Winter Food Conference 2022

Keitlyn Alcantara is an Anthropological Bioarcheologist in the Department of Anthropology at Indiana University Bloomington. Her work is centered on foodways as tools of empowerment. Melding bioarcheological dietary isotope analyses and ethnographic interviews, her current research contextualizes food sovereignty movements in Late Postclassic and contemporary Tlaxcala, Mexico. As a Mexican American, she is also interested in the ways food is tied to memory, identity, and homeland among Latinx immigrants in the United States (www.sazonnashville.com), and working with the land to develop embodied pedagogies of self-decolonization (www.healinggardeniub.com). Email: kalcant@iu.edu

Michael S. Fenster, MD, better known as Chef Dr. Mike, is one of a handful of physicians worldwide to hold both culinary and medical degrees and is the only Interventional Cardiologist and Professional Chef to do so. By combining his culinary talents with cutting-edge medical expertise, Chef Dr. Mike takes us on a journey of fusion that returns us to our roots with a sensible and sustainable approach to eating that is founded on modern, evidence-based science. His mission is to help each of us re-engage, re-forge, and re-connect our personal relationship with the food we eat. www.chefdrmike.com

Brandon Query Bey is the Healthy Initiatives Coordinator at Lost River Market and Deli in Paoli, IN, where he has been working for almost five years. Before working at the market, he and his wife and were brought to Orange County through an apprenticeship at Living Roots Farm and Sustainability Center and then went on to manage their own mini farm where they sold produce at a local farmers' market. brandonquery123@gmail.com

Armonda Riggs started her farming career in 2016 in Iowa where she sold produce through the Iowa Food Cooperative. In 2017 she moved back to Indiana and began her diversified farm, Four Flags Farm, on 30 acres in Greene County Indiana.  She was a vendor at the Bedford and Bloomfield Markets in Indiana until 2019. She has since been a seasonal vendor at the Linton Farmers Market in Linton, IN and now sells produce through the Rose Hill Farm Stop in Bloomington, IN as well. Armonda loves her farming career, most days. Being a farmer allows her to create a lifestyle from which she can help her community by producing great tasting as well as great for them products while being a good steward of her land. Follow her on Facebook or IG @FourFlagsFarm. info@fourflagsfarm.com

Pam Rieke is the president of the Food and Growers Association in Batesville, IN where she has been an active member for several years. She has a deep passion for local healthy food access for everyone and recently began volunteer work at Our Harvest Cooperative, a produce box subscription in the Cincinnati area. pamelarieke@gmail.com

Michelle Shippy is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at the Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD), Chronic Disease Dept.  In her role as the Nutrition Incentive Program Manager, she has contributed to innovative solutions to their SNAP matching program, Fresh Bucks, as well as built and implemented a county-wide Produce Prescription (Rx) program in Marion County.  Michelle’s experiences and passion in public health includes food and nutrition education anerd programming, improving food environments, and building systems for better nutrition through increased access and affordability.  Throughout her 14 years at MCPHD she has had the opportunities to build her knowledge and understanding of the importance that public health policies, systems and environments have on all people. mshippy@marionhealth.org

Adrienne Markworth is a proven innovator at the intersection of public health and food security. As Executive Director at Lea's Pantry, Adrienne has led her organization to impact thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations through the development, implementation, and evaluation of cutting-edge programs and products. Through a focus on accountability to program participants, translation of trauma and resilience research into practice, and a deep appreciation of collaboration and ongoing learning, Adrienne enjoys working across systems and settings to support sustainable community and individual nourishment. adrienne@leahspantry.org

Victoria Beaty is the Executive Director of Growing Places Indy (GPI). After years of working for a large fast-food brand and learning how the food system works, she resigned from her corporate leadership position to enroll in an urban farming program. There, she found her true passion for urban farming and educating her community on the importance of eradicating the food deserts that plague communities of color. During her time at GPI, she has worn many hats, from a volunteer, to the Farm Manager, SNAP Outreach Coordinator, Market Manager, and now Executive Director. victoria@growingplacesindy.org

Naima Gardner-Rice works as the SNAP-Ed and Nutrition Programs Director in the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at ISDH were she oversees the planning and implementation of the division’s nutrition initiatives. She works with community partners around the state to improve nutrition environments in a variety of settings (schools, workplaces, communities, retail, etc.). Prior to her current role, Naime served as the Nutrition Coordinator at ISDH, and was previously the Campaign Coordinator for Healthy Food Financing for the American Heart Association, a position that allowed her to work in the policy realm to increase equitable access to healthy food throughout the state. Naima holds a Masters in Public Health from Indiana University as well as a Culinary Arts degree from Johnson and Wales University. She worked as a professional chef for several years. Naima is passionate about food and food systems, particularly the ways in which food systems impact public health and social justice. Naima was born and raised in Bloomington, IN (go Hoosiers!) and currently resides in Indianapolis with her husband and children. ngardner1@isdh.in.gov

