Teton Talks: Community Food Systems at Work

TETON TALKS

Community Food Systems at Work

Speakers:
Ethan Page, Central Wyoming College, Instructor of Local Food and Agriculture, Lander WY
Jennifer Werlin (she/her), Extension Educator, University of Idaho Extension, Teton County
Robb Sgroi, Land Resources Specialist, Teton Conservation District
Mari Allan Hanna, Program Director, Slow Food in the Tetons

Join Central Wyoming College for a discussion on what makes up a regional food system, where growing, harvesting, processing, distributing, consuming, and recovering become interconnected in a given region, and how you can participate in this effort to repair our food system.

Ethan Page, Central Wyoming College Instructor of Local Food and Agriculture, has worked on small farms, in backyard gardening and education, and controlled environment hydroponics. He currently manages the CWC Beginning Farmer Training Program and leads the AAS in Regenerative Food Systems, with the goal of training and supporting more specialty crop producers and local food advocates to enhance the regional food system. He enjoys cooking, growing food, and spending time outdoors with his family and dogs.

Jennifer Werlin has 20+ years of nonprofit experience and currently works as an Extension Associate Professor in Community Food Systems at the University of Idaho Extension in Teton County. As a female forging a career path in agriculture, Jennifer brings a unique perspective to her work. She loves to teach and facilitate community-based education to improve the Teton area food system, enhance local agriculture, and 4-H youth development.  Jenny is the directing member of the Teton Food and Farm Coalition which seeks to build a strong local food system supporting a vibrant, healthy, and resilient community. Her interests range from healthy seasonal cooking, gardening, season extension, food security, and permaculture design.

Robb Sgroi‘s work is centered on working with the community in identifying best management practices to improve our natural resources on public and private lands. His program areas include range management and monitoring, irrigation improvements, wildfire risk reduction, air quality, and providing support in soils and erosion control. Robb holds a Masters Certificate in Natural Resources Management from Virginia Polytechnic and State University, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Richmond. Robb is a Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, and a Certified Arborist. In his spare time, Robb enjoys time with family, skiing, cycling, hunting, and volunteering with Teton County Search and Rescue.

Mari Allan Hanna has a background in biology, education, and urban planning. As a former outreach coordinator for Teton County’s Road to Zero Waste initiative, she worked in partnership with Slow Food on efforts to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost and is very proud of the contribution this organization has made to minimizing waste in Jackson Hole. She sees the transition from being an outside partner to a Slow Food team member, in 2020, as a welcome step toward her sustainability goals. Mari Allan believes that the benefits of a local, sustainable food system are fundamental to the well-being of our community and our planet and is thrilled to be working to inform and engage others in this endeavor. She moved to Jackson with her husband and two sons in 2014, loves hiking and cross-country skiing, and is slowly learning how to garden in the mountains.

This event is supported by grants from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.

Cost: Free