test loop – Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center

Hunter Buffington

Northwest and Rocky Mountain Region Food Business Center, Building Meat Supply Chain CapacityTeam

Hunter Buffington

Hunter Buffington has spent her career working alongside farmers, ranchers, food producers, and policymakers to strengthen the foundations of our food system. She began in sustainable development and climate action planning in Colorado, helping communities create pathways toward resilient agriculture, local food systems and thriving economies. In 2013, she turned her attention to the emerging hemp industry, where she became a national leader in supply chain development and policy—always guided by the belief that profitability and stewardship can go hand in hand.

Hunter is excited to join Tommy and Rebecca Building Meat Supply Chain Capacity team where she can work with them empowering meat and animal protein supply chains that serve local needs and honor regional values. Her work brings together diverse partners to tackle challenges such as workforce training, food safety, and processing infrastructure, with a special focus on supporting Indigenous and rural communities.

Hunter is a Colorado State University Alumni with a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management and Systems Applications for Sustainable Development from Regis University in 2010. She has worked with the USDA as a field enumerator and is an experienced Executive Director and team builder. In her free time, she likes to hike, paddle board and cook with her husband and son.

Landon Charlo

Assistant Professor, WSU Food Systems Team

Landon Charlo

Eber Rivera

Extension Coordinator, WSU Food Systems Team

Eber Rivera

Mari Ramos

Idaho Hispanic Foundation

Mari Ramos

My work is rooted in building equitable economic ecosystems that empower communities with a focus on the Hispanic community. As Executive Director of the Idaho Hispanic Foundation (IHF), I’ve led efforts to support food entrepreneurs and strengthen culturally relevant food systems across the state. A core part of this work includes helping individuals formalize and launch food-based businesses—guiding them through incorporation, licensing, and access to capital. I’ve worked hands-on with dozens of vendors, many of whom have faced language, financial, or regulatory barriers, to help them turn informal food enterprises into viable sources of income and community pride.

We were also instrumental in launching the 208 Night Market, a vibrant celebration of culture, food, and entrepreneurship that brings together local vendors—many of them Hispanic and immigrant-owned—for an evening of commerce, food, and cultural connection. The market has quickly become a launching pad for food microbusinesses and a safe space for innovation and community gathering. This year we are launching a similar concept in Caldwell.

Most recently, I’m overseeing t development of the commercial kitchen at the Idaho Hispanic Community Center (IH2C). This space will serve as a small business incubator, allowing entrepreneurs to test, produce, and scale food ventures without prohibitive startup costs. Our goal is not just to provide facilities, but to build a full support ecosystem—including workshops, mentorship, and access to local markets.

In my role on the state team, I’m committed to ensuring Idaho’s food systems reflect and uplift the communities we serve.

Nayla J.C.

Farm to Farmer Director at Washington Farmland Trust

Nayla J.C.

Nayla joined Washington Farmland Trust in 2021 to support farmers, landowners, and partners across the state through the Farm to Farmer program. As Farm to Farmer Director, Nayla helps farmers find land, build capacity, and access resources. Prior to this role, she worked as COO of a federally qualified health care center, as a small business development consultant, and as an independent project manager for various organizations and businesses. In her spare time, Nayla enjoys cooking, exploring the outdoors, and playing the guitar.

Patrice Barrentine

Ag Policy Project/Program Manager, King County

Patrice Barrentine

Patrice Barrentine has worked in the farm and food business sector in Washington State for twenty-five years as a buyer, commerce, and policy specialist. She worked for the Washington State Department of Agriculture, served on Governor Gregoire’s Job Creation and Economic Development Subcabinet, the Washington Beer Commission, and the WA State Farmers Market Association.

With the King County Agriculture Program since 2014, she works on Agriculture Policy and Economic Development. She staffs the King County Agriculture Commission, which reviews proposed legislation and provides advice to the County Executive and Council including water policy. She co-hosts quarterly meetings of the managers of King County’s 41 farmers markets.

She focuses on solving local meat processing bottlenecks, including a new USDA small-scale processor that opened in 2024, and fresh and halal processing for East African communities in King County. She coordinated the landmark, Snoqualmie Valley Agricultural Land Resource Strategic Plan as part of the County’s Fish, Farm, Flood effort. And she is a member of several professional organizations and boards including serving as the Vice Chair of the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority Council.

Eddie Hill

FoodLoop NW

Eddie Hill

Food systems and supply chain innovation is Hill’s focus. His background is in green infrastructure, food systems planning/design, community and nonprofit leadership, food infrastructure planning, community development, and local to regional cold chain business development in the Pacific Northwest. He completed his Masters in Urban Planning in his 40s at the University of Washington, becoming a practicing urban land use planner for City of Portland, and leading several environmental justice organizations advocating for green workforce development and increased BIPOC market engagement in green sectors. His consultancy firm Urban Civic Group West is deeply engaged with the City of Seattle and Washington State Agriculture to advance a Values-Based Food Purchasing policy for government institutions.

