, HHC
programming, and local food systems initiatives. Two Angry Moms
Amy Kalafa is an award-winning documentary film-
Nancy Huehnergarth, Director maker whose credits include CBS News 48 Hours,
New York State Healthy Eating and Physical Dr. T. Berry Brazelton’s What Every Baby Knows,
Activity Alliance (NYSHEPA) the Martha Stewart Living series as well as numerous
Nancy Huehnergarth has been a leader in the better early childhood education programs for the US Depart-
school food and fitness movement in New York State ment of Education. Amy is also a Lecturer in the Yale
for the past six years. She is the co-founder and Direc- University Department of Medicine and Psychiatry, a
6
certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher and the mother of two Department of Agriculture and Markets in 1978, Bob
teenage daughters. co-founded the Greenmarket program in New York
City. He is leading the Department’s USDA-funded
Sara Katz, Farm and Nutrition Coordinator NYC Wholesale Farmers Market Study and is involved
Phipps CDC with the Department’s Farm-to-School Program.
Sara Katz is the Farm and Nutrition Coordinator at
Phipps CDC, serving the West Farms community of the Lenny Librizzi, Assistant Director, Open Space
Bronx. Sara teaches residents of all ages about garden- Greening Program
ing, cooking and nutrition, particularly in Drew Gar- Council on the Environment of NYC (CENYC)
dens, a two-acre space along the Bronx River. She also Lenny has been at CENYC since 1987 and brings a
manages the West Farmer’s Market, a community-run wealth of horticultural experience with him. He has de-
market selling local, seasonal produce, some of which veloped and taught horticultural and other environmen-
is produced right in the Bronx. tal workshops and courses for a variety of populations
including youth, the homeless, seniors and community
Sarah Kaufmann, Education Program gardeners. He created the Community Garden Mapping
New York Restoration Project Project, a GIS map creation and catalog of open spaces
(Biography unavailable at press time) in city neighborhoods. His efforts led to the creation of
the Water Resources Group dedicated to water con-
Pamela Koch, Program in Nutrition servation and pollution prevention through rainwater
Teachers College, Columbia University harvesting systems. He collaborated in the creation
Pamela Koch is the Project Coordinator for Linking of the Learn It Grow It Eat It project and teaches the
Food and the Environment (LiFE) at Teachers College, gardening component.
Columbia University. LiFE is an upper-elementary and
middle school curriculum with four modules: Growing Toni Liquori, EdD, MPH
Food, Farm to Table & Beyond, Food & Health, and Teachers College Columbia University
Choice, Control, & Change. She has also developed Liquori and Associates
curriculum for the EarthFriends™ Program. Pam’s dis- Toni Liquori is a public health nutritionist whose work
sertation was an evaluation of CookShop®. has focused on improving the quality of foods avail-
able through public institutions (schools, soup kitchens,
James Lane, Education Program food pantries, hospitals) in New York City and teaches
New York Restoration Project (NYRP) graduate students at Teachers College about how to
(Biography not available at press time) do this and why it is crucial that we do. Developer of
the CookShopTM Program and the SchoolFood Plus
Robert Lewis, Chief Marketing Representative InitiativeTM, two successful programs in New York
NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets City that focus on the connections among farms, class-
Robert Lewis is responsible for planning and admin- room education and school meals, Toni brings years of
istering statewide programs that promote economic experience with urban institutions and their challenges
development of NYS agriculture and benefit farmers, implementing large-scale institutional food change.
consumers, and communities through the establishment Current WK Kellogg Foundation funding is enabling
of retail and wholesale farmer-to-consumer direct mar- her to extend this strategic work on school meal reform
keting facilities and arrangements. Before joining the to large, urban school districts across the country.
7
Gerard Lordahl, Director, Open Space Green- Ian Marvy, Co-founder and Executive Director
ing Program Added Value and Herban Solutions, Inc.
