Farming & Food Security: Springboard event series coming early 2026

Upcoming Springboard event series to be co-hosted by Bucknell University and Washington and Lee University

Join us in early 2026 for a series of virtual events exploring how community organizations are integrating food production into their strategies to combat food insecurity. The series will feature leaders from innovative programs working at the intersection of food, justice, and community resilience. The event series is co-hosted by Bucknell University and Washington and Lee University, both SHECP Member Schools, and students from both universities are working together to shape the conversation, help to select panelists, organize the event, and develop questions that will guide future dialogue and action.

On Tuesday, February 17th, Maureen McNamara Best, Executive Director of the Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP), and Zach Zook, Chief Strategy Officer for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, will join us to discuss how their organizations are integrating food production into their efforts to improve food access and build resilient communities. The discussion will be moderated by Ryan McCoy, professor of Environmental Studies at Washington and Lee University. Learn more & register >>

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All SHECP Springboard events are designed to begin a conversation with a virtual, Consortium-wide webinar designed to provide background on a topic and introduce unique perspectives. Planning a group discussion? Here are some questions you might consider to jumpstart conversations in your community:

1. Farming and food production happens at various levels - in back yards, community gardens, and large-scale production operations. Once harvested, it takes a range of programs, systems, and policies to get that food to people.

   1.  What are the benefits and/or challenges associated with partnering with hyper local growers vs. larger scale regional farms? 

   2. What relationships would a program or organization need to leverage in order to address these barriers? 

   3. What might be some intended consequences or needs for a local organization to consider when bringing in fresh produce rather than shelf-stable foods? 

2. Different people have access to different amounts and kinds of food, some of higher quality and/or freshness than others. How do you think about the discussions of quantity vs quality in food systems? Some people are worried about getting enough food, while others are very concerned with the quality of their food. How do you/can we address this tension?

3. People can be very opinionated about food choices. To some, this could look and feel like judgement. However, food choices are often based on what people can afford and/or what is important to their culture. How do these value judgements impact our food system (for good or bad)? 

4. What is the role of food in community-building? What are ways we can come together over the “breaking of bread”?

5. What are ways that food can be used to reduce poverty and its associated conditions in our world? Educational institutions? Churches? Medical care? 

6. Are there ways that you can be more accepting of others in their food choices and/or engage with others in their food heritage?

About the Co-Hosts: 

Bucknell University's Center for Community Engaged Leadership, Learning & Research

The Center's mission is to "build intentional and transformational opportunities for Bucknellians and community partners to collaborate equitably and learn deeply around identified priorities and strengths to positively impact our world." Learn more about the work on Bucknell's campus >>

Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee University

The Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee is a student run organization that aims to address food waste and food insecurity through a variety of outreach programs, and works to "strengthen bodies, empower minds and build communities through food." In addition to serving prepared meals, distributing groceries, and delivering weekly packages of non-perishable breakfast, lunch, and snack items, the Campus Kitchen coordinates an annual event series called Just Food. These events explore the intersection between the food system and issues of poverty and justice and have included lectures on food in the carceral system, redlining, and public policy. Learn more about Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee >>

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All SHECP Springboard events are designed to begin a conversation with a virtual, Consortium-wide webinar designed to provide background on a topic and introduce unique perspectives. You are then encouraged to continue the conversation within your own classroom or community. For each event, SHECP will provide several questions or prompts as one way to continue the conversation.

We invite you to incorporate these Springboard events into your class, programs, groups of faculty and staff, or broader community discussions in the way that works best for you!

• Log-on to watch the event live as a group and then continue the conversation at the conclusion of the webinar

• View the recording at later date as a group and then continue the conversation at the conclusion of the webinar

• Ask participants to watch the event individually and then plan a follow-up discussion, either in-person or virtually

• Assign the recording as an assignment or part of the assignment in preparation for a class or student group meeting

• Use SHECP’s discussion questions or create questions that reflect local context

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Do you have an idea for a future SHECP Springboard event? Contact the SHECP Office (info@shepherdconsortium.org) and let us know!