Rita Ordóñez

Founder, Birdsign Consulting

Rita Ordóñez

Rita Ordóñez grew up in Eastern Washington and worked in the non-profit and education sector for 25 years before founding Birdsign Consulting in 2015. Birdsign is a microenterprise that offers customized professional services to non-profit organizations, businesses, and government entities. Community building is central to Birdsign’s work. Staff have expertise in food systems, sustainable agriculture, education, and grant writing.

Over the last 16 years, much of Rita’s work has been focused on increasing access to healthy, locally grown food. She has worked on farm to school, farm to food bank and farmers market food access projects. Rita and her husband live in the Skagit Valley where they raised their two children. In 2018, Rita was honored with the SWAN Woman of the Year award for mentorship of women. She holds a BA in Geography from Western Washington University and an MA in Geography from the University of Washington.

Damien Davis

Davis Consulting, Pasco Farmers Market, and the Tri-Cities Food Co-op

Damien Davis

Damien Davis is a dedicated advocate for farm and food businesses in Eastern Washington, bringing extensive expertise in the food industry and supply chain management. With a deep commitment to fostering sustainable and equitable food systems, he supports small and mid-scale farm and food enterprises, particularly those in underserved communities.

His experience working across the food supply chain provides valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities facing local businesses. Passionate about enhancing coordination among service providers, Damien works to strengthen collaboration within Washington’s food system, helping to build resilient food economies.

With a focus on supporting farmers, food entrepreneurs, and community organizations, Damien is committed to advancing efforts that ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities within Washington State’s agricultural and food sectors.

Naomie Peasley

IAC Technical Assistant - Washington State, Intertribal Agriculture Coalition

Naomie Peasley

Naomie is a Colville Confederated Tribal member from the Sinixt Band. Her youth was spent on her family ranch raising bucking horses and cattle in Omak, Washington. She graduated high school and attended college, earning her Associate's Degree at Wenatchee Valley College and a Bachelor’s Degree from Lewis Clark State College. She returned home to work in Education and soon bought her own farm where her and her two daughters still call home. Prior to IAC, she managed the Okanogan County Fairgrounds and coordinated farm and animal relief efforts during major fires that plagued her area. During these incidents, she discovered her passion for helping farmers and ranchers. She realized the importance of educating and putting “boots to the ground” during times of need in order to promote recovery and sustainability.

She hopes to use her years of educational experience in her position at IAC to help others navigate the world of paperwork, technology, politics and deadlines so they can create food sovereignty and sustenance among their own tribal communities throughout Washington State.

Henry Wong

Vice President of Programs, Business Impact Northwest

Henry Wong

Henry Wong serves as the Vice President of Programs at Business Impact NW, where he oversees their Food & Farm Business Services, Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs), contracting and procurement initiatives, and other key projects & initiatives. Through varied experiences in prior roles in the organization from Business Coach to Program Director, he now provides strategic guidance and support to various programs teams delivering direct services to clients. Expanding the reach of our services through outreach and collaboration with partners across the region, he contributes to advancing Business Impact NW’s mission of empowering small business owners and entrepreneurs. Contact Henry at henryw@businessimpactnw.org.

Michael Peroni

Executive Director, Northwest Agricultural Business Center

Michael Peroni

Michael Peroni is Executive Director of the Northwest Agriculture Business Center (NABC). NABC provides business development resources and hands-on technical support to agricultural producers and other agriculture-related business in western Washington.

Mike has over 30 years of experience in leadership roles in regional agriculture in western Washington, and extensive knowledge of agricultural business formation and management, brand support, public/private partnerships, market development, and regulatory compliance.

As the leader of a team dedicated to developing solutions to issues facing agriculture in western Washington, Mike facilitates the organizational development and ongoing management of producer owned cooperatives; the development of agricultural infrastructure; and the management of multiple complex and ambitious grants serving the agricultural community.

Maressa Valliant

Eat Local First Director, Sustainable Connections

Maressa Valliant

Maressa is the Eat Local First Director at Sustainable Connections where she has worked since 2017. She brings to the role over two decades of expertise in marketing, website development, communications, and project management. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with a wide array of organizations, from small family businesses to high-volume retail outlets. Among her achievements is the development and launch of the regional Food Atlas in 2019, which laid the groundwork for the statewide WA Food & Farm Finder, a vital resource connecting buyers, agencies, and consumers with Washington farms and food businesses. For the past three years, Maressa has led the Eat Local First Collaborative, fostering partnerships and initiatives that bolster local food systems across Washington state.

Jennifer Mauk

Buy Idaho, Inc.

Jennifer Mauk

Jennifer Mauk has been championing local businesses with Buy Idaho Since 2016. As the Executive Director of Idaho’s "shop local" business alliance, she supports over 1,500 businesses statewide, connect, collaborate, and grow. With a diverse background as a social worker, entrepreneur, and produce broker, Jennifer’s expertise and passion make her a true champion of local commerce. In 2023, she took a bold leap forward by establishing Wholesale Idaho, the state’s first cross-industry wholesale market. Whether she’s leading initiatives, organizing events, or advocating for small businesses, Jennifer’s mission is simple: to fuel Idaho’s local economy and create stronger communities.