Council on the Environment of NYC (CENYC) For the past 15 years Mr. Marvy has been organizing
(Biography unavailable at press time) youth to become a positive force for social change in
post-industrial cities and towns like Holyoke, MA,
Kate MacKenzie, M.S., R.D Camden, NJ, and Philadelphia, PA. After two years de-
FoodChange, Director, Food and Nutrition signing service-learning programs for youth caught up
Kate oversees FoodChange’s extensive nutrition in the juvenile justice system, he began working with
education programming and determines its advocacy three teenagers and Michael Hurwitz (Added Value’s
agenda, focused on increasing access to quality food Co-founder and now the Director of New York City
for low-income New Yorkers. The programs within GreenMarkets) to create Added Value. Ian’s awards in-
Kate’s department encourage young children, adults, clude an Echoing Green Fellowship, Petra Foundation
and seniors to adopt healthy eating behaviors, particu- Social Justice Fellowship, and Union Square Award.
larly by consuming minimally processed, seasonal, and
local foods. She works closely with the New York City John McDaniel, Program Director
Department of Education to encourage and facilitate Manhattan Country School Farm
the procurement of local foods served in more than John McDaniel has directed the program at the Man-
860,000 meals a day to New York City’s public school hattan Country School Farm for sixteen years. Located
children. Kate manages the delivery of the CookShop® in the Catskill Mountain town of Roxbury, NY, the
program, which enables more than 6000 public school MCS Farm is the rural component that puts “Country”
students each year to become familiar with and pre- in the name of this independent elementary and middle
fer plant-based foods. She also works to ensure that school. By farming, gardening, and exploring nature
the low-income recipients of meals and food through with children, John helps build relationships between
FoodChange’s community kitchen and food pantry also people and their natural surroundings. Using organic,
benefit by receiving local food. humane, and sustainable methods of agriculture the
Manhattan Country School Farm has been a model of
Denise Martabano, Fifth Grade Teacher “educational” farming for close to forty years.
Meadow Pond Elementary School
While teaching fifth grade for the last 16 years, Ms. Herman McKie, MS, RD
Martabano has also led the Garden/Greenhouse Club New York City Department of Education
and the Mexican Cooking Club. She has designed SchoolFood
and implemented annual school wide planting, har- Herman McKie started with SchoolFood as a School
vesting and cooking, events for her K – 5 school and Food Service Manager in 1992 and has held several
co-chaired the Learning and Growing Garden Com- positions including and District Supervisor. Since
mittee. Meadow Pond is entering the second Phase of 2004, as Nutrition Coordinator he provides support to
installing their outdoor Learning and Growing Garden, SchoolFood’s Culinary Concepts and Food Technology
which includes a handicap accessible low maintenance units, through researching current nutrition recom-
vegetable garden, a butterfly garden, colonial garden, mendations and trends in the food industry. His depart-
sensory garden, cutting garden, composting center, ment provides material for the monthly School Food
outdoor classroom. Partnership Initiative and tracks the advocacy efforts
of our managers in the field. Herman serves as liaison
8
between SchoolFood and the school community. Abbie Nelson, Farm to School Mentor, VT
FEED Coordinator
Kelly McLane, Teacher NOFA-VT
Bronx Green School Abbie Nelson is the Education Coordinator of the
Kelly has been teaching math, science and advisory in Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont
public middle schools for six years, as well as coor- and the VT FEED local purchasing coordinator. She
dinating children’s gardening at both the Brooklyn has been a teacher for over 20 years in regular and
Botanic Garden and the New York Botanical Garden. special education, and worked on an organic vegetable
Kelly currently teaches a course called Field Study, farm for 3 years. As part of NOFA-VT and a VT FEED
which she and fellow presenter Kristen Roberts de- partner with Food Works and Shelburne Farms, she has
signed. While studying social work at New York been working in Vermont schools linking Food, Farm,
University, Kelly owned and managed a small garden- and Nutrition education for 8 years. Her role has been
ing service, and later completed her masters in Special to connect kitchen managers with local farmers, help-
Education at Hunter College. ing farmers with agricultural education on their farms,
training school food service personnel, and teaching
Tanya Mercado school staff how to introduce new foods to students.
East NY Farms!
