Change Food Fest

A festival celebrating healthy food

Watch all the talks from Change Food Fest 2016!

20 years ago the lines between “Big Food” and food advocates were clear.  But today, with the changing landscape of food and consumer shift toward more sustainability and transparency, companies are changing.  Food advocates can be found at various large companies.  Smaller advocacy groups are more open to working with these larger companies.  What is happening – and what does it mean for our food supply?

The Change Food Fest “Growing the Good Food Movement” will explore topics surrounding this change – from how business is changing to companies who are doing it right – to people who are creating massive change without the billions of dollars of investment money going into startups.  Come explore the new food movement with us.

woman onstage speaking 

And during the full day, we will celebrate food.  Lots and lots of food!

The Change Food Fest will take place in New York City on November 12 and 13, 2016. We will explore and celebrate change happening in the food system. Rather than simply talk about problems, we will actively look at solutions that are leading us to the sustainable food system we wish to see. Our focus will be on both real and visionary solutions.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH

  • 5:00-6:30     Evening opening reception at The Press Lounge, part of PRINT restaurant
  • 7:00 – on      Organized dinners at select restaurants around NYC (attendee responsible for meal and drinks)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH

  • 9:00am – 4:30pm     Exhibition hall open with food, exhibits, tables and more.  Gift cave with limited items opens at 9:00 so come on time.  First come, first served.
  • 10:30am   Change Talks – Session 1 “The Changing Business of Food” – How we shop, eat and dine is changing.  In this session, we’ll explore this change and some of the impacts on our food. 

  • Bruce Friedrich, The Good Food Institute & New Crop Capital
  • Sam Fromartz, FERN
  • Diane Hatz, Change Food
  • Kim Huskey, Google Food
  • Andrew Ive, FOOD-X (Quickbites)
  • Tera Johnson, Food Finance Institute
  • Eric Kessler, Arabella Advisors
  • Ashley Koff, Ashley Koff Approved
  • Dawn Moncrief, A Well-Fed World
  • Erica Orange, The Future Hunters
  • Paul Willis, Niman Ranch Pork Company (Quickbites)
  • 12:20pm   Break
    • Delicious food
    • Panel discussion around “The Changing Business of Food” (to be broadcast on Facebook Live). Panelists:
      • Kate Cox, New Food Economy (Moderator)
      • Jonathan Cetnarski, Natural Gourmet Institute
      • Britta Riley, All Astronauts!
      • Konstantin Zveregg, BlueCart
    • Networking
    • Exhibition Hall with tabling, information and tastings
  • 1:50pm   Change Talks – Session 2 “Business Doing it Right” – As more entrepreneurs enter the marketplace, more companies are looking toward safe, healthy, delicious food.  Meet some who are doing it right and are part of the force behind today’s food system change
  • Adam Eskin, Dig Inn
  • Jason Green, Edenworks
  • Justin Johnson, Sustainable | Kitchens
  • Ashley Koff, Ashley Koff Approved 
  • Annalyn Lavey, Square Roots Urban Growers
  • Sophia Mendelsohn, JetBlue
  • Scott Norton, Sir Kensington’s (Quickbites)
  • Sam Polk, Everytable
  • Viraj Puri, Gotham Greens
  • 3:20pm   Break
    • More delicious food!
    • Panel discussion (to be broadcast on Facebook Live)
      • Derek Denckla, Denckla Projects (Moderator)
      • Kurt Beecher Dammeier, Beecher’s
      • Mary Cleaver, The Cleaver Co.
      • Frances Dillard, Driscoll’s
      • Anne O’Connor, Organic Valley
    • Networking
    • Exhibition Hall with tabling, information and experiences
  • 4:30pm   Change Talks – Session 3 “Real Change Right Now” – There are people you might not know, working on a grassroots level, who are not only growing and providing food, they are bolstering local economies and saving lives.  Meet some of them.  These are the real rockstars of today.
  • Loren Cardeli, A Growing Culture
  • Devita Davison, FoodLab Detroit
  • Tessa Edick, FarmOn! Foundation
  • Tony Hillery, Harlem Grown
  • Cary Junior, SouthEast Michigan Producers Association (SEMPA)
  • Martina Lynch, Taharka Bros.
  • Angel Rodriguez, Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha
  • 5:45 – 6:30pm    Closing reception
  • 7:00pm on     Dinners – themed dinners focusing on topics discussed at The Change Food Fest will be organized around New York City.  (Each person will be responsible for paying for their own meal.  For attendees only.)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH

  • Tours, Adventures and Experiences (11:00am – 5:30pm) – There will be a separate registration for Sunday adventures.
    • Cheese and beer tasting with Kurt Beecher Dammeier from Beecher’s – and Brooklyn Brewery
    • Tour of Harlem Grown with founder Tony Hillery
    • Bread baking class with Le Pain Quotidien
    • Two plays about farming written by Iowa poet laureate Mary Swander at NYU
    • Tour of Gotham Greens their Gowanus farm
    • Tour of newly opened MOFAD (Museum of Food and Drink) exhibition

Adventures are only open to ticket holders to Saturday’s event, though you can register to see the 2 plays about farming being performed at NYU at 3pm 11/13.