New Mexico's Pam Roy Featured in White House Webinar on Local Foods

Our Tuesday, July 17, the White House will host a Webinar about local foods.  Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan and Jon Carson from the White House Office of Public Engagement will host the Web event featuring a discussion with six women around the country who are particularly knowledgeable about the issue, including our own Pam Roy.

As you know Pam is executive director of Farm to Table and director of the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council,which advocates the connection between local food systems, health, nutrition, hunger and stewardship.

The five other participants are Cory Carman of Carman Ranch in Oregon; Chris Kirby, coordinator of the Farm to School program in Oklahoma; Susan Noble of the Vernon Economic Development Association in Wisconsin, whose efforts converted an abandoned factory into a food business incubator; Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who created the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative; and Valerie Segrest of the Muckelshoot Indian Tribe in Washington state, who is the Native Foods Educator at the Northwest Indian College Cooperative Extension Department.

The Purpose of the Webinar
Here's what USDA says:
"It's about the businesses that bring food from farms to our tables, and efforts to connect consumers with producers like farm to school and agritourism. And it's about the sense of pride behind campaigns like Buy Fresh, Buy Local, Appalachian Grown, or Idaho Preferred that let consumers know their food dollar is flowing back into their local economy. Women play a prominent role in developing local and regional food systems that are creating jobs, pulling new people into agriculture, connecting communities, and improving health.

USDA will also unveil the 2.0 version of its Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass, an innovative digital guide and map that highlights USDA-supported local food projects around the country.

Participating in the Webinar
The Webinar, which is open to the public, will start at 1:00 p.m. Mountain Time (11:00 A.M. Eastern Time), via the Google+ Hangout.

Watch on White House Live Feed (WhiteHouse.gov/live), or on the White House Google+ page

Engage: Ask questions and join the discussion on the White House Google+ Page, on Twitter using the hashtag #WHHangout, or on this Web form. Questions can be submitted ahead of time and during the event.