GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.—Simon's Rock will host the tenth annual ThinkFOOD conference on campus on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. 

 

This year's conference theme, hosted by the Center for Food and Resilience, will feature panels and workshops on the theme "Making Local Farming Work."

 

This year's keynote speaker will be Ashley Randle, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. A fifth-generation dairy farmer, Ashley Randle was sworn in as the twenty-first Commissioner by Governor Maura T.Healey on March 6, 2023. She is the first woman to lead the Department and assumed the role after having served as Deputy Commissioner/Legislative and Policy Director since October 2018.

 

Randle's full bio can be accessed here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/about-mdar-commissioner 

 

"We want to think about how to support farmers in the Berkshires and beyond to create a functional local food system that feeds everyone fairly," shares Professor Maryann Tebben, director of the Center for Food Studies at Simon's Rock. The aim of this conference is to facilitate new perspectives on food, farming, and resiliency. A few examples of workshops and panels include "State and Federal Initiatives for Local Farmers," "Land access for Farmers," "Local Meat Processing," and more. 

 

The conference is free for all students, even those not attending Simon's Rock. Otherwise, tickets are $25 for access to all sessions, $15 for half day, or $10 for keynote only; lunch tickets are $10. Discount tickets are available; please follow the link below to request. Many of the days' sessions will also be available via Zoom. 

 

For more information, including a day-of schedule, as well as to register for the ThinkFOOD conference, please visit the following link: https://simons-rock.edu/academics/program-overview/food-studies/thinkfood.php