Jayna Mallon

Colorado State University

Jayna Mallon

Jayna is a master's student in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University. Prior to joining CSU, she studied Economics and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. After graduating, she completed an AmeriCorps service term with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, where she worked on a USDA 2501 grant project which aimed to support beginner and underinvested farmers and ranchers. Jayna helps with the evaluation and reporting of the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center in her role as a Graduate Research Assistant at CSU. Jayna plans to focus her master's research on regional food systems and development, with an emphasis on supporting small and mid-sized agriculture, seeking to foster equitable growth and advance sustainable practices.

Emily Whittier

Washington State University Cooperative Extension

Emily Whittier

Emily Amaral Whittier is a Regional Food System Specialist at Washington State University Extension Service, where serves as the Washington State coordinator for the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center.

Emily’s food system career has focused on building well-connected and food-secure communities. Her background includes community-based research; program design, implementation, and evaluation; and outreach and education. Before joining the Food Systems team at WSU, Emily served as an Extension Coordinator for the Farm Stress and AgrAbility Program at WSU Extension. She is passionate about nurturing a food system that supports and sustains farmers, food businesses, and communities.

Emily received her bachelor’s degree from Smith College and her Masters of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy from Vermont Law and Graduate School. Contact Emily at Emily.whittier@wsu.edu.

Lisa McCauley

Meadowlark Market and Kitchen

Lisa McCauley

Lisa McCauley is one of the founders of Meadowlark Market & Kitchen in Lander and is an advisory board member to Slow Food Wind River. She formerly managed the Lander Valley Farmers Market and, as Sunfisher Farm, sells fruit sorbet and other value-added products under the Wyoming Food Freedom Act.   Before moving to Lander, Wyoming, consulted in survey research and data analysis, taught experimental psychology, and worked in higher education administration. 

Jan Tusick

Mission West Community Development Organization

Jan Tusick

Jan Tusick is the co-founder and Director of Mission West Community Development Partners Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center- a Food, Agriculture and Cooperative Development Center- www.mmfec.org. The center provides a unique opportunity for area agricultural producers and food entrepreneurs in their business development by providing a USDA and FDA inspected shared- use processing facility with technical expertise and support. During the last 25 years Jan has effectively assisted food businesses, cooperative groups and value added agricultural ventures in their business development, providing business and market planning, capitalization development, feasibility analysis, and navigating the food regulatory world. She actively assisted in the development of Western Montana Growers Cooperative, the leading model for food hub development in rural communities. Western Montana Growers Cooperative evolved to form the Northwest Food Hub Network with Linc Foods and Puget Sound Cooperative. The Network is working together to address regional food supply chain distribution and institutional market expansion. Jan also is certified as a Produce Safety Alliance trainer and has worked with regionally to assist producers in meeting the regulatory requirements for food safety. Jan effectively designed a collaborative approach to food business financing through a successful application to the 2024 Healthy Food Partnership Program. She is a founding steering committee member of Grow Montana- a coalition of organizations that are focused on developing and pursuing policies that will strengthen Montana’s regional food economy. Jan presently serves on the board of directors of Montana Farmers Union. Jan operates a sheep farm with her husband Will.

Jennifer Faulkner

University of WY

Jennifer Faulkner

Jen Faulkner was raised on a Wyoming cattle ranch, initiating a life-long history with Wyoming agriculture. Jen received her Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Physiology from the University of Wyoming and worked around the West for many years performing Wildlife Biology and other Environmental Science consulting work. Jen later gained a Master of Science Degree in Soil Sciences, also from the University of Wyoming. During her graduate studies, Jen was awarded the Larsh Bristol Photojournalism Fellowship. Here, Jen created a project entitled Reflections of a Cow Man’s Daughter featuring a photography exhibit of Wyoming ranchers, with images gathered over the course of a year.
Jen has long- held passion for local food production, and upon completion of graduate school, she managed her own ranch operation near Riverton, Wyoming. Jen sold dairy, beef, eggs, meat chickens, and some produce to local customers, and was highly active in Fremont County’s Local Foods movement. Jen’s most recent endeavor is in a new role with the University of Ag Extension in collaboration with the USDA Regional Food Business Center as a Local Foods Coordinator working around the state of Wyoming. Jen is especially eager to connect local food producers with resources and technical assistance to promote successful operations, and to help foster a sense of community around the state and among the region.

Kate Smith

Washington State University

Kate Smith

Kate Smith is an Associate in Research in the Washington State University Food Systems Program. She leads work across Washington State for small scale and beginning farmers through the WSU Cultivating Success and Farm Walks Programs with a focus on bilingual English and Spanish programming and technical assistance. She prioritizes serving historically underserved farmers to gain access to knowledge, resources, capital, land and markets. For the NWRM RFBC, she participates in the Connecting and Scaling Entrepreneurs Theme Team and supports the Washington State Team.