(Biography unavailable at press time) Sarah Pappas, Program Associate for Youth
Development
Stephen Monaco FoodChange
Bronx School for Scientific Inquiry and FoodChange is a non-profit organization in New York
Investigation City that strives to improve lives through nutrition,
(Biography unavailable at press time) education, and financial empowerment. Sarah co-fa-
cilitates FoodChange’s teen development program,
Liz Neumark, CEO EATWISE (Educated and Aware Teens Who Inspire
Great Performances and Katchkie Farm Smart Eating), training teens to be nutrition educators
Liz Neumark created Great Performances 26 years ago and advocates. Sarah began her work with FoodChange
with the creative vision of establishing an alternative as an AmeriCorps volunteer, prior to which she earned
path for women in the arts to find financial opportuni- a BA from The George Washington University.
ties within the foodservice industry. In 2006, Liz real-
ized her dream of connecting Great Performances with Lynn Parker, Director of Child Nutrition
organic produce and locally grown ingredients. Katch- Programs and Nutrition Policy
kie Farm, the company’s own organic farm in Colum- Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)
bia County, New York, will provide Great Performanc- FRAC is a national research, advocacy and legal center
es’ restaurants, cafés and special events with a unique working to end hunger and under nutrition in the U.S.
selection of menu items with unmatched freshness. Lynn Parker directs FRAC’s work on child nutrition
programs, research, and nutrition policy. Ms. Parker
played a leadership role in the development of FRAC’s
Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project
(CCHIP), a ground-breaking survey of childhood hun-
ger in the United States. She leads FRAC’s initiative on
9
understanding and responding to the paradox of hunger Club, she has made it her mission to introduce healthy
and obesity. eating habits and nutrition education into the lives of
the girls they serve. The Girls Club also introduces the
Stefania Patinella, Manager of Food and concept of sustainable agriculture and the practice of
Nutrition Programs regional consumption into the community by running a
The Children’s Aid Society community farmers’ market.
For the Children’s Aid Society, Stefania has created
and directs Seed to Table, a gardening and healthy Steve Perry, Assistant Principal,
cooking program that works to reconnect kids and Agriculture Program
adults to real food. She trained as a chef at the Natural John Bowne High School
Gourmet Institute for Culinary Arts and Health and John Bowne Hight School is the only Agriculture De-
learned about cultivation, cheese-making, and bread partment within the NYCDOE. As a 1977 graduate of
making through a Fulbright farming project in Italy. the program, Steve returned to teach in 1983 and took
the position of Assistant Principal in 1996. He holds an
A.A.S. degree in Animal Husbandry from SUNY Co-
bleskill, a B.S. degree in Animal Husbandry/Agricul-
tural Education from Cornell University, a M.S. degree
Robert George Patterson, Senior Liaison in Agricultural Education/Educational Administration
Officer, FAO / UN from Cornell University, and a Certificate in Education
The Growing Connection Administration from Hofstra University. During his
tenure, the school has greatly expanded large animal,
Robert Patterson is Senior Liaison Officer in the North
aquaculture, and vegetable crop programs.
American Liaison Office of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Mr. Patter-
Kathleen Porter, MS, RD, Program Officer for
son coordinates FAO’s activities in the North American
Educational Initiatives
region with respect to the private and non-govern-
FoodChange
mental sectors, and with priority to community-based
At FoodChange, Kathleen is involved in various educa-
sustainable food production initiatives such as The
tional projects, including CookShop® Classroom and
Growing Connection. Mr. Patterson leads FAO’s public
Farm to Classroom. Prior to working for FoodChange
outreach programs in the USA and Canada, generating
Kathleen has held positions as dietitian for Columbia
interest and action in sustainable food production and
University’s Department of Housing and Dining; the
local and international solutions to malnutrition, hunger
research/program assistant for The Adventures of Cap-
and poverty. Mr. Patterson has been with FAO/UN
tain 5-A-Day, a nutrition and physical activity educator
since 1980, filling assignments on four continents and
for preschoolers; and seasonal nutrition educator for
in over 24 countries. He is on the Advisory Board of
the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension.
the American Horticultural Society and the Program-
She graduated from the Coordinated Undergraduate
ming Board for COPIA.
Program at the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in
Lyn Pentecost, Director Dietetics and from Teachers College, Columbia Uni-
Lower Eastside Girls Club of New York versity with a M.S. in Nutrition Education.
Lyn Pentecost is a cultural anthropologist and commu-
Dr. Anthony (Tony) Recasner, Chief Executive
nity activist. As director of The Lower Eastside Girls
10
Officer, Middle School Advocates, Inc. busy and often chaotic world.
