KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Morning Keynote:
Leveraging Value Chain Coordination to Build a Better Food System
John Wittler, Executive Director, Ogalala Commons
Ogallala Commons (OC) works to develop rural communities by using an asset-based approach to nurturing leaders who help human and natural communities thrive. In 2022 OC launched a food hub focused on serving remote rural communities in eastern New Mexico, southeast Colorado, and the Texas panhandle. John’s background is in entrepreneurship and organizational development. He has helped train and develop scores of leaders over the years and particularly enjoys a good research paper and beautifully designed spreadsheets. John lives in Baca County, Colorado, with his wife Trina and their three children Alea, Emma, and Brock.
Afternoon Keynote:
Creating Food Secure Resilient Communities
Mary K. Hendrickson, PhD., Associate Professor of Applied Social Sciences, Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security
Mary Hendrickson is Professor of Food Systems in the Division of Applied Social Sciences at MU. Her scholarship focuses on the social and economic organization of different types of food systems, and the social, ecological, and economic impacts of those systems. Through research and teaching, she seeks to build resilient, food secure communities across Missouri and beyond. She directs the Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security, and in 2020, was a Fulbright Scholar to Iceland, teaching sustainable agriculture and rural development.
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