Danita Macy

Oregon State University Extension

Danita Macy

Theme Team role- Tribal Liaison

Danita Macy currently serves as the SNAP-Ed /Family & Community Health Program Coordinator at Oregon State University Extension for the Urban Indigenous programs and OSU Statewide Food Preservation Liaison to the 9 federally recognized Tribes in Oregon. Danita is Anishinaabe/Algonquin Metis/ Basque/Welsh. For the last 35 years, her work has been centered on enhancing the health and wellness of Indigenous communities creating strong healthy food systems, uplifting cultural food traditions, and supporting Indigenous Agriculture, food businesses and food sovereignty initiatives through local and statewide Native-serving coalitions and collaboratives. To further these efforts, she has worked with; Oregon Farm to School (OF2S), Tahoma Peaks Solutions, Community Development Society, Indian Health Board, Native American Youth and Family Services (NAYA) many valuable supportive elders, and Community Health Workers. As part of the Indigenous Peoples Workgroup (IPWG) at OSU she supports colleagues in creating tribal-led educational materials and building respectful native partnerships. She is currently working with OSU colleagues and Tribal partners to modify how the well-established Master Food Preserver program and certifications are meted out; to include diversity, equity, and inclusion.
She is a newer member of The Tribal Food Safety Alliance which offers education, training, and technical assistance for tribal food growers, processors/manufacturers, and tribal nations.

Audrey Welsh

Evaluation Coordinator, Colorado State University

Audrey Welsh

Audrey is the Evaluation Coordinator at CSU DARE for the USDA Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food System Centers. Her primary responsibility will be to support and coordinate the collection of reporting data to capture the performance of these centers. Audrey is deeply invested in supporting local small and mid-tier producers and ranchers and hopes to continue this support by measuring the impact of these centers and their programming throughout the region. Audrey has earned her MBA in Global, Social, and Sustainable Enterprises from Colorado State University’s College of Business and has launched two businesses to support her local food system since. She seeks to continue to advocate for the unique needs of small businesses through bridging funding opportunities and technical assistance programs.

Janie VanWinkle

VanWinkle Ranch

Janie VanWinkle

Janie VanWinkle owns and manages VanWinkle Ranch along with her husband, Howard in western CO. Janie has been involved in advocating for agriculture and food security for all for the past 10 - 15 years. VanWinkle Ranch is a conventional cow/calf producer caring for 500-600 head of livestock. Cattle from the ranch go into the food supply chain to feed the masses and in the past 5 years, the Ranch has been selling directly to consumers in Mesa County and beyond. Food Bank of the Rockies and VanWinkle Ranch are partners in getting high quality protein to people that need it the most.

Monique Marez

Eptimizo LLC

Monique Marez

Monique Marez is a food systems practitioner with experience at every scale of the sector, from grassroots community organizing, to international trade policy. Her consulting practice, Eptimizo LLC provides strategic services to food and agriculture businesses, governments, and non-profits in an effort to build a more resilient and just food system. Monique was raised in Pueblo, CO, has worked in over 40 countries around the world and holds degrees from Yale University and New York University.

Mike gabel

Food Innovation Center at CSU Spur

Mike gabel

Mike Gabel is the Director of the Food Innovation Center at CSU Spur with the goal is to support food innovators through value-added services, kitchen and processing facilities and the creation of a space where ideas can prosper. Mike is a second-generation CSU grad in Food Science and Human Nutrition. After a master’s in food engineering from UC Davis he started his 20-year career with roles in product development, quality systems, and strategy and portfolio management. He has lead innovation teams at Windsor Foods, ConAgra Foods and recently at Barilla, where he spent the last 5 years at their HQ in Parma, Italy.

Janna Hamlett

TechHelp & University of Idaho Extension

Janna Hamlett

Dual appointment with University of Idaho Extension and TechHelp (Idaho’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center). The mission of the MEP is to help small to medium manufacturers. My focus area is in food. I work with food manufacturers helping them overcome any challenges they may have. Everything from supply chain, food safety, food quality, people safety, customer relations, leadership, process efficiencies, marketing, export, etc. Example activities include consulting activities, finding expertise that is needed, speaking and organizing webinars, and teaching open enrollment courses, etc. I work with all sectors of the food industry from the small (owner-operator, entrepreneur) size to large-scale world-wide manufacturing companies. My background is in both academia and industry (training manager, quality manager, and production manager roles). I have many industry certifications in food safety, to personal safety, to lean manufacturing (Black Belt). All used to help food manufacturers succeed in their goals.

Scott Stoner

Montana Farm Bureau Federation

Scott Stoner

Scott graduated from Northern Montana College with a bachelor's degree in Agri Business and a minor in Farm Mechanics. He managed a farm in Plentywood, Montana for a couple of years, prior to that, was a hired hand on a cattle ranch in Matinsdale, Montana for 8 years and had a 35 year career with Columbia Paint/ Sherwin Williams as a District manager. Scott has been actively involved with the Montana Farm Bureau Federation for over ten years, the last 6 on the state board of directors as District 9 Director. Scott also sits on the Montana Farm Bureau Foundation board of directors and the Mountain West Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company board of directors. Scott lives on a small place near Helena where they raise dryland hay and have raised registered quarter horses and mules in the past.