Head of School, New Orleans Charter Middle
School & S. J. Green Charter School Kathleen Salisbury, Director of Education
Tony Recasner has been working to reform public edu- Greater Newark Conservancy
cation in New Orleans for almost twenty years. He is Kathleen manages education programs for Greater
co-founder and Head of New Orleans Charter Middle Newark Conservancy. Prior to this, she was the Di-
School, the city’s first charter school, which opened rector of Horticulture, managing the installation and
in 1998 and S. J. Green Charter School established maintenance of a 1 1⁄2 acre teaching garden located
in July 2005. Under Tony’s leadership, both schools in downtown Newark and managing the 14 school
have received national support and recognition for their gardens or ‘Living Labs’ throughout the city of New-
innovative educational practices including offering a ark. Kathy came to the Conservancy after graduating
challenging and engaging academic curriculum, while with a Masters of Science Degree from the University
effectively addressing students’ social and emotional of Delaware as a Longwood Fellow in Public Horti-
needs. culture Administration, before that she received her
Bachelors of Science in Ornamental Horticulture and
Environmental Design from Delaware Valley College
in Doylestown, PA.
Kristen Roberts, Teacher
David Saphire, Project Coordinator
Bronx Green School
Council on the Environment of NYC (CENYC)
After teaching in NYC public schools for 3 years,
Kristen received her master’s degree in Environmen- David Saphire, Project Coordinator for Learn it, Grow
tal Education at the Audubon Expedition Institute at it, Eat it has been engaging intermediate and high
Lesley University. Her graduate work consisted of school students in environmental and health projects
traveling through different regions of the United States, with CENYC’s Environmental Education Program
including Alaska and Hawaii, living outside and learn- since 1999.
ing from the local human and non-human communi-
Rachel Schneider, Member of the General
ties. At Bronx Green Middle School, Kristen works to
Management Group
engage students in doing the same type of community
learning, cultivating a school garden and working with
Hawthorne Valley Farm
the LIFE curriculum. (Biography unavailable at press time)
Susan Rubin DMD, HHC Lisa Schwartz, Founder and Proprietor
Coalition for Better School Food and Rainbeau Ridge
Two Angry Moms Rainbeau Ridge is a working farm in Bedford Hills.
Lisa manages a team that cares for a broad range of
Dr. Susan Rubin is a dentist, holistic nutritionist,
farm animals and grows fresh produce. She is the
founder and president of the Coalition for Better
resident cheese maker and herdswoman, taking time to
School Food and is one of the Two Angry Moms. Dr.
teach cooking courses and children’s farm education
Rubin has created and implemented curricula for chil-
programs which emphasize the importance of local
dren of all ages as well as adults in the area of food and
sustainable agriculture in our daily lives. Rainbeau
health education, her approach integrates whole food
Ridge increasingly plays host to many philanthropic
and healthy lifestyle with the reality of living in our
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and community events, furthering the farm’s goals of several years, CPE II established a health and wellness
keeping land as open space, conserving resources and committee and adopted a physical activity and nutri-
helping people understand the value of farming, food tion policy with the goal of educating the entire school
and sustainable, accessible agriculture. community.
Janet Scott, President Rebecca Sparks
The Garden at St. Ann’s Incorporated New York University
The Garden at St. Ann’s is a non-profit organization Rebecca Sparks is an avid believer in the effectiveness
that encourages children and teenagers in the South of gardening and cooking curricula as means to chang-
Bronx community to create and sustain an organic ing nutritional behaviors. She received an undergradu-
vegetable and flower garden. The Garden currently ate degree in nutrition from Colorado State University
serves 40 children and teens in the summer and 100 and completed her Dietetic Internship and Masters
first through seventh graders in after-school programs. Degree in Nutrition Education at Columbia University
Her gardening expertise comes from over 30 years of Teachers College. She now works at New York Univer-
experience in growing plants from seed; three years sity Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public
as a volunteer in Rutgers University Master Gardener Health teaching Community Nutrition, overseeing all
program, Sussex County; New Jersey, three years as a the culinary classes and coordinating the Washington
part-time employee at a garden center; and a multitude Square CSA. She is currently the chair-elect for NYC-
of courses at the New York Botanical Garden. She has NEN (New York City Nutrition Education Network).
more than 40 years of volunteer teaching with children.