Robin Mallery is passionate about food! As a full-time community volunteer, Robin is committed to implementing programs that increase access to fresh, nourishing foods to those who are nutrient-insecure, thereby elevating the Food Justice conversation. Robin loves preparing cooked-from-scratch meals, shared with others around her own dining table or in cooking classes. As well, she is committed to supporting locally-grown and produced food as one of the many opportunities to create a vibrant local foods economy. Her professional experience as a cardiovascular and diabetes nurse provides the platform for her teaching a “Food as Medicine” philosophy. Robin is active the the Healthy Communities Partnership initiative, the Promise Zone Food Access workgroup, and the Mayor’s Food Commission. She sits on the Advisory Committee for the Market on Main and the U of E Public Health Committee. robinmallery1@gmail.com

Lindsey Bouza is the Director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity for the Indiana State Department of Health. She is extremely passionate about healthy behaviors and helping others reach their potential. She loves outdor activity and to eat local food, especially trying local restaurants when possible. She has her Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Behavioral Health Science. lbouza@isdh.in.gov

Kayla Stradford works for the Indiana Department of Health as the Vital Records Epidemiologist in the Division of Vital Records. Previously, she completed her Master’s in Public Health at Indiana University and received her Bachelor’s in Biological Sciences from Purdue University. She is passionate about supporting others and interested in a career in the public health field. Specifically, her areas of interest are in Biology, Community Health, Biostatistics, and Epidemiology. She has a strong background in data analysis and epidemiological research methods. Recently, she completed a Trauma Informed Collaborative training through the Leah’s Pantry organization, and had the opportunity to collaborate with a group of IDOH colleagues to complete the training. kstradford@isdh.in.gov

Christina Clark, also known as Miss Chris to her students, started with the Purdue Extension Nutrition Education Program in April of 1998. She has seen many changes in nutrition education over the years.

She provides nutrition education to men and women in transitional sober living facilities, senior citizens groups, high school and elementary students and food pantries.

One of her favorite programs is the CATCH Program -Coordinated Approach to Child Health. This program encourages healthy food choices and promotes physical activity to elementary students.

Miss Chris has adapted the CATCH curriculum into a cooking class at a community soup kitchen. Neighborhood kids from a variety of ethnic groups attend weekly and make a healthy recipe. After that, she and students play gaga ball, one of their favorite games. This past week the healthy recipe was cauliflower bites. The kids attending had never tasted cauliflower and it was a success.

One thing Chris has learned over the years is that people don’t care how much you know, they want to know how much you care. Building relationships is one of the best ways she’s found to encourage her students to try new foods.

Miss Chris and her husband live on a grain farm in Southern Indiana with their 8 year-old Doberman, Cooper. clarkc@purdue.edu

Lindsey Cox is the NEP Community Wellness Coordinator at Purdue University Extension serving Delaware and Blackford counties. Community Wellness Coordinators serve our local communities through Purdue Extension's Nutrition Education Program, a SNAP-Ed and EFNEP funded initiative. CWCs collaborate with community partners on policy, system, and environmental changes to help make the healthy choice the easy choice. Nutrition, Physical Activity, Food Security, Food Safety, and Food Resource Management (stretching food dollars) are the five focus areas of NEP for the priority audience of those who qualify to receive SNAP/EFNEP, individuals with limited resources, schools with 50% or more free and reduced lunch, and communities with high poverty rates. lecox@purdue.edu

Kayte Young is the host and producer of Earth Eats on WFIU, the NPR station here on the IU campus. Kayte discovered her passion for growing, cooking, foraging and preserving fresh food when she moved to Bloomington in 2007. With a background in construction, architecture, nutrition education and writing, she brings curiosity and a love of storytelling to a show about food and farming. Kayte has a particular interest in food justice and in centering the stories of those who have historically been underrepresented in food media. younka@iu.edu

“Communities have a voice that need to be heard”

Sibeko Yafeu Jywanza, an Indianapolis native, has engrafted this statement in his heart since a young age.  Hailing from a family of community activists, Sibeko is exceptionally acquainted with resident engagement, community development, relationship cultivation, and key stakeholder involvement.  His elementary education was through Indianapolis Public Schools until the ninth grade and completed his high school journey at the historic Piney Woods School in Piney Woods, Mississippi.  Sibeko remained south and attended the highest-ranked HBCU, Florida A & M University.  In 2008, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the School of Business and Industry (SBI).  After graduation he returned to Indianapolis and started working for a family-owned dentist office named Sonrisa.  The opportunity to live out his mantra, began with a term with Public Allies and then as a Neighborhood Development Specialist at Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center (INRC).  These professional experiences confirmed that Sibeko had indeed arrived at his life purpose. 