Paddy Fleming

Montana Manufacturing Extension Center

Paddy Fleming

Paddy Fleming was raised on a small farm and ranch on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. He started, owned and operated his own value-added agriculture manufacturing business for 12 years. He has more than 20 years of experience consulting with small and medium food and beverage companies throughout Montana. He is currently the Center Director of the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center which is part of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Network and part of the College of Engineering at Montana State University.

Andy Fjeseth

Montana Department of Agriculture

Andy Fjeseth

Andy Fjeseth has worked for the Montana Department of Agriculture for seven years and currently serves as the Bureau Chief for the Agriculture Finance, Trade & Development Bureau. The Bureau helps producers, businesses and industry advocates access and leverage funding and technical assistance to protect their livelihoods, expand their operations, access new markets, and develop new products, processes, and initiatives that advance Montana agriculture.

Fjeseth was born and raised in Dillon, MT. His family homesteaded at Camas Prairie, MT in 1909 and his Uncle runs the family farm and ranch there today. He attended Carroll College in Helena, MT where he graduated with a degree in Communications and Public Relations. Fjeseth also was a member of the Carroll College football team, where he served as a Captain on the 2010 NAIA National Championship team. He and his wife, Blair, reside in Helena with their three children, Sven, Olan, and Nell. When not in the office, Fjeseth and his family can usually be found enjoying Montana’s great outdoors.

Mindi Anderson

Idaho Veterans Chamber of Commerce

Mindi Anderson

Dr. Mindi Anderson is a retired United States Air Force Veteran of 22 years and serves as the President and Founding Executive Director of the Idaho Veterans Chamber of Commerce (IDVCC). She serves as a Steering Committee member for the Northwest and Rocky Mountain USDA Regional Food Business Center advocating on behalf of Idaho Veteran and Spouse Business Owners across the food sector industry. Mindi serves as the Idaho Veterans Chamber of Commerce, project director as a spoke for the Small Business Administration Community Navigator Pilot Program Grant awarded to the Idaho Hispanic Foundation as a Hub. She also serves as the project director for the Workforce Development Council Innovation Training Fund grant awarded to the IDVCC. Both grants are piloting the innovative navigation network services hub model for entrepreneurship, workforce, and education across The State of Idaho. She is a champion for business owners across the military-connected community as well as all Idaho Communities. Mindi has a deep passion for advancing community economic and development initiatives that will strengthen partnerships across Idaho’s food sector Eco-System. Mindi has a long-standing career in the healthcare field throughout her military and civilian career and completed her Doctorates in Healthcare Administration where she researched navigation models to enhance managed care initiatives within Idaho. The Idaho Veterans Chamber of Commerce Network Navigation Hub model encourages stronger collaborations, deeper connections, and access to resources, ultimately leading to unity across Idaho by bridging the gaps between the Idaho and Military Communities.

Ariel Agenbroad

University of Idaho Extension

Ariel Agenbroad

Ariel leads and facilitates collaborative, multidisciplinary and multifaceted applied research and education in community food systems and small farms for the Southwest Idaho counties of Payette, Gem, Canyon, Ada, Owyhee and Elmore. She is co-leader of the University of Idaho Extension Horticulture and Small Farms Priority Extension Theme Team. She is a member of the Idaho Cultivating Success Small Farms Education Team. She leads statewide efforts in on-farm produce safety, farm to early care and education, outreach to military veteran producers, and farmers markets. She is currently Idaho's primary Produce Safety Alliance Lead Trainer. Ariel is a founding advisor and currently serves as the Board Treasurer of the Idaho Farmers Market Association. On the Regional Food Business Centers Idaho State Team her role will be to connect small scale producers and processors with resources to grow their businesses sustainably and to foster relationships between diverse partners and organizations across the food system.

Melissa Hemken

Red Rock Chronicling, LLC

Melissa Hemken

Plants, animals, and people intersect within agriculture. How we eat determines how we utilize landscapes, gather community, and employ ourselves. Melissa Hemken, Central Wyoming College's Community Food System Specialist, leads the College’s Local Food Economy Resiliency project, which develops markets for farmers and ranchers while simultaneously increasing access to local food produce and products within our communities. Her broad knowledge of food and agriculture roots in her family’s Iowa crop and livestock farm, swings up into the small-scale farms of New England, travels to ranches across the nation for magazine assignments, and lands on her Melissahof farm enterprise near Lander where she focuses on a hatchery, pastured poultry and gourmet garlic. Hemken holds a BS in Journalism, Environmental Studies and Rural Sociology from Iowa State University, a graduate certificate in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from Tufts University, and works toward a MS in Sustainable Food Systems at Prescott College. Hemken is the Wyoming co-lead for the USDA Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center, and Principal Investigator for a USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program grant.