Tom Strumolo, Director of Policy and Planning
Elizabeth Solomon, MS, RD, Greenmarket
Senior Program Officer,Youth Development, Council on the Environment of NYC (CENCY)
FoodChange Tom Strumolo is the CENYC/Greenmarket Director
Elizabeth manages EATWISE (Educated and Aware of Policy and Planning. He has been with CENYC for
Teens Who Inspire Smart Eating), a youth development twenty four years, serving as Greenmarkets Operations
program that trains teens to be nutrition and food edu- manager and program director. Tom is also a retired
cators and advocates. Elizabeth also helps public ele- architect.
mentary schools establish wellness councils to improve
school nutrition and physical activity. In collabora- Sara Tedeschi, Outreach and Education
tion with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Manager
Hygiene, she offers training, guidance, and resources to Organic Valley Family of Farm
school staff who participate in wellness councils. In ad- Sarah Tedeschi works in consumer and retail education
dition to her work at FoodChange, Elizabeth co-teaches and with farmers in education and marketing efforts.
Community Nutrition at New York University. Prior to Organic Valley, Sara was Project Coordinator
for the Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch farm-to-school
Naomi Smith, Principal project in Madison. On the staff of the University of
Central Park East II Wisconsin- Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural
Naomi Smith has been an educator for 25 years and Systems, she worked as Coordinator of the College
is the principal of Central Park East II, a small, pub- Food Project, a farm-to-college program. Her training
lic elementary school in East Harlem. Over the past and background also include a B.S. in Nutrition from
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Bastyr University in Seattle, WA; 10 years owning ects across the country, Slow Food in Schools provides
and operating an organic vegetable farm in Wisconsin; youth with a meaningful connection to food through
managing the food program for the wilderness based planting seeds, harvesting crops, preparing meals, and
leadership training program Outward Bound; and sev- enjoying the pleasures of the table.
eral years administering organic certification.
Chelsea Vernon, Sweet Things Manager
Cynthia Thomashow, Director Lower Eastside Girls Club
Center for Environmental Education After attending Antioch College, Chelsea moved to
Cynthia Thomashow is the director of Environmental Boston to run the food bank at Rosie’s Place, a sanc-
Education at Antioch New England Graduate School. tuary for poor and homeless women. She moved to
She is director of the Center for Environmental Educa- New York in 2005 to work within the Department of
tion, an electronic resource center that has a curriculum Education’s city-wide mentoring program, and from
library available for K-12 teachers and focuses on Edu- there went on to work with The Lower Eastside Girls
cating for Sustainability, Healthy Food in Schools and Club where she now takes advantage of her experience
Climate Change Education. Cindy is currently working growing up in a family of food entrepreneurs.
with The Climate Project, founded by Al Gore, to make
sure good curricula is available to help teachers inform
students about climate change.
Donald Tobias, Ph.D., Executive Director Philson A. A. Warner, Extension Associate/
Cornell University Cooperative Extension Applied Scientist
Don Tobias serves as Executive Director for Cornell Cornell University Cooperative Extension
University Cooperative Extension in New York City.
Mr. Warner is the Founding Director of the Cornell
His research areas include program evaluation, com-
University Cooperative Extension Hydroponics,
munity education, and public health.
Aquaculture, Aquaponics Applied Research, Teaching,
Demonstration and Learning Lab, and director of the
Kenroy Tyrell
Science and Technology and Sustainable Agriculture
Academy for Urban Planning
Program. Mr. Warner invented and developed the Nu-
Kenroy is a high school senior at the Academy for Ur- trient Drip Flow Technique (NDFTTM) Hydroponics
ban Planning in Brooklyn, NY. He has been a member Technology and co- authored the Hydroponics Learn-
of EATWISE, FoodChange’s teen development pro- ing Model (HLMTM) Curriculum. This curriculum is
gram, since 2006. After serving as an Academic Year based on the NDFT Hydroponics Technology and is an
Intern, he was hired as a Summer Intern, then a Junior intensive version of “The Grow With Flow” Curricu-
Staff member, and is currently a Program Assistant. In lum (co-authored by Mr. Warner). The HLMTM is an
the fall Kenroy will attend the New York City Art Insti- inquiry-based, experiential, and multi-disciplinary cur-
tute, where he will study fashion merchandising. riculum designed to address the standards of the New
York State Regents in biology, environmental science,
Cecily Upton, Slow Food in Schools
and applied sciences (such as horticulture).
Slow Food USA
Cecily Upton oversees Slow Food USA’s Slow Food in Jennifer Wilkins, Senior Extension Associate in
Schools Program. Encompassing taste education proj- the Division of Nutritional Sciences
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