There is an appetite among farmers to work together to strengthen our food system, build resilient farms and farmers, and share resources amongst one another. Building Collaborative Capacity is an event for those interested in working smarter not harder.  

Learn about multiple projects across Southeast Wisconsin that are working together to extend their reach, increase capacity, and reduce isolation. We’ll hear from: 

• SE Wisconsin Farmers Market Cooperative, a project to combine multiple farms under one booth 

• Fondy Farm, a 20-farm incubator farm focused on collaboration 

• Prairie Gold Foundation which is working  to get food from local ecological farms to Food Banks such as Hunger Task Force 

• Hunger Task Force Farm on how they manage large crews such as the volunteers that assist on the farm.Whether you are a farmer looking to collaborate or an individual interested in supporting local food systems, this event is for you!  We hope this is an opportunity to learn from those who are already building networks and to find potential collaborators.  

Whether you are a farmer looking to collaborate or an individual interested in supporting local food systems, this event is for you!  We hope this is an opportunity to learn from those who are already building networks and to find potential collaborators.

Agenda:
1:00 - 1:30 - Registration & Welcome

1:30 - 2:15 - Collective Farmers Market Project - Sam Odin & Liz Lyon

2:15- 2:45 - Farming Collaboratively at Fondy Farm - Stephen Petro

2:45 - 3:00 - Break

3:00 - 3:30 - Marketing Eggs Collectively - Michael Gutschenritter

3:30 - 4:00 - Managing Large Work Crews - Sarah Christman & Stephen Poquette

4:00- 4:30 - Wrap-up & Questions

Presenter Bio: 
Sam Odin - For over a decade, Sam has grown food for himself and others. In addition to examining the food system directly in Milwaukee, Sam works to situate it’s particularities in an ever-dynamic and connected world. Nose-deep in a book, wrist-deep in the soil, forefinger plucking the bass, and his heart set on revolution, Sam applies his love of and dedication to our world and it's inhabitants to each critique, plan, long-winded bio, and of course, every seed sown.

Liz Lyon - Liz got her start at Gwenyn Hill as an apprentice in the Organic Vegetable Farm Manager Program, a project of FairShare CSA Coalition. In her new role, she continues to learn about what it takes to run an organic farm in a way that is sustainable for the land, the business and the people growing the food. Prior to arriving at Gwenyn Hill Farm, Liz managed a farmers market in Chicago, helped small businesses implement local circular economy practices, and worked with a variety of community gardens, urban farms, and organic produce operations in Chicago and throughout the Midwest.

Stephen Petro - Food is a universal experience; an act that unites everyone. This realization profoundly influenced Stephen’s decision to farm. He spent five years learning about soil in glaciated Wisconsin loam, Maine silt loam, and Georgia clay. Participating in these ecosystems instilled a strong sense of community, respect for the land and its inhabitants, and the knowledge needed to steward a farm. Stephen continued his farm odyssey by joining Fondy in 2010. Since then, he has spent much of his time humbled by the depth and breadth of knowledge that Fondy Farmers, the land, and the Fondy community at large have shared with him

Michael Gutschenritter - Michael Gutschenritter is the owner of Three Brothers Farm and Prairie Gold Organics, in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Prairie Gold is a business venture selling organic eggs from four different farms to grocery stores and restaurants in Wisconsin. Michael also founded Prairie Gold Foundation, which partners with trusted farms to produce the foods hunger relief organizations actually need—then purchase that food at fair, sustainable prices and deliver it where it’s needed most

Sarah Christman - Christman graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Latin from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2004. Christman is a third-generation beekeeper who has been farming in the Milwaukee area for over twenty years. Christman has been working specifically to increase food access in underserved Milwaukee communities since 2006. Through her roles as Operations, Facility and Wholesale Produce Manager, Christman has functioned at all levels of the farm enterprise.  

Stephen Poquette - Poquette graduated from Colorado State University in 2015. He has 10+ years of experience in non-profit work managing volunteers and organizing events. Stephen joined The Farm team in the spring of 2023 as the Farm Volunteer Coordinator. In this role, Stephen pulls upon his past experience to recruit and schedule the over 4,500 volunteers that annually support The Farm and to build upon the relationships that push forward the Hunger Task Force mission

Additional information:
If you have any questions about the event, please reach out to Tay Fatke at 888-906-6737 Ext. 724 or [email protected].