May 12, 2011 | Robert Puro

From May 23 – 25, visionary female leaders in the fields of sustainable agriculture and food systems development will convene at the Johnson Foundation at Wingspread for the Cultivate 2012 Summit. The summit, co-sponsored by The White House Project, Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) and Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN), will focus on the development of strategies for growing the sustainable agriculture movement in the US. The goals of the conference, according to The White House Project website will be to strategize on how to:

• Support and strengthen this movement by identifying key opportunities and challenges for women in sustainable agriculture

• Develop strategies to encourage more women in sustainable agriculture and rural women to pursue leadership roles, including running for or being appointed to public office, boards, commissions and various positions of influence

• Create a foundation for future collaboration among women leaders in sustainable agriculture, including planning for The White House Project’s Rural Women’s Leadership Program

Liz Johnson, National Rural Program Director Director for The White House Project said, “We are bringing together an extremely diverse group of visionary women and we are totally committed to coming out of this historic gathering with actionable items. I believe we will find ways to ratchet up women’s impact on policy and elections in 2012, shine a spotlight on the women who are already leading in this movement, and talk about how we can cultivate leadership in the huge and growing pipeline of young women in this movement.”

Attendees will include the following notable activists, policy makers, organizers and thinkers:

Jenga Mwendo, Director of the Backyard Gardener’s Network in New Orleans.  Mwendo founded the Backyard Gardener’s Network to sustain and strengthen the Lower Ninth Ward community and revitalize its neighborhood through urban agriculture.

Severine von Tscharner Fleming, documentary film director, activist, organizer and farmer. Von Tscharner Fleming founded the The Greenhorns, a grassroots non-profit organization whose mission is to recruit, promote, and support the new generation of young farmers in America.

Janie Simms Hipp, Senior Advisor for Tribal Affairs to United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack. Simms Hipp heads the Office of Tribal Relations located within the Office of the Secretary. She is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation and the co-founder of the Intertribal Native Women and Youth in Agriculture organization. She has worked extensively with American Indian farmers and ranchers throughout the United States.

Leigh Adcock, Executive Director of The Women, Food, and Agriculture Network (WFAN). Adcock is a sustainable agriculture and female farmer advocate. She is featured in the book Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat.

Faye Jones, Executive Director of Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES).  Jones, in her role at MOSES, works to provide farmers and agricultural professionals with resources, trainings and information about organic & sustainable farming. She has worked in the organic world for 27 years as a cut flower grower, market gardener, community volunteer and event organizer.

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About The White House Project:

The White House Project is a non-profit organization which aims to advance women’s leadership in all communities and sectors—up to the U.S. presidency—by filling the leadership pipeline with a richly diverse, critical mass of women.

About Women’s Food and Agriculture Network:

The Women’s Food and Agriculture Network mission is to link and empower women to build food systems and communities that are healthy, just, sustainable, and that promote environmental integrity.

About Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service:

The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) serves farmers striving to produce high-quality, healthful food using organic and sustainable techniques. These farmers produce more than just food; they support thriving ecosystems and vibrant rural communities.

Source: Press Release provided by The White House Project