Marcia Ostrom

Washington

Marcia Ostrom

Marcia Ostrom is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the School of the Environment and the Food Systems Program at Washington State University. She leads interdisciplinary extension and research programs to improve the sustainability and equity of regional food and farming systems. She established the Small Farms Program, the bilingual Cultivating Success Program, the Immigrants in Agriculture Program, and the WSU/Tilth Farm Walk Program. She co-leads the Washington Coming Together for Racial Understanding (CTRU) Program. Her efforts to improve the diversity and equity of agricultural extension programs have been recognized with awards from WSU; the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities; the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society; the Fulbright Program; and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. She teaches undergraduate, graduate, and extension courses and advises graduate students in sustainable agriculture, agroecology, food systems, and extension. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, an M.S. from Cornell, and an A.B. from Harvard.

Amy Gilroy

Oregon Department of Agriculture

Amy Gilroy

Amy Gilroy works in the Agricultural Development & Marketing Program at Oregon Department of Agriculture where she been a trade development manager for nine years. Amy brings more than 15 years of experience in food policy and systems change efforts in Oregon. Amy specializes in helping Oregon farmers and food businesses develop supply chains for institutions, such as schools and hospital systems and supports small businesses and farms navigate market requirements. She recently coordinated the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Women's Farm to Food Accelerator for Oregon and served as an advisor to Prosper Portland's Regional Food Equity Collaborative. Currently she is a key collaborator on Oregon's Local Food Purchasing Agreement Program, Ecotrust's BIPOC Farm to Market Program, the Oregon Farm to Institution Collaborative, Farm to School and many other efforts to help small farms and food businesses in Oregon thrive. In her free time she likes to wander around art museums, backpack Oregon’s canyon lands, and get her hands dirty on her partner’s 2nd generation fruit and vegetable farm.

Jennifer Werlin

University of Idaho Extension

Jennifer Werlin

- Associate Professor in community food systems
- Experience teaching/facilitating beginning and small farm, horticulture, and agritourism programming (Cultivating Success Idaho, Idaho Master Gardener, etc); 6 years of experience facilitating and evaluating food coalitions and policy councils in our state/region
- Was the lead on planning and facilitating a 4-part Idaho state-wide food entrepreneur webinar training such as "Starting a Specialty Food Business in Idaho -Webinar Recording": https://www.idahobiz.org/library.
I am part of the Idaho state team and will be working with our small state-wide team to plan and facilitate trainings and opportunities in Idaho.

Laura Raymond

Washington State Department of Agriculture

Laura Raymond

Laura Raymond is currently the Regional Markets Program lead at the Washington State Department of Agriculture and a state lead for Washington for the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center. She has spent her career engaging stakeholders and developing strategies to maximize impact and drive positive change including working both internationally and locally. Her work has involved designing and implementing sustainable food and agriculture solutions including urban agriculture, food security, ethical sourcing and trade, direct marketing, maximizing value chains, and food policy; and engaging and empowering diverse groups to build connections and make change in their own communities. Laura has an M.B.A. from Bainbridge Graduate Institute at Pinchot.

Anders Van Sandt

University of Wyoming

Anders Van Sandt

Dr. Anders Van Sandt is an Assistant Professor of Regional Economics and a Community Development Extension Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wyoming. Dr. Van Sandt received his Ph.D. in 2018 from Colorado State University in Agricultural and Resource Economics and worked for two years as a postdoctoral scholar at Texas A&M. His current Extension and research efforts revolve around promoting rural economic development by exploring rural-urban linkages, entrepreneurship, access to healthcare, and interdependencies between local industries. Though an early career member, Dr. Van Sandt has been awarded a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant and has published numerous academic and Extension articles in outlets such as Health Economics, Tourism Economics, and the Journal of Regional Science, among others.

Brian Coppom

Colorado Department of Agriculture

Brian Coppom

I joined Colorado Department of Agriculture in Oct of 2021 to launch and manage the Colorado Agricultural Future Loan Program (CAFLP). CAFLP is focused on making funds available to beginning and underserved farmers, ranchers, and food processors. Prior to working at the CDA, I operated the Boulder County Farmers Markets from 2013 to 2021, working with 125+ farmers and ranchers across Colorado during that time. My community activity includes being a board member of the Slow Money Institute and Kitchen Cabinet member of SOIL Boulder (community funded 0% loans to local growers), and a former member of Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council, the Colorado State Fair Board, and the Farmers Market Coalition.

Sydney DeLuna

Luna Bird

Sydney DeLuna

I have been a buyer, an advocate, and educator for local, sustainable, and regenerative agriculture both personally and professionally. I come to this work with a background in building and operating large kitchen facilities, as well as menu development and sourcing for local, source identified and sustainably produced foods. My understanding of food system work is layered and multi-dimensional, and I bring to my work technical skill, a strong understanding of sound business practices, a track record of implementation, deep knowledge of sales, scalability and access to market, and extensive experience with sustainable and equitable food production systems.

In recent years I have been working as an independent consultant (Luna Bird) for various community food system projects in the state of Oregon. Current roles include coordinating the Oregon Food Hub Network and leading a Regional Food Systems Partnership Planning grant on behalf of Oregon Community Food Systems Network, as well as serving as a co-lead for the Right Size Infrastructure theme of NW Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center. Prior projects include leading and coordinating the purchase, funding, and transition to cooperative ownership of a small regional food distributor, and work with Economic Development Districts in both Central Oregon and the North Coast of Oregon.

