New Entry and Georgia Farmers Market to host the 2019 Community Food Systems Conference

Wednesday, May 9, 2018 // Lydia Fermanich

Save the Date! New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and Georgia Farmers Market Association (GFMA) are excited to announce their partnership in putting on the 2019 Community Food Systems Conference. The conference is set to take place in early December 2019 in Savannah, Georgia, and will address common underlying themes between food security, social justice and sustainable agriculture. Emphasis will be placed on fostering community empowerment to create and sustain resilient local food systems while addressing obstacles in urban and rural environments.

The 2017 Community Food Systems Conference brought 550 attendees together in Boston for three days of workshops, field trips, and discussions. Pre-conference workshops offered intensive sessions diving into specific topics, and field trips gave attendees a look at community food systems initiatives in action in the Boston area. Eager to continue the collaborative work of the 2017 conference, New Entry released a request for proposals for potential 2019 conference partner organizations. New Entry considered organizations in the South, with strong local and regional partnerships and a focus on racial equity in the food system. With these qualifications in mind, it was easy to tell that Georgia Farmers Market Association was a perfect fit.

Sagdrina Jalal is the founding Executive Director of the Georgia Farmers Market Association: a state wide organization led by farmers, farmers market managers and other local food advocates. GFMA seeks to support communities in growing healthy local food systems and foster pathways to equitable food access. The Association emerged from a vision to strengthen the state’s farmers market infrastructure by shaping public policy, offering statewide representation, increasing whole food access and providing training and educational opportunities. GFMA enables markets to thrive, grow, and multiply. The Association has 160 members, and the organization includes Board representation from all constituencies and regions within the state.

New Entry is very excited to work with Georgia Farmers Market Association to put on another powerful conference in 2019. The partners will build on the momentum of the 2017 Community Food Systems Conference and GFMA’s Food for Thought Conference. The two organizations are hard at work planning an amazing event, and they look forward to seeing you there in December 2019!

Stay tuned for more information on the location and dates of the conference. If you would like to stay up-to-date on conference news, sign up for our mailing list here.

For questions about the conference, please contact:
Kristen Aldrich at kristen.aldrich@tufts.edu or 978-654-6745 xt.105

Check out the 2017 Community Food Systems Conference Impact Report here.