Inspiring Keynote Speakers

9:00 AM Plenary sponsored by NBT Bank

Richard F. Daines, MD, FACP
Commissioner of the New York State
Department of Health
Dr. Richard F. Daines was confirmed as the 14th Commissioner of Health for New York State on March 21, 2007.As Commissioner, Dr. Daines heads one of the nation’s leading public health agencies with a budget of over $50 billion.  Under his leadership, the Department of Health administers the state’s public health insurance programs, regulates hospitals and other health care facilities, conducts research in a premier biomedical laboratory, and supports public health prevention initiatives. During the past year he helped shape significant health care reforms that were adopted in the state budget, including increased access to health insurance coverage for the uninsured, greater emphasis on primary and preventive care, quality improvement initiatives, and investment in health information technology. Prior to becoming Commissioner, Dr. Daines was the President and CEO of  St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center.  Previous to joining the Hospital Center as Medical Director in 2000, Dr. Daines served as Senior Vice President for Professional Affairs and Medical Director at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.

Patrick Hooker   
Commissioner of the New York State
Department of Agriculture

Patrick Hooker became New York State’s 26th Agriculture Commissioner on January 11, 2007.  As Commissioner, Pat oversees the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, addressing agricultural economic development, environmental stewardship, and food safety issues to ensure agriculture remains a significant contributor to New York’s economy and quality of life.  Pat previously worked for New York Farm Bureau for 16 years as the farm advocacy organization’s top lobbyist, serving as Director of the Public Policy Division.  He has also worked in the State Legislature – first as the Rural Affairs Advisor for the State Assembly Minority Leader, and later as the Director of the New York State Senate Agriculture Committee. Pat grew up in rural Madison County, working on a neighbor’s dairy farm.
 

These visionary leaders will engage in a discussion on the dynamic convergence of agriculture and health and increased partnership opportunities between agriculture and health policy in New York State. They will discuss connections between agriculture, nutrient density of foods we eat and public health issues related to child health, obesity, chronic diseases and food insecurity.

Dana Hudson, Northeast Regional Lead for the National Farm to School Network will moderate the morning plenary.

1:15 PM Plenary sponsored by Northeast SARE  (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education)

Jerry Brunetti
Founder of Agri-Dynamics

In 1979, Jerry Brunetti founded Agri-Dynamics with a vision of providing a line of holistic animal remedies for farm livestock, equine and pets. After witnessing first-hand the devastating results of conventional, chemically dependent, grain-based rationed farming practices, Jerry embarked on a crusade to educate and consult for farmers who made the wise choice to transition to ecologically responsible and sustainable farming. Jerry works towards improving soil and crop quality, livestock performance and health on certified organic farms.

The links between healthy soil, truly nutritious food and profitable, sustainable farming are clearly evident in his personal and professional experiences. His skill for communicating this to people has won him extensive praise from holistic health professionals, sustainable farming organizations and many farmers and consumers. Jerry bridges natural and scientific understandings of plant and animal “ecosystems. Jerry’s “connect-the-dots” systems approach helps farmers and ranchers understand how the health of people and their communities are linked to healthy land, healthy animals and healthy produce.
 

Jerry Brunetti is a highly demanded lecturer and speaker, both nationally and internationally, on topics that include soil fertility, cancer nutrition and healing, animal nutrition and livestock health.

12 interactive workshops with cutting edge topics

Find out how regional food systems can improve our health and economy.  Hear from state and nationally recognized leaders about health and safety issues of our broken food system.  Learn how these problems affect you, and what we can all do to make a difference. Be inspired by budding, dynamic regional food initiatives, from school districts serving healthy local foods, to grass roots initiatives for urban farming, and more. Reducing hunger, processing and distributing opportunities to benefit farmers in the region, and the many options for consumers to buy local will also be discussed.

Track Information

There is Something for Everyone