Colette DePhelps

University of Idaho Extension

Colette DePhelps

Colette DePhelps, Community Food Systems Area Educator, University of Idaho Extension, Northern District, is a co-lead for the Idaho State Team and the lead PI for Idaho’s participation in the Center. DePhelps brings over 25 years’ experience building local and regional food systems and established relationships with land grant universities, non-profit technical assistance providers, private entrepreneurs and agricultural producers across Idaho and the western mountain states to the Center. DePhelps is co-founder of the Idaho/Washington Cultivating SuccessTM small farm education program which has provided in-depth and experiential whole farm, production, and risk management education for beginning farmers and ranchers since 2000. DePhelps also provides leadership for the Inland Northwest Artisan Grains team, University of Idaho’s Women in Ag program, is the Annie’s Project Idaho state coordinator and works closely with the Nez Perce Tribe HIPT Food Coalition. In addition to Idaho State Project leadership, DePhelps, who is located on the University of Idaho’s main campus, will connect the work of the Center to University of Idaho’s USDA funded Climate-Smart Commodities for Idaho: A Public-Private-Tribal Partnership project.

Luke Larson

Centennial Cuts

Luke Larson

Luke is active in many segments of the beef industry including ranching (cow/calf, stocker), cattle feeding and direct to consumer beef marketing. Luke is founder of Centennial Cuts which is an all Colorado Beef brand featuring handcrafted jerky products as well as premium steaks and ground beef. Our family raises all of the beef labeled as Centennial Cuts and utilizes co-packers across the state to process and package. Luke is a brand new member of the team - joining in the Fall of 2023.

Libby Christensen

Colorado State University

Libby Christensen

Libby Christensen has over 15 years of experience working in food systems with a focus on the interconnectivity of rural and urban places through food and agriculture. She is passionate about identifying, expanding, and leveraging demand for agricultural and food products to improve the social, environmental, and economic wellbeing of farmers and ranchers. Her experiences include teaching nutrition courses at Colorado State University, advancing market opportunities for regional meat supply chains in Colorado, evaluating the statewide farm to school initiatives, and networking entrepreneurial food and agricultural manufacturers. Dr. Libby Christensen is the statewide specialist for food and agriculture with Colorado State University Office of Engagement and Extension. She is also a Joint Associate Professor with the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and an Extension Affiliate with the Food System Institute and Research Associate with the Regional Economic Development Institute. She and her husband own and operate Routt Distillery featuring all Colorado grains and locally foraged botanicals.

Martha Sullins

Co-Lead, Colorado State University Extension

Martha Sullins

Martha has been involved in food and agriculture systems throughout her career, from research in production and food processing, to developing decision tools that help farmers and food producers better understand and manage marketing and price risk in their businesses. As an Ag and Business Management Specialist with Colorado State University Extension, she focuses on supporting smaller-scale and specialty livestock and crop production businesses, agritourism enterprises, local and regional food systems, farm business transition, and agricultural land protection. Key projects include the Colorado Building Farmers and Ranchers program, Extension’s produce safety outreach program, developing new markets for pulses and grains, and building value chains for meat producers. Martha is the Center’s program manager, technical assistance coordinator and support for the theme team working on creating diverse markets for climate resilient agriculture products. She has a B.A. in Economics and an M.S. in Agricultural Economics.

Lorie Higgins

University of Idaho

Lorie Higgins

Lorie is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology and an Extension Community Development Specialist. She leads the Western Community Assessment Network (WeCAN), which provides research, evaluation and assistance with community development assessments in Idaho (WesternCAN.org), Wyoming and Montana. WeCAN staff facilitates a monthly Peer Learning Network meeting, annual Solutions Roundtables and provides leadership development tools to rural leaders in the three states. Another program developed and led by Lorie is Two Degrees Northwest: Where Art Meets the Land (2dnw), an artisan trails website and guide book focused on the local foods, art and heritage of a 13 county area of North Central Idaho and Southeastern Washington. She is also part of a national team that has developed Ripple Effects Mapping (REM), a participatory story-based evaluation process that captures intended and unintended impacts of community-based programs. She will lead NWRM Food Business Center REM activities in Idaho. She and her WeCAN team will organize and facilitate a virtual six-state Solutions Roundtable, a peer learning opportunity for stakeholders to learn about climate resilient agricultural solutions being implemented across the region.

Laura Johnson

Idaho State Department of Agriculture

Laura Johnson

Laura Johnson has worked at the Department assisting Idaho food and beverage producers for over 30 years. The mission of the market development program is to promote, connect, and educate Idaho producers to help them grow their marketplace. She began her career working in domestic market development programs targeting farmers markets, specialty foods and organics. She developed the first "Starting a Food Business in Idaho" manual for craft food producers that is now in its 19th edition. She oversaw the creation of the Idaho Preferred program that was launched in 2003. The program is focused on linking Idaho farm and food products with consumers, retailers, restaurants, schools and distributors. As a member of the Idaho state team, she will support technical assistance programs in various areas including connecting producers with middle of the supply chain customers and market diversification as well as assisting with efforts to provide capacity building grants to food businesses in the state.

