Summary Of Angie Corwin's Presentation

Inspirational, motivational and informative are three words that can be used to describe the presentation given by Angie Corwin, the Program Director for CAFF. It is a non-profit organization that stands for Community Alliance with Family Farmers. The point was made by Mrs. Corwin that CAFF works with farmers. Not, for or in association, but specifically with farmers to showcase that, “CAFF’s mission is to build sustainable food and farming system through policy advocacy and on-the- ground programs that create more resilient family farms, communities and ecosystems”. The statement of CAFF’s mission by Mrs. Corwin’s, gave the class and myself a clear vision of what CAFF stands for. It was exciting to hear of all the ways in which CAFF is involved

An important part of Mrs. Corwin’s presentation involved the announcement of the conjunction between CAFF and the Farmers Guild. Within this partnership both CAFF and the Farmers Guild would create a “United Voice for Family Farming”. The excitement displayed by Mrs. Corwin, enthused me with the possibilities that could come through the joining of two impactful non-profits and the change they could create in pooling their resources and knowledge together. Presentations that are couple with an informative and engaging individual like Mrs. Corwin, are an excellent way to captivate the public, farmers and future farmers, with local agriculture and community development. Involvement in local politics had not been an interest to me before Mrs. Corwin’s presentation. After which, I was keen to learn more about local agencies, policy and events such as Pitchfork and Policy. With this result, I can easily say Mrs. Corwin was successful in inspiring her audience towards staying informed and getting involved in local politics that affect our

Corwin’s work, has been the Harvest of the Month Tasting Kit Program. This program works with teachers to build knowledge around food and the food system. Kids get a “kit” that contains various fruits and vegetables, while the teachers give a lesson centered around those foods and why they are important. Food is used as an educational piece, which was effectively displayed by Mrs. Corwin’s pie charts, emphasizing the benefits/giveback of the program. Over the years I have gained more respect for the various movements associated with agriculture such as Farm to Market, Farm to Table, Farm to School, Farm to Cafeteria and Direct Market Programs. The Tasting Kit Program is an example of a Farm to School movement that I was elated to hear was being offered in this county. Along with these programs has come more education surrounding food safety, climate and sustainable farming practices. Although a tremendous amount of effort is needed in market set up and team building, once these programs get going they have a vast opportunity to flourish and grow. CAFF has done well in building the Tasting Program as a revenue generating model that supports local farmers. Furthermore, it utilizes and empowers teachers to lead the program and educate future farmers/ consumers on the importance of nutrition and food system awareness. I was completely impressed by Mrs. Corwin’s statement that she buys the produce for the