Present day, Sibeko is Director of Food Justice at Flanner House.  The Food Justice division of Flanner House is comprised of a 1.9-acre farm, flower garden, fruit tree orchard, youth employment program called F.E.E.D (Farming, Education, Employment, Distribution), Auto Tech program, and Cleo’s Bodega which includes both a grocer and café.  Each of these barrier busting initiatives are changing lives and yielding evolution in its district.  The Food Justice division is also in position to be used as a program model across the city addressing food deserts, crime prevention among youth, and employment development.

Sibeko’s community involvement reaches far beyond Flanner House.  He serves as Mayoral Appointee on the Food Advisory Council, founding board member of Vanguard Collegiate, Vice President of The Exchange at The Indianapolis Urban League, Board Member and City County Council appointee of the Department of Public Works, and coordinator with The Indianapolis Kwanzaa Committee. While these are a miniature caption of his community involvement, it does caption his commitment to community and man-kind.  When Sibeko is not in a meeting or attending an event, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, reading a great fiction story and/or going to community events. sjywanza@flannerhouse.org

Daniel Garcia’s family has been farming vegetables commercially in the Far Eastside neighborhood of Indianapolis since 2015. They provide fresh healthy food to central Indiana using sustainable and organic methods. The farm employs three part time team members during the main season and grows veggies year around. The farm also produces honey, fruit, native edibles, and maple syrup all on 1.5 acres. garciadanielc@yahoo.com

Sharrona Moore is the founder and Executive Director at Lawrence Community Gardens Youth Farm. The farm is located on the far eastside of Indianapolis/Lawrence area, in heart of America’s largest food desert. In 2016, she partnered with Monarch Beverage to grow food for the local pantries and to provide affordable access to fresh, organic, produce for their community. Sharrona has a certificate in Urban Agriculture from Purdue Extension, is a Junior Master Gardener Leader, and certified by Homeland Security as a Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) member. She is also Neighborhood Food Champion for the Far Eastside, a member of the Indy Food Council, a member of National Farmers Union, a member of Indiana Grown Network, and a founding member of the Indiana Black Farmers Cooperative. She operates Lawrence Community Garden’s mobile farm stand that distributes fresh organic produce to the communities that have high populations of residents with low to no-access to transportation.  Sharrona enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends. lawrencecommunitygardens@yahoo.com

In 2013, Vivian Muhammad, and her mother, Joyce Randolph purchased a 1/4 acre lot at 3348 N. Sherman Dr. wherein they established an organic vegetable and herb garden, known as The Elephant Gardens. One year later another 1/4 acre lot was purchased very near the the first. Since that time, Vivian, Joyce, and family, have worked to expand and transform the Elephant Gardens urban farms into a full farmer’s market/health food oasis in the middle of one of Indianapolis’ designated “food deserts” within the Forest Manor/Brightwood community. They have built a ‘Mobile Farmacy” farm stand, a health and beauty bodega, and a greenhouse in order to provide nutrient dense produce, organic starter plants and medical herbs and spices to their community and to encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyles. Vivian and Joyce have also partnered with Harvest House/St. Peter’s Episcopal Church to farm an additional 1/8 of an acre, enabling them to grow even more fresh vegetables and herbs for their community. In 2019, Vivian and Joyce also established a 4H club known as Tomorrowland’s Children to teach, train, and promote the Junior Master Gardeners’ curriculum.

Vivian and her Mother Joyce are Vice-President and President of the Forest Manor Neighborhood Association respectively, Neighborhood Food Champions, and steering committee members of the Equitable Food Access Initiative. egardens4us@gmail.com

In 2013, Joyce Randolph and her daughter Vivian Muhammad purchased a 1/4 acre lot at 3348 N. Sherman Dr. wherein they established an organic vegetable and herb garden, known as The Elephant Gardens. One year later another 1/4 acre lot was purchased very near the the first. Since that time, Vivian, Joyce, and family, have worked to expand and transform the Elephant Gardens urban farms into a full farmer’s market/health food oasis in the middle of one of Indianapolis’ designated “food deserts” within the Forest Manor/Brightwood community. They have built a ‘Mobile Farmacy” farm stand, a health and beauty bodega, and a greenhouse in order to provide nutrient dense produce, organic starter plants and medical herbs and spices to their community and to encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyles. Vivian and Joyce have also partnered with Harvest House/St. Peter’s Episcopal Church to farm an additional 1/8 of an acre, enabling them to grow even more fresh vegetables and herbs for their community. In 2019, Vivian and Joyce also established a 4H club known as Tomorrowland’s Children to teach, train, and promote the Junior Master Gardeners’ curriculum.