Britt Udesen

City of Good

Britt Udesen

As the Executive Director of City of Good, I have led the organization through its evolution from an emergency response organization to a trusted member of Boise's sustainable food system. Founded in 2020 as schools and restaurants were closing, City of Good united local restaurants and growers to provide fresh, nutritious meals to children in the Boise School District, all while helping to keep culinary workers employed. Taking what was learned in the crisis, City of Good has expanded its focus to include helping food insecure members of our community, supporting local businesses, and promoting a sustainable food system and inclusive economy. In the last 8 months, we have provided 11,000 pounds of local produce and 9300 locally-sourced meals to neighbors experiencing food insecurity.

Jim Auer

Montana Department of Agriculture

Jim Auer

With Montana Department of Agriculture Jim has overseen the several grant and business development programs. He was the Department lead on the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program later being promoted to Grant Section Supervisor. While serving as Grant Section Supervisor Jim oversaw the Growth Through Agriculture program, a grant and loan program tasked with aiding Montana businesses in keeping up with advances in the agriculture industry. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jim led on building and overseeing the Montana Meat Processing Infrastructure Grant and the Montana Agriculture Adaptability Program, awarding over $10 million dollars to support food businesses through the pandemic. Additionally, Jim has worked closely overseeing grant funding to the state’s Food and Agriculture Development Center network, a statewide network of business assistance organizations.

Audrey Paugh

Colorado Grain Chain

Audrey Paugh

Audrey Paugh was born in the mountains of Alma, Colorado before living overseas in Eastern Europe, South East Asia, and Canada before returning home to Colorado in 2021. She received a Bachelor of Science in Global Resource Systems from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Audrey has been involved in rural and urban food systems across the continent and is passionate about seeds, education, and supporting equitable local food systems, bridging the gap between nutrition and planetary health. Between 2021-2023, she worked as the Project Specialist for Cultivating Farmers and Ranchers that Thrive (USDA BFRDP) with Valley Food Partnership, in partnership with Colorado State University, Holistic Management Institute, and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU). In this role she also worked on the planning committee for the Western Colorado Soil Health Food & Farm Forum. She is also part of the 2022-2023 cohort for the Colorado Water Fellowship through the National Young Farmers Coalitions. Between 2021 to present, Audrey has been the Marketing & Networking Specialist for the Colorado Grain Chain, in partnership with the University of Colorado Colorado Springs-Sustainability Wellness & Learning (SWELL), RMFU, and CU Boulder (USDA FMPP). The Colorado Grain Chain (CGC) is a membership based non-profit organization that seeks to link stakeholders across the landscape of grains in Colorado while expanding the marketplace for locally sourced Colorado Grown Grains. In the theme team she seeks to to support efforts for climate-smart, diversified value-added grain market opportunities.

Darin Saul

Arrowleaf Consulting

Darin Saul

Darin Saul, PhD, is owner and director of Arrowleaf Consulting, which does research, needs assessments, feasibility studies, grant writing and funding development, planning and organizational development, and project evaluation. Darin has written over 280 successful proposals to foundations, corporations, and government funders for more than $150 million in awards. Previously, Darin owned and directed Ecovista, an environmental research and planning company; co-founded and was the Executive Director of Groundworks Institute, a nonprofit that provided environmental education and coordinated wetland restoration projects; was the Director of the Center for Environmental Education at Washington State University and the Sustainability Director and Associate Director of the Office of Community Partnerships at University of Idaho; and worked for eight years as the Director of the Office of Grant and Project Development in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Idaho. Recent projects include feasibility studies and funding development to increase USDA-inspected livestock processing; assessment and development of values-based food supply chains; food hubs; and applied research, feasibility studies, and funding development to advance a variety of tribal food sovereignty initiatives. Darin’s published articles are available at https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5630-3543.
Arrowleaf Consulting’s current role in the NRMRFBC is to conduct a state-wide food systems landscape assets and needs assessment for Idaho and to provide technical assistance and capacity-building support across the Center.

Soren Newman

Arrowleaf Consulting

Soren Newman

Soren Newman is associate director of Arrowleaf Consulting where she applies her survey, interview, focus group, and participatory research expertise to a variety of food system, community, and economic development projects as well as to program and project evaluation. She is an experienced grant writer, contributing to over $40 million of awarded funds that have enabled a variety of organizations to implement food systems, agricultural, environmental conservation, educational, and community development programs. Soren has a PhD in Natural Resource and Environmental Science, a master's degree in Sociology, and bachelor's degrees in Spanish and Sociology. Examples of Soren’s recent work include exploration of factors that facilitate and constrain adoption of climate smart agricultural practices, food hub and regional supply chain development, intertribal food system and tribal food enterprise assessment, feasibility of artisan grain enterprises, and strategies for funding grassroots rural community development projects. Her published work is available here: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2801-7579.
Arrowleaf Consulting’s current role in the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional
Food Business Center is to conduct a state-wide food systems landscape assets and needs assessment for Idaho and to provide technical assistance and capacity-building support across the Center.