Reintegrating Agriculture into the City
- The local food production and commercial potential of controlled environment agriculture in cities;
- How city and county policy can encourage investment in and support of local and urban agriculture;
- Business models and technological solutions from irrigation technology to supply chain innovations necessary to augment the growth of local food systems
Confirmed Speakers:
A.G. Kawamura - Former Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture and Co-chair of the Solutions from the Land Dialogue
Michel Algazi - Chairman and CEO of Freshology and founder of Food Centricity
Mud Baron - Project Director at Muir Ranch
Erik Cutter - Managing Director of Alegria Fresh
Clare Fox - Director of Policy and Innovation, the Los Angeles Food Policy Council
Erik Oberholzer - Co-founder of Tender Greens
Dwight Detter - Local Forager for Whole Foods Market
Kimberly Kessler - Policy and Special Programs Director, Resnick Program for Food Law & Policy
Robert Egger - Founder and President of L.A. Kitchen
Rickey Smith - Founder of Urban Green
Sasha Kanno - Founder of Long Beach Local and Farm Lot 59
Rob Trice - Founder of Better Food Ventures and Co-founder of The Mixing Bowl
Nurit Katz - Chief Sustainability Officer at UCLA
David Rosenstein - Founder of EVO Farm and Chairman of the Aquaponics Association - Western Region
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Conference Day 1 - The Urban Ag Field Trip:
The first day of the event offers an urban ag field trip. Participants will have the opportunity to tour one of the few operating container farms in the U.S. at The Container Yard in Downtown L.A., visit the 1.5 acres urban farming operation at Muir Ranch and receive a sneak peek of L.A. Prep, a food production business incubator for local entrepreneurs where they will be treated to lectures and breakout sessions that examine successful local food system innovations in Southern California.
About The Container Yard:
The Container Yard is a creative commune based in the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles. The Container Yard possesses a Freight Farm - a high-volume crop production unit made from an upcycled shipping container that allows them to manage their harvest cycle through real time digital monitoring and harvest support services.
About Muir Ranch:
Muir Ranch is a 1.5 acre urban farm on the campus of John Muir High School. Muir Ranch grows a variety of flowers, vegetables and fruit that are included in weekly CSA boxes as well as school cafeteria lunches. Students can complete community service or internship graduation requirements by enrolling in classes at the Ranch. Muir Ranch also provides paid internships to students, which are funded by private donations, special events, farmer’s market sales, and subscriptions to the produce box program (CSA).
About L.A. Prep:
L.A. Prep is a sprawling warehouse in the Lincoln Heights district of Los Angeles that will serve as a food production business incubator for local entrepreneurs. L.A. Prep, co-founded by Food Centricity and Civic Enterprise Development, will provide commercial kitchens for small food businesses in 36,000 square feet of the new facility, and an additional 20,000 square feet will be dedicated to L.A. Kitchen's social enterprise and culinary training programs. L.A. Prep will help grow self-made businesses, provide infrastructure and help get products to market.
Conference Day 2 - UCLA Anderson School of Management
On Day 2, attendees will convene at the UCLA Anderson School of Management in Los Angeles for a series of panels and breakout sessions that will address the definition, economic impact, role, long-term benefits, challenges, and solutions associated with the development of a vigorous local food system. Conference presenters will explore the following:
- The Commercial Potential of Controlled Environment Ag in Cities - from Hydroponics to Aquaponics;
- Breaking through the Industrial Agriculture Model
- Policy to Bolster Local Food Systems
- Financing Local Food Enterprises
- and more