Vivian and her Mother Joyce are Vice-President and President of the Forest Manor Neighborhood Association respectively, Neighborhood Food Champions, and steering committee members of the Equitable Food Access Initiative. egardens4us@gmail.com

Alex Chambers worked on small farms through his twenties, but went into writing and radio instead. He produced the Hoosier Young Farmer Podcast, and he's the producer and host of Inner States, an arts and culture podcast from WFIU, Bloomington. He also teaches audio storytelling at the IU Media School. fachambers@gmail.com

Danielle Guerin, is an Indy native who grew up in the 46218 zip code and went on to study Entrepreneurship at Bradley University and Public Affairs at Indiana University. Interested in how food affects the whole body, mental and physical, she became involved in the local food movement and urban agriculture. To increase her knowledge, she completed a summer farming program and spent two years in West Africa working with farmers. She is passionate about ending food apartheid in our black communities and raising up our young leaders. danielle.guerin@soulfoodprojectindy.org

Megan Ayers is a first-generation farmer and the founder and chicken and goose wrangler at Unvarnished Farm in Deputy, Indiana. With a focus on soil health and integrated ecosystems, her aim in farming is to use regenerative and biodiverse practices to bring life back to the small 11 acres she lives on with her husband, daughter, dogs, cats, and a plethora of poultry. Unvarnished Farm produces fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, maple syrup, chicken and goose eggs, honey, herbs, and plant starts for farmers' markets and restaurants in the Southeastern Indiana area. Established in 2020, the farm's biodiversity of life and production grows yearly as the soil improves with rest, pastured poultry, cover-cropping, no-tilling, no-spraying, and crop rotation. unvarnishedfarm@gmail.com

Liz Brownlee is President of the Hoosier Young Farmers Coalition and is co-owner and operator of Nightfall Farm alongside her husband Nate, where they raise, pigs, lamb, and poultry. Liz has testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee in Washington D.C. on the importance of agricultural research for helping support young and beginning farmers, and she is passionate about the work she does, in the field and in the wider farming community.

"Serving on the HYFC Board energizes me. I feel connected to other farmers, and I know I'm working for something bigger than myself. Plus, it's fun. I love this excuse to hang out with other farmers, learn from them, and just spend time together." nightfallfarm@gmail.com

Genesis McKiernan-Allen is Vice-President of the Hoosier Young Farmers Coalition and co-owner and operator at Full Hand Farm alongside her husband Eli. Considered a four-season farm, they produce food year-round, farming approximately 5 acres outdoors. During winter months, they move production to their greenhouse and 10 hoop houses. As first generation farmers, they completed a two-year apprenticeship at a community-supported farm in Iowa before diving into starting a farm of their own. They now sell at local farmers markets and to restaurants in the Indianapolis area, including Wheeler’s Café, Café Patachou, Petite Chou, Public Greens, Napolese, Bluebeard, Milktooth, Wildwood, The Meridian Restaurant, Late Harvest Kitchen and North End Barbecue, among others. genesisanna@gmail.com

Jodee Smith (Ellett) is the Assistant Director at the IU Food Institute and directs the community engagement efforts for SFSS. Jodee has been active in research, education and outreach in the Indiana food system for ten years in multiple capacities including farming, extension, research and implementation projects.  Jodee leads the Indiana Value Chain Network and Food Council Network and utilizes an asset-based approach to support community-led initiatives to build more equitable local and regional food systems. Jodee earned a B.A. in Botany from the University of Montana and an M.S. in Plant Biology from the University of California, Davis. ellett@iu.edu 

Jacob Simpson is the Community Resilience Liaison for IU's Center for Rural Engagement. He supports the Center's work by building relationships with community members who collaborate with IU faculty, students, and staff to foster a more resilient Indiana. Living in Iowa along the Mississippi River for most of his life, Jacob is excited to now call the Hoosier land home. Prior to joining IU, he collaborated with the University of Iowa Office of Sustainability and various university and community stakeholders to develop a plan for a garden and outdoor classroom on the main campus.Jacob holds a Bachelors of Arts in economics from the University of Iowa. jacdsimp@iu.edu 

Claire Frohman support the work of Sustainable Food Systems Science, the IU Food Institute, and their collaborative efforts on campus and beyond in her role as Research Associate. Claire received her undergraduate degree from Vassar College in Sociology and Italian, and spent the years that followed exploring many avenues of food systems work, from sustainable farming to food service, permaculture design, food justice work, and youth gardening and cooking education. She now uses her diverse background to help navigate the multifaceted work of food systems development in the region. cfrohman@iu.edu