AMES, IOWA (September 23, 2019) — Food justice advocate Miah Ulysse will be the keynote speaker at the 6th national Women in Sustainable Agriculture Conference, taking place October 17-19, 2019 at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront hotel in downtown St Paul. Her keynote, “Working in Harmony to Transform the Food System,” includes her insights on ways to be effective change-agents in local food systems without succumbing to burnout.
Ulysse has advanced local, state, and federal food policy, including the establishment of the Urban Agriculture Grant Program, one of the first urban agriculture-specific state-funded grant programs in the country. With roots in Haiti and Minnesota, she currently works for Appetite for Change, a community-led organization in Minneapolis that strengthens families, creates economic prosperity, and encourages healthy living.
The Women in Sustainable Agriculture Conference, hosted by the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), features workshops, demonstrations, and meetings on leadership, food justice, and farm business success. Tickets are $240 for Thursday evening through Saturday, or $160 for a single day. A group-rate for rooms at the InterContinental hotel is available through September 25. The full agenda and ticket information can be found here.
“This conference offers a diverse agenda focused on powerful peer-to-peer learning to build on the work women are doing to encourage sustainability within the food system,” said Lauren Langworthy, Interim Executive Director at MOSES. Presenters come from the rich network of women working locally as well as nationally to support sustainable agriculture.
The event opens with four add-on intensive classes: "Regenerative Farm Design", "Resilient Bodies and Minds", "Opportunities and Community for Women in Livestock", and "Plate to Politics: Storytelling to Create Change." Each class includes an afternoon tour at a related farm or business in the Twin Cities. The intensives cost $150, with capacity for 50 participants in each class.
Women, Food, and Agriculture Network (WFAN) has partnered with MOSES to offer the “Plate to Politics” intensive and track of workshops focused on developing women’s leadership-skills for roles in local, state, and national politics.
In addition to workshops, the conference offers smaller breakouts on specific topics to give participants the chance to connect and explore interests and potential collaborations. The event also includes an exhibit area with resources related to sustainable farming and food-justice advocacy and a bookstore with titles focused on farming